The Coalition for Human Rights in Development is a coalition of over 100 organizations that support activists and protesters opposing public development projects that they claim negatively impact marginalized communities and the environment. It is financed by large left-of-center philanthropies, including the Ford Foundation, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, and the Open Society Foundations.

Background

The Coalition for Human Rights in Development is a global coalition of over 100 social movements and community organizations that oppose public development finance institutions that they claim may negatively impact local communities and the environment. The Coalition is working to make public development community-led through advocacy, research, communications, and dispute resolution. ¹

Its members assert that governments and business elites use public development banks in a “top-down economic model” for profit without regard for communities and the environment. ² It works to ensure that large international development financial institutions (DFIs) such as the World Bank perform “human rights due diligence” in all lending. ³ Focus areas include environment, climate, energy, housing, labor rights, gender, and civic action. ⁴

Coalition director Siddharth Akali claims that public development banks have a history of “exacerbating anthropogenic climate change, increasing food insecurity for women, and causing human rights violations.” ⁵

History

The Coalition for Human Rights in Development was formed in 2014 by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), ESCR-Net, Human Rights Watch, and the International Accountability Project as the Bank on Human Rights.

In 2015 the first global gathering of 40 members occurred in South Africa and the group’s name was changed to Coalition for Human Rights in Development. ⁶

In 2016 the Coalition coordinated a petition to the United Nations signed by 150 advocacy groups demanding that development financial institutions put processes in place to make sure human rights are protected as they finance large projects in developing countries. ⁷

In 2020 the Coalition, which had increased to 98 members, published a statement indicating that the COVID-19 pandemic increased “inequality, violence, militarization, and surveillance” by development projects and that the DFIs must ensure that funds are not used to negatively impact people or the environment. ⁸ The statement demands that DFIs provide support to “the most vulnerable,” referring to women, children, older people, LGBT, and Indigenous people, and “address growing poverty and inequality” by supporting universal access to services. ⁹

In 2022 members of the Coalition published a joint statement to the DFIs attending the Finance in Common summit indicating that the DFIs should invest in solutions that support equity, inclusivity, and the environment, and align investments to end fossil fuels and transition from oil, gas, and coal. ^{10 11}

Work Areas

The Coalition for Human Rights in Development publishes tools and guides produced by member organizations that provide information to activists on how to conduct protests and protect protestors. ¹²

The Community Resource Exchange (CRE) was formed to work with communities that have been impacted by development projects by providing resources that support community activism, media, campaigning, and security support when needed. ¹³

The Defenders in Development Campaign was launched in 2018 to support and protect “human rights defenders (HRDs)” who protest development projects that are financed by development financial institutions. They demand that DFIs accommodate civic space and protect protestors against reprisals. Through the campaign, they created a Security Working Group that offers support to HRDs, including advocacy and legal support. ¹⁴

The Early Warning System is an online tool that tracks new development projects that may be a risk to the environment or to nearby communities. The tool was developed by CIEL and the International Accountability Project. ¹⁵

Organization

The Coalition for Human Rights in Development is governed by a Steering Committee of 12 member organizations that provide a broad global representation. Members serve three-year terms. Current members include the Center for International Environmental Law, Human Rights Watch, the International Accountability Project, and the Public Interest Law Center. ¹⁶

An International Secretariat supports the Coalition. It is made up of ten individuals from different countries. ¹⁷

Member Organizations

Coalition for Human Rights in Development member organizations vary in size from a 200,000 person movement in India to three people in Uganda. ¹⁸ The coalition claims over 100 members located in approximately 50 countries. United States member organizations include the Environmental Defender Law Center, the International Labor Rights Forum, Gender Action, the Accountability Counsel, Human Rights Watch, the Bank Information Center, the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the International Accountability Project. ¹⁹

Funding

The Coalition for Human Rights in Development is a project of Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs. However, it lists large left-of-center grantmaking organizations, including the Ford Foundation, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, and the Open Society Foundations as its supporters. In 2022 its expenses totaled $826,640, with almost half of this amount related to Secretariat costs. ²⁰

In 2020, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation granted $1 million to the Coalition’s Community Resource Exchange ²¹ to “transform development finance and the international investments system to be more responsive to community needs and environmental sustainability.” ²²

The Ford Foundation granted the Coalition $550,000 in 2022 and $300,000 in 2020 to “safeguard development defenders.” ²³

The Coalition is fiscally sponsored by Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs, ²⁴ a left-of-center fiscal sponsor of start-up organizations with a goal to “facilitate progressive change in areas of social and environmental justice.” ²⁵

Leadership

Siddharth Akali is the current director of the Coalition for Human Rights in Development. ²⁶ He is a lawyer who specializes in international environmental and human rights. Akali was a counsel for the left-of-center environmentalist Accountability Counsel before becoming an independent consultant. He is involved in “community organizing, environmental issues, climate change, social justice, indigenous law, and energy financing.” ²⁷ He represented Indigenous peoples in India, Nepal, and Canada before joining the Coalition. ²⁸

1. “About.” Coalition for Human Rights in Development. Accessed January 30, 2024. https://rightsindevelopment.org/about/
2. “The power of collective struggles.” Coalition for Human Rights in Development – Newsletter – January 2024. Accessed January 30, 2024. https://rightsindevelopment.org/news/newsletter-jan-2024/
3. “Coalition for Human Rights in Development.” Center for International Environmental Law. Accessed January 30, 2024. https://www.ciel.org/issue/coalition-for-human-rights-in-development/
4.  “Members Map.” Coalition for Human Rights in Development – About. Accessed January 30, 2024. https://rightsindevelopment.org/about/
5. Vince Chadwick. “Can public development banks muster a ‘movement’?” Devex. October 19, 2021. Accessed February 1, 2024. https://www.devex.com/news/can-public-development-banks-muster-a-movement-101823
6. “Our History.” Coalition for Human Rights in Development – About. Accessed January 30, 2024. https://rightsindevelopment.org/about/
7. Phillip Kaeding. “What can Development Banks do to Protect Human Rights?” Global Issues. July 17, 2016. Accessed February 1, 2024. https://www.globalissues.org/news/2016/07/17/22324
8. “Development Finance for Covid-19 Crisis Should Uphold Human Rights.” Human Rights Watch. May 18, 2020. Accessed February 1, 2024. https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/18/development-finance-covid-19-crisis-should-uphold-human-rights
9. Statement to Development Finance Institutions regarding Covid-19 response. Coalition for Human Rights in Development. Accessed February 1, 2024. https://rightsindevelopment.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/2020.05.13-Declaration-on-Covid-19-to-DFIs-ENG.pdf
10. Bibbi Abruzzini. “Public Development Banks Can’t Drag Their Feet When It Comes to Building a Sustainable Future.” Inter Press Service. October 21, 2022. Accessed February 1, 2024. https://www.ipsnews.net/2022/10/public-development-banks-cant-drag-feet-comes-building-sustainable-future/
11. “Civil Society Organizations Joint Statement on the Third Finance in Common Summit.” Forus. October 2022. Accessed February 1, 2024. https://www.forus-international.org/en/pdf-detail/93703-civil-society-organizations-joint-statement-on-the-third-finance-in-common-summit
12. “Tools & Guides.” Coalition for Human Rights in Development – Resources. Accessed January 31, 2024. https://rightsindevelopment.org/resources/#tools-guides
13. “Community Resource Exchange.” Coalition for Human Rights in Development – Collective Work. Accessed January 30, 2024. https://rightsindevelopment.org/collective-work/cre/
14. “Defenders in Development Campaign.” Coalition for Human Rights in Development. Accessed January 31, 2024. https://rightsindevelopment.org/collective-work/did/
15. “Coalition for Human Rights in Development.” Center for International Environmental Law. Accessed January 30, 2024. https://www.ciel.org/issue/coalition-for-human-rights-in-development/
16. “Governance.” Coalition for Human Rights in Development. Accessed January 30, 2024. https://rightsindevelopment.org/about/
17. “Secretariat.” Coalition for Human Rights in Development – About. Accessed January 30, 2024. https://rightsindevelopment.org/about/
18. Jorge Ignacia Castillo. “Introducing Siddharth Akali.” Darpan Magazine. March 24, 2021. Accessed January 30, 2024. https://www.darpanmagazine.com/people/globalindians/introducing-siddharth-akali/
19. “Our Members.” Coalition for Human Rights in Development – About. Accessed January 30, 2024. https://rightsindevelopment.org/about/our-members/
20. “Financial Information.” Coalition for Human Rights in Development – About. Accessed January 30, 2024. https://rightsindevelopment.org/about/
21. Charles Stewart Mott Foundation Grants Database – Coalition for Human Rights in Development. Accessed January 31, 2024. https://www.mott.org/grants/?query=coalition+for+human+rights+in+development&pg=1
22. “Coalition for Human Rights in Development Community Resource Exchange.” Charles Steward Mott Foundation – Grants Database. Accessed January 31, 2024. https://www.mott.org/grants/2023-11409/
23. Ford Foundation Grants Database – Coalition for Human Rights in Development. Accessed January 31, 2024. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grants-database/?search=coalition+for+human+rights+in+development
24. “Donate.” Coalition for Human Rights in Development – Get Involved. Accessed January 30, 2024. https://rightsindevelopment.org/get-involved/#donate
25. “Mission & Purpose.” Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs. Accessed January 31, 2024. https://saveourplanet.org/about-see/mission-purpose/
26. “About.” Coalition for Human Rights in Development. Accessed January 30, 2024. https://rightsindevelopment.org/about/
27.  LinkedIn – Siddharth Akali. Accessed January 30, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharth-akali-b320266/?originalSubdomain=ph
28. Jorge Ignacia Castillo. “Introducing Siddharth Akali.” Darpan Magazine. March 24, 2021. Accessed January 30, 2024. https://www.darpanmagazine.com/people/globalindians/introducing-siddharth-akali/