As Reprisals Rise in Asia and the Caucasus, Development Banks Must Uphold Human Rights

Improving the lives and livelihoods of communities across the world has always been a promising narrative behind large-scale development projects. But across Asia and the Caucasus, the region stretching from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea that includes Armenia and Azerbaijan, such promises are rarely fulfilled. Too often, projects funded by development banks have compromised the very communities they are meant to uplift, exacerbating structural issues and fueling human rights violations.

Recognizing that their activities can lead to harm, nearly every multilateral development bank has set up an independent accountability mechanism (IAM) to address and resolve community complaints. Do these mechanisms really provide a genuine opportunity to demand and secure justice?

Unfortunately, stories from local communities and civil society groups across Asia and the Caucasus show that even when such mechanisms are in place, accessing remedy is extremely challenging, if not impossible.

The ever present threat of reprisals and retaliations — particularly acute in this region — creates significant barriers for communities and human rights defenders to raise complaints, let alone receive remedy.

Read the full article, which is co-authored by AC’s Radhika Goyal, in Triple Pundit.