KANANASKIS G7 SUMMIT ISSUE BRIEFS (June 2002): Extractive Industries and the Role of the World Bank
One of the most controversial areas of World Bank involvement is the financing of oil, gas and mining projects in developing nations. This brief describes World Bank involvement in these extractive industries, specifically the devastating effects of these projects on local people and the environment and the solutions put forward by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to correct these problems.

Movement criticizes irresponsibility of IMF and World Bank
Activists Issue 4 Demands & Rebuttal to World Bank’s Defense

Terrie O’Leary
Executive Director for Canada
World Bank
1818 H Street
Washington D.C.

12 July, 2000

Dear Ms. O’Leary,

I am writing to express our pleasure that the Board of Directors of the World Bank has cancelled its support for the Qinghai component of the Western China Poverty Reduction Project. This cancellation sends a much needed signal, following the approval of the Chad-Cameroon Oil and Pipeline project, that the Board will work to ensure that the World Bank accountability mechanisms are used to screen out projects that cannot meet even its own participatory, sustainable development standards.

INSTITUTE FOR POLICY STUDIES (USA) * URGEWALD (GERMANY) * REFORM THE WORLD BANK CAMPAIGN (ITALY) * GREEN GROUP (ITALIAN SENATE) * HALIFAX INITIATIVE (CANADA) * SIERRA CLUB (USA) * PROJECT UNDERGROUND (USA) * CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL LAW (USA) * ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE (USA)* RAINFOREST ACTION NETWORK (USA) * AMIS DE LA TERRE (FRANCE) * BANK INFORMATION CENTER (U

Terrie O' Leary
Executive Director for Canada
World Bank Group
1818 H St. NW
Washington, DC  20433
June 4, 2000

Dear Ms. O' Leary,

We are writing to express our serious concerns related to a proposed IFC investment, the Niger Delta Contractor Revolving Credit Facility, and to urge you to vote against this project.  This project involves IFC and the Shell Petroleum Development Company teaming up to provide credit to Nigerian contractors who are providing services to Shell.

Terrie O'Leary
Executive Director for Canada
World Bank, Room D12081
701 19th Street
Washington, DC, 20433

May 20, 2000

Dear Ms. O. Leary,

First, on behalf of the Halifax Initiative Coalition and our international allies, thank-you very much for meeting with us, following the Spring meetings. We appreciate every opportunity to exchange views on issues with you.

I am writing today to formally express our concerns over the proposed Chad-Cameroon Oil and Pipeline project, due for Board consideration on Tuesday, May 23rd. As you know, Directors have been asked to request that the Board be given one more month to review issues and documents related to this project.

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Francois Page
Advisor to the Executive Director for Canada
World Bank
1818 H street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20433

Fax: 1-202-477-4155

16 July, 1999

Dear Mr. Page;,

Please thank Ms. O"Leary for forwarding to us the Draft Final Report on the Fuel for Thought: Environmental Strategy for the Energy Sector and the Proposal to Establish a Prototype Carbon Fund. We appreciate their provision in order to enable us to provide more relevant input to the Board discussion on July 20th. As you know, the Bank did not share your commitment to transparency. The Bank decision not to release the Strategy publicly is, as you can imagine, a great disappointment to all of us who have been engaged in consultations on this Strategy over the past year. We would appreciate if Canada can express its concern that the Strategy was not publicly released prior to the Board meeting.

 
Backgrounder (1999)
 

An international consortium consisting of Exxon, Shell and Elf, a French company, is sponsoring the project. The project includes the drilling of 300 wells in the Doba oilfields of southern Chad, the construction of a 1050 km long, 30 m wide buried pipeline through to an offshore marine export terminal facility 15 km off the coast of Cameroon.