This thesis argues that development requires policies which promote comprehensive
human development, rather than simple economic growth. While international law and the
human rights system mandate that the individual be the central focus of the development
paradigm, there are other reasons in addition to legal obligation to engage in people centred
development planning. It also addresses the broad support for participatory processes found in
the development planning literature.
The World Bank is a multilateral development agency charged with providing low
interest loans to developing nations. Frequently the development interventions financed by these
loans violate the human rights of neighbouring residents. Such violations are contrary to the
Bank's international legal obligations as a member of the United Nations system. This thesis
enumerates steps the Bank must take to align its project planning and implementation policies
with international human rights law.
Chapter One summarizes World Bank history, addresses its structure, and discusses its
lending policy then moves on to comment on the human rights system, providing the theory and
methodology to be used throughout the thesis. The following chapters address specific Bank
policies regulating project planning.
Chapter Two discusses the policy regarding involuntary resettlement arising from
development, and summarize the Bank's indigenous policy.
Chapter Three concerns the Bank's environmental assessment policy. Chapter Four
investigates two areas where no Bank policy has been developed, contrary to the requirements of
the human rights system: formation of national development policies, and the detriments
suffered by project affected people not covered by other policies.
Each chapter discusses the nature of the relevant human rights issues, outlines Bank
policy (where it exists), and recommends modifications and courses of action to bring the Bank
into accordance with the human rights requirements. Chapter five reviews the conclusions
reached in earlier chapters and offers a brief case study demonstrating how human rights can be
practically applied in development projects.
The World Bank must create policies consistent with international civil, political,
economic, social and cultural rights to meet the challenges, and the legal obligations, of human
development.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/9743 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | MacKenzie, David Richard |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Relation | UBC Retrospective Theses Digitization Project [http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/retro_theses/] |
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