International n’y touchez plus! pourquoi les institutions financières internationales doivent se retirer du forage, des pipelines et des mines

The report by Friends of the Earth International contends that IFIs, including multilateral development banks and export credit agencies, facilitate a destructive export-led development model. Through various case studies in countries like Peru, Colombia, and the Philippines, the document illustrates how these investments lead to environmental catastrophes, human rights violations, and the marginalization of indigenous peoples and women. It specifically highlights the contradiction between IFI funding of fossil fuels and global climate goals, ultimately recommending a phased withdrawal from extractive sectors in favor of decentralized renewable energy initiatives.

• International financial institutions (IFIs) use public funds to support large-scale extractive industries, which the document argues promotes a development model that benefits transnational corporations while increasing poverty and destroying ecosystems in poor countries.
• The report identifies a systemic failure in IFI governance where structural adjustment programs force poor countries to liberalize and deregulate mining and energy laws, often as a condition for loans, which reduces the state's ability to protect citizens and the environment.
• Extractive projects frequently lead to severe human rights abuses and militarization. In Colombia, for example, 90% of human rights violations occur in oil and mining districts, with union leaders being targeted.
• Mining operations often cause catastrophic environmental pollution and health crises. Examples include the 2000 mercury spill at the Yanacocha mine in Peru, which poisoned over 900 people, and the Marcopper spill in the Philippines that turned rivers toxic.
• The document argues that IFI funding of fossil fuels is fundamentally inconsistent with international climate agreements like the Kyoto Protocol, as these investments continue to drive greenhouse gas emissions.
• Indigenous peoples are disproportionately affected by extractive projects, which often violate ILO Convention 169 by destroying ancestral lands and cultural identities, as seen in the Camisea gas project in Peru.
• The report claims that the promise of job creation by IFIs is a myth, as modern extractive industries are highly mechanized and provide few long-term, high-quality local jobs, often replacing sustainable traditional livelihoods.
• Women suffer disproportionately from the pollution and social disruption caused by extractive industries, losing their traditional economic roles and facing increased risks of HIV/AIDS and violence.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (2003). International n’y touchez plus! pourquoi les institutions financières internationales doivent se retirer du forage, des pipelines et des mines. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Les-mines-ny-touchez-plus.pdf

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. International n’y touchez plus! pourquoi les institutions financières internationales doivent se retirer du forage, des pipelines et des mines. 2003. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Les-mines-ny-touchez-plus.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=International n’y touchez plus! pourquoi les institutions financières internationales doivent se retirer du forage, des pipelines et des mines |date=December 2003 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Les-mines-ny-touchez-plus.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{friendsoftheearthinternational2003international, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{International n’y touchez plus! pourquoi les institutions financières internationales doivent se retirer du forage, des pipelines et des mines}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2003}, month = dec, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Les-mines-ny-touchez-plus.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }