Review and Update of the World Bank Environmental and Social Safeguard Policies

Through the 1990s, the World Bank’s environmental and social safeguard policies (hereinafter “safeguards”) established it as an international leader in reducing the negative effects of investment operations in developing countries. However, the Bank has failed to incorporate the latest best practice standards into its safeguards. This failure is important for a number of reasons, including the fact that the safeguards set standards for sound business management practices that influence the policies of other International Financial Institutions (IFIs) and private banks.