1. University College Cork National University of Ireland
The Role of MDBs in Promoting Human Rights Standards among Business Actors 
Prof Owen McIntyre
School of Law
University College Cork
National University of Ireland

2. Presentation Outline Emergence of MDB Safeguards (& IAMs)
EBRD Environmental & Social Safeguards promoting ‘Human Rights’ Standards
EBRD-PCM Complaints involving ‘Human Rights’ Standards
‘Global Administrative Law’ Phenomenon
Core ‘Good Governance’ Values of GAL
Role of GAL Analysis of MDB/IAMs & Human Rights Practice

3. Emergence of ‘ESG’ Safeguards for MDBs
1970/72: WB Guidelines re Weighing Env Factors
1980: ICIDI Brandt Report (MDBs assist re EIAs)
1980: New York Declaration (MDBs / EU / OAS / UN)
1984: WB OMS No Env Aspects of Bank Work
1985: Bruntland Commission (MDBs role in assisting developing States re transition to sustainable dev)
1989: WB OD 4.00 Environmental Issues
1990: WB OD 4.30 Involuntary Resettlement (Social)
1991: WB OD 4.01 Environmental Assessment
1990s et seq.: All MDBs established ESPs, PIPs & IAMs
Equator Principles: 82 Private Banks, 35 States, 70% of Project Finance in Developing Countries (2016)

4. EBRD 2014 Environmental & Social Policy
PR 1: Assessment of Environmental & Social Impacts (ESIA Methodology re Category “A” Projects)
PR 2: Labour & Working Conditions
PR 3: Resource Efficiency / Pollution Prevention
PR 4: Occupational / Community Health & Safety
PR 5: Land Acquisition / Resettlement / Displacement
PR 6: Biodiversity / Living Natural Resources
PR 7: Indigenous Peoples
PR 8: Cultural Heritage
PR 9: Financial Intermediaries
PR 10: Info. Disclosure / Stakeholder Engagement

5. EBRD 2014 Environmental & Social Policy: (Express Ref. to Human Rights)
Para. 1: [Purpose] ‘env & social* sustainability’:
‘socio-econ status, vulnerability, gender identity, human rights, sexual orientation, cultural heritage, labour & working conditions, health & safety, participation in decision-making
Para. 8: [Commitment] ‘recognises ratification of intl env & social agreements, treaties & conventions by countries of operations’; guided by relevant principles and requirements of intl law; country obligations under relevant intl treaties and agreements
1966 Intl Covenants on Civil & Political / Econ, Social & Cultural Rights
Para. 9: [Commitment] recognises responsibility of clients to respect human rights … an integral aspect of env & social sustainability; respecting human rights, avoiding infringement of HRs of others; addressing impacts on HRs’

6. EBRD 2014 Environmental & Social Policy: (Express Ref. to Human Rights)
Para.11: [Commitment] ‘assess extent tariff changes may create problems of affordability of basic levels of services for disadvantaged / vulnerable groups’
1966 Intl Covenant on Econ, Social & Cultural Rights - right to water & sanitation (CESCR General Comment No. 15 [2002])
Para. 15: [Commitment] ‘principles of transparency, accountability and stakeholder engagement; meaningful dialogue with Bank’s stakeholders; similar good practices amongst its clients’
General standards of good administrative governance (‘global administrative law’)

7. EBRD Environmental & Social Safeguards: (Human Rights-Relevant PRs*)
PR1: Assessment of Environmental & Social Impacts*
Para 18: ‘disadvantaged or vulnerable’ people (ESMPs)
PR2: Labour & Working Conditions*
ILO Conventions : 29, 105 (forced labour); 87 (association), 98 (collective bargaining), 100, 111 (discrimination), 138 (minimum age), 182 (child labour)
PR3: Resource Efficiency / Pollution Prevention
PR4: Health & Safety*
EU OHS Standards; EU Seveso III Directive
PR5: Land Acquisition / Resettlement / Displacement*
WB OD 4.30 (1990); 1966 ICESCR; OHCHR Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement

8. EBRD Environmental & Social Safeguards: (Human Rights-Relevant PRs*)
PR6: Biodiversity / Living Natural Resources
PR7: Indigenous Peoples*
ILO Convention 169; 2007 UN General Assembly Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
PR8: Cultural Heritage*
‘relevant international conventions’
ILO Convention 169
PR9: Financial Intermediaries
PR10: Info. Disclosure / Stakeholder Engagement*
Aarhus Convention / Compliance Committee

9. EBRD-PCM Complaints involving Human Rights standards
Sakhalin II [IRM] (Russia): economic displacement - PSI
BTC Pipeline (Georgia / Azerbaijan): economic displacement - PSI
Vlore TPP (Albania): cultural heritage; stakeholder engagement - CR
Tbilisi Railway Bypass (Georgia): resettlement - CR
EPS Power Kolubara (Serbia): resettlement - CR
Energy Resources (Mongolia): economic displacement; health impacts; indigenous peoples – CR
Oyu Tolgoi (Mongolia): economic displacement; health impacts; indigenous peoples – CR

10. ‘Global Administrative Law’ Phenomenon
Governance: ‘the formation and stewardship of the [formal and informal] rules that regulate the public realm - the space where the state as well as economic and societal actors interact to make decisions’ [ODI, 2004]
GAL: an ‘observed phenomenon’; views governance as administration, regulated by principles of an administrative law character
- Protect individual interests by checking arbitrary, excessive, unauthorised, unfair exercise of power

11. ‘Global Administrative Law’ Phenomenon
‘Global Admin. Space’ (global gov. entities):
Departure from orthodox conception of ‘regulation’
Transnational networks of rule-generators, appliers, interpreters, highly decentralised & non-systematic;
Evolving regulatory structures – demands re standards (e.g. ISEAL)
Sources of GAL:
Procedural principles; rule of law values; good governance values; human rights values; private ordering (ISO); formal law
‘not an established field of normativity or obligation’
‘no single unifying rule of recognition covering GAL’
Definition of GAL (Kingsbury et al, 2005):
‘encompasses legal mechanisms, principles and practices … that promote the accountability of global administrative bodies by ensuring these bodies meet adequate standards of transparency, consultation, participation, rationality and legality, and by providing effective review of the rules and decisions these bodies make’

12. ‘Global Administrative Law’ Phenomenon
GAL addresses modern transnational reg:
Novel forms of regulation (in/formal; govt/non-govt; multi- level; mandatory / voluntary); incl.:
Formal law (national, regional & international);
Industry self-regulation (UN Global Compact / OECD Guidelines for Multilateral Enterprises & NCPs);
Corporate CSR Policies & Standards;
ISO Technical Committees;
Hybrid private / public regulation;
Labelling & certification schemes (ISEAL Alliance);
IGO regulation (UNEP / FAO / WHO);
‘network governance’ by State officials (IMPEL);
IFI / MDB Safeguard Policies & IAMs;
[accounting standards, banking liquidity standards, etc.]

13. Core ‘Good Governance’ Values of GAL
Convergence of GAL Principles: ‘unity among otherwise disparate areas of governance’:
Transparency: meaningful open / public access to info
Participation: participatory rights; consultation;
Rationality: reasoned decisions; factual record;
Reviewability:
Accountability:
Legality: ‘rule of law’; decisional procedures;
Proportionality: relationship of scale between means & ends;
Human Rights: HRs intrinsic to public law (due process rights, also substantive rights e.g. bodily integrity, privacy);
GAL principles apply to:
Institutional design of global governance bodies (IAM RPs);
Regulatory norms produced (MDB Safeguard & IAM RP Reviews);
Conduct of global governance bodies (IAM complaint mgt)

14. Role of GAL Analysis of MDB/IAM and Human Rights Practice
Locates MDB safeguard policies / IAMs & application of human rights within broader ‘community of practice’
Increases sources of rules (human rights practice) to inform MDB policy interpretation (‘cross-fertilisation’)
Enhances legitimacy of IAM interpretative findings
IFI / MDB safeguard policies (Equator Principles) & IAMs are creatures of GAL:
Practice informed by GAL principles
IAMs - generators of GAL rules / principles:
Contribute to proliferation of human rights values to business practices
IAMs – promote informal enforcement of human rights standards in private sector