HUMAN rights
violations, increased poverty and environmental degradation are all encouraged
by ministers' decisions on whether to guarantee funds for development projects,
according to Euro MP Jean Lambert.
Mrs Lambert's comments were made in her response to an ongoing review of the Export Credit Guarantee Department, which has been regularly criticised for subsidising developments resulting in widespread human rights violations, such as dams in India, China and Turkey, mining operations in South America and nuclear power plants in China and elsewhere, to the tune of almost #6 billion a year.
"Britain is a world leader, both economically
and politically, and as such it carries a responsibility - both to its own citizens
and to the peoples of the developing world - to act in a way that is dynamic,
long-termist, accountable, committed to sustainable development and ethical,"
said Mrs
Lambert, London's Green Party MEP and a member of the European Parliament's
Civil Liberties Committee.
"But projects whose funding is guaranteed by the Export Credit Guarantee Department (ECGD) -the Three Gorges Dam in China, for example - often have an enormous impact on human rights, poverty and the environment.
"Under current rules, these are ignored and potential recipients of what amounts to state aid are judged solely on the basis of benefits to UK contractors, UK exporters and the UK job market."
Mrs Lambert calls on the ECGD
to introduce new rules to ensure that all projects it guarantees are subject to
an rigorous and public impact assessment - and support withdrawn where schemes
violate international human rights law, the principles of sustainable development
or the
environment.
Specific demands include:
Publication of assessment criteria - and details of projects under consideration - to stakeholders in the UK and the effected country.
Ending support for all unsustainable energy projects and, in the absence of exceptional circumstances, military expenditure.
Rigorous and independent environmental and human impact assessments to be completed on all applicants for ECGD support - measuring proposals against the European Convention of Human Rights.
Prioritisation of schemes that will contribute to poverty reduction, community development or environmental protection.
Mrs Lambert concluded: "I welcome this review of the ECGD's operations, which have caused so much suffering and destruction in the past, and hope it helps the government decide exactly what ends the department should serve - those of sustainable development, environmental protection and social justice or those of its friends in the business lobby."
Download Jean Lambert MEP's full response to the ECGD consultation
ENDS
Ben Duncan
Green MEPs'
Press Officer
Suite 58, The Hop Exchange, 24 Southwark Street, London SE1 1TY
020
7407 6280 (tel)
0776 997 0691 (mob)
020 7234 0183 (fax)
press@greenmeps.org.uk