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Financial institutions and the role of civil society in building a better world

On Thursday 22/5/2008, Land Center for Human Rights jointly with the Bank Information Center have held a seminar at its headquarters entitled "financial institutions and the role of civil society in building a better world" in an attempt to answer the following questions:
• What are the international financial institutions?
• How do these bodies work?
• What are the bodies active in the Middle East and North Africa?
• What are the bodies active in Egypt?
• What is the nature of their activity?
• How it affects our daily lives?
• How can civil society organizations influence these institutions or limit the negative effects of some of their programs?
Central goal of this seminar to consult with participating organizations to look for ways and different mechanisms for activating the role of civil society organizations to be able to carry out activities that would stop the negative impacts of the policies of international financial institutions in order to build a better, more just and humane world.
The meeting was attended by 40 participants that included members of civil society organizations, journalists and LCHR rural activists from different governorates.
The debate started with a word from Dr. Osama Bedier adviser at the Center confirmed that the world has witnessed over the last two decades of the twentieth century was of great economic developments in the establishment of the WTO, and the abolition of tariffs, imposed a unified system of comprehensive quality standards, and banking systems and remove any Barriers to control international capital in various forms and capabilities majority of the world, leading to the control of multinational companies on international economic activity, and to impose the application of structural adjustment programs on many of the nations of the world under the pretext of economic reform policies, and coincided with the revolution of scientific and technological resources in particular In the area of information and communication, stressing that all this has led to radical changes in the political, social and cultural rights in various countries around the world turn led to the emergence of a new international single-polar, dominated by the United States of America on the world and its destiny.
The Waft, Osama repercussions that these changes were most pronounced on the countries of the developing world, particularly rural areas, and where some 2.7 billion people, most of them suffer from problems of social, economic and environmental problems, led to declining living conditions. He added that international financial institutions that are active in the Middle East and North Africa as World Bank (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, International Foundation for Development International Finance Corporation MIGA), the European Investment Bank, African Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank, International Monetary Fund did not all of these international financial institutions in isolation about what happens to countries worldwide, especially in the region (the Middle East and North Africa) of these negative impacts on the lives of their people, but they certainly bear a great deal of moral responsibility which is now worthless in a world governed by the language of interests Business and regardless of the social and economic rights, cultural and even political guaranteed by all international charters and norms.
Hence, Dr. Osama Bedier stressed that should the civil society organizations as a category lower tier of the peoples of the developing countries have an active and influential role in the international financial institutions, and stressed that in order to benefit from the role of these organizations must work to enable them to achieve their objectives In the interaction and coordination with international financial institutions through its various activities to achieve its mission to improve the conditions of society and avoid the negative effects that may be caused by the application of certain programs of these institutions.
Lastly, Dr. Osama, he emphasized that Egypt were not far from where he witnessed the effects of these contracts eighties and nineties of the twentieth century policy of reforming its economy path, and restructured in line with the global trend of liberalization of economy and trade. Drawing on sources of funding from international financial institutions and the conditions laid down by which had a considerable negative impact on people's lives as an inevitable result of the non-participation in decision-making, and perhaps deliberately so intentionally from the government which led to an increase in poverty rates, lack of fair distribution of revenues Development.
In the same context, speaking Iman Akadawy program director, Middle East and North Africa of the World Information Center, where she began by giving an overview of the Bank Information Center, said: What is the Bank Information Center? Bank Information Center is an independent, non-profit and non-governmental organizations working to protect rights and support the values of participation, transparency and public accountability in the management and functioning of international financial institutions like the World Bank and regional development banks and the International Monetary Fund and others. Centre collaborates with civil society organizations in developing and transition countries to influence the policies and methods of decision-making at the World Bank and other international financial institutions to support social and economic justice and the environment.
Given the central role played by international financial institutions to influence the discourse on development and direct investments, the Centre seeks to support voice and activities of grass-roots movements to ensure greater impact on people's development decisions that affect them and their environment, as well as for access to sustainable alternatives for operations Funded by international financial institutions.
Then Iman lighted on the definition international financial institutions, she said: it consists of institutions operating in the area of public investment and development which is owned by the Member States, and is working on providing funding, technical assistance and policy advice, research and other forms of non-financial support of governments in developing countries and transition , Is also no small number of international financial institutions to provide financing for companies operating in the area of investment the developing world, and stressed that the World Bank is a name known to many organizations compared to other international financial institutions, where it is the oldest international bank established in the year During the 1944 Bretton Woods Conference in the United States to rebuild Europe after the Second World War. At present letter is the core of the bank is fighting poverty, promoting economic growth and development. The 185 state governments involved in the ownership of the World Bank Group are at the same time, members of the Group owns, where each state's share of the bank's stocks by the size of their respective economies, and therefore determine the share of each state's share in the bank weight voice in the Council of the World, to be administered by the World Bank Group Administration, which comprises 24 members, is responsible for the daily decision-making regarding the implementation of funding and policies with the knowledge that each member representing the Government or more of member governments, and adopt the right of representation in the Governing Council on the State's share in the bank, so the owner of the eight largest economies in size is Including Saudi Arabia represented in the Council executive director while the rest of the 177 involved in a number of seats in the Council, namely the remaining 16 seats, outlined in a region of the Middle East and North Africa 8.5% of the total voting powers of the World Bank.
She drew attention to the belief that people are entitled to participate in decisions relating to development especially those decisions that affect their lives and their standard of living and the environment in which they live.
Iman Akdawy then raised questions: Why should the civil society organizations in the Middle East and North Africa interested in discussing the role of international financial institutions more effectively?
In response to this question stressed that the volume of loans granted by international financial institutions for the Middle East and North Africa have increased over the past few years in a remarkable. The World Bank increased investments in the region to reach 1.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2006 after it was 2.6 million dollars in 2002. And the Middle East and North Africa is the region which saw the largest increase in portfolio investments of the International Finance Corporation in 2007, hitting investment institution in the region 1.7 billion dollars in 2007 which is twice the amount invested enterprise in the region in 2006. Provision is also the European Investment Bank, the amount of 8.7 billion euros for the region for the period 2007 - 2013, representing loans granted by the European Investment Bank to the region during the last five years 40% of the total value of loans granted by the bank outside of Europe.
She believes that there may be no negative consequences for international financial institutions in the Middle East and North Africa stated goals of the financing granted by these institutions for investment projects and political reforms in the region is often to fight poverty and promote economic development. However, some loans of international financial institutions in many regions of the world had caused the loss of environmental, social and economic significance. It also caused some of these loans in the displacement of the population who are mostly from poor or impoverished areas that have been implementing projects financed them. Some projects accounted health risks to citizens.
She added that many of the international financial institutions aimed at encouraging free trade and private investment in services and export-oriented projects. However, these policies may also have negative effects on the poor may represent opportunities for corruption if it had not been followed up well.
Iman Akdawy and criticized the role of civil society and its often been the implementation of the activities of international financial institutions in the Middle East and North Africa without the informed participation of the people affected, and in many cases without the participation of legislators in the country that borrow from banks. She stressed that the participation of civil society in all its organizations at an advanced stage and at different levels during the decision-making process is vital to reduce the adverse impacts of any process and identify better options on development projects and policies. And then the civil society becomes more able to develop governments and international financial institutions accountable in terms of making development when it is more familiar matters.
A belief in the truth unveiled a very important might be absent for most workers in the civil society organizations, namely: There's most international financial institutions, organizational structures and procedures that provide opportunities, albeit limited now, civil society groups to participate in the various stages in the decision-making process. Some have managed the institutions of civil society to benefit from these opportunities and made the international financial institutions adjust their policies or change the design or implementation of projects or adopt some standards to reduce the negative effects of social and environmental potential.
Iman and threw the blame on civil society in the Middle East and North Africa which is still relatively absent, while cooperating in which many institutions of civil society with international financial institutions, or face in certain regions of the world.
The question about her faith: How can the Bank Information Center to assist civil society organizations in the Middle East and North Africa to play a sergeant on development projects implemented by government funding from international financial institutions?
She said that the center is a major source of information and strategic support of the civil society organizations and affected communities and grass-roots movements working to reduce the negative effects of globalization. The site in Washington, our experience with international financial institutions, and communications network in which we work through them, enabling us to act as ambassadors in Washington to civil society groups in developing countries so as to enable these groups to present their demands to the international financial institutions and achieve results more egalitarian development. The Center's work as a link between civil society in many regions of the world and international financial institutions can deliver those demands to conduct required modifications in policies, which operates the international financial institutions for science more just world.
For more information please contact the Center.