Revisions to Resettlement Policy

CIEL urges the World Bank to revise its draft resettlement policy to ensure the 'improvement' of living standards rather than mere 'restoration', to establish minimum standards for voluntary resettlement, and to protect the rights of indigenous peoples through free and informed consent.

• CIEL argues that the draft OP/BP 4.12 contains language that undermines the rights of indigenous peoples by being "implicitly permissive of the forcible displacement of indigenous peoples" even when it threatens their cultural survival or lacks replacement land.
• The document proposes that the World Bank should only finance projects involving indigenous peoples if they provide "free and informed consent", ensure "land-based resettlement", and include "culturally compatible social and economic benefits".
• CIEL identifies a gap in the draft policy regarding "voluntary resettlement", noting that people resettled under this label currently have "no rights under World Bank policy".
• Using the China Western Poverty Reduction Project as a warning, CIEL suggests the Bank adopt minimum standards for voluntary resettlement, including the public release of documents and the requirement that "voluntary resettlers are entitled to development benefits".
• CIEL advocates for the removal of "restoration" language in the policy, arguing that the objective should be the "improvement in the standard of living" to prevent stagnation and impoverishment.
• The document claims the draft policy contradicts the World Bank's own Operations Evaluation Department (OED) findings by focusing on whether a project met the "objectives of the resettlement instrument" (the plan) rather than the actual "results" or development outcomes.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2001). Revisions to Resettlement Policy. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/clark_resettlement_10oct01.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Revisions to Resettlement Policy. 2001. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/clark_resettlement_10oct01.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Revisions to Resettlement Policy |date=10 October 2001 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/clark_resettlement_10oct01.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2001revisions, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Revisions to Resettlement Policy}}, publisher = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2001}, month = oct, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/clark_resettlement_10oct01.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }