ISLAMABAD: The World Bank (WB) has decided to streng­then and update its policy on environment and social sectors.

The new policies will have provisions aimed at protecting workers, including their rights to collective bargaining and freedom of association, strong grievance mechanisms, non-discrimination, occupational health and safety, and prohibiting child and forced labour.

“We are committed to developing an environmental and social framework that is better for people, the environment and borrowers,” according to World Bank officials.

The Committee on Development Effectiveness has authorised the board of executive directors to hold a third phase of consultations on the revised draft. Two rounds of consultations have already taken place, and the third is under way.

The proposed environmental and social framework would substantially expand the scope of coverage from the current policy, and would help to ensure that project risk was managed more consistently and effectively, said World Bank’s Vice President for Operational Policy and Country Services Hartwig Schafer.

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2015

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