APPENDIX 21
Memorandum from World Economy, Ecology
and Development (WEED)
1. WEED is a non-governmental organisation
(NGO) analysing global economic, environmental and socio-political
issues and working towards greater equitableness in the world
economic order and greater environmental sustainability.
2. Together with other environmental and
development NGOs, we have been analysing the impacts of projects
that have been supported by export credits and credit guarantees.
We appreciate the opportunities to comment on the role of the
ECGD and to contribute to its review.
3. We are greatly worried about the ECGD's
lack of binding criteria for the consideration of environmental
and developmental aspects in the assessment of projects. Export
credit agencies (ECAs) make projects possible that can have very
detrimental effects on the environment or the social situation
of the people affected. Often, these projects would not be financed
without the official support of ECAs. Being public instruments,
the ECAs have to act in the framework of the overall goals of
respective states. In all Western countries, these include the
goals of a sustainable development, the defence of the human rights
and the protection of the environment. Therefore, the guidelines
of export credit agencies need to guarantee that the projects
they support do not contradict these goals. Thus as a minimum
standard independent environmental impact assessments for projects
of considerable importance should be compulsory, which should
include social and developmental aspects as well. Certain types
of projects, eg the export of arms and dual-use goods with a military
destination, nuclear facilities, and large dams, are not compatible
with a sustainable development at all and should be excluded from
export credits and credit guarantees in general. One of the main
principles in a democracy is transparency and public participation.
Therefore, information about large-scale projects should be made
available to the interested public sufficiently early before the
decision is taken in order to allow for NGOs in the donor country
as well in the recipient country to comment on the project.
4. The goal of a sustainable development
can only be achieved by international co-operation. In this light,
it is encouraging that reviews of the export credit agencies are
under way in several OECD countries. We very much hope that the
ECGD will set a good example and thus take a leading role within
the OECD.
World Economy, Ecology and Development
October 1999
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