Colombia: TCBuen-01/Buenaventura

Date Filed
09 Dec 2009
Status
Closed
Phase
Assessment
Country
Colombia

Case Tracker

Eligibility
Eligibility
Assessment
Closed
Assessment
Dispute Resolution
Compliance
CURRENT Status
Assessment
Closed

Complaint Overview

Complainant

Proceso de Comunidades Negras Palenque Regional el Congal

Concerns

Minority rights, community consultation and participation, cultural heritage, disclosure of information.

Cross-Cutting Issues
Risk Management Cultural Heritage Access to Information Policy

Project Information

Region
Latin America & the Caribbean
Institution
IFC
Name & Number
TCBuen 28479
Company
Terminal De Contenedores De Buenaventura
Sector
Infrastructure
Department
Infrastructure
Category
A
Commitment

$25 mil A loan, $117 mil B Loan, $15 mil C Loan

Synopsis

Complaint

IFC’s investment in the Terminal de Contenedores de Buenaventura (TCBuen) involves the construction and operation of a new international container terminal in the port city of Buenaventura, Colombia.  A complaint was lodged with the CAO on December 10, 2009 by a local network of Afro-Colombian communities.  The complainants believe that the proposed project, along with other large development projects in their city, threatens their cultural identities and social practices and violates their human and collective rights as Afro-Colombians.  In relation to IFC’s project, the signatories raise concerns about ensuring proper consultations with ethnic minorities such as themselves, ensuring community participation in decision-making, protecting their cultural and social ways of life, and guaranteeing access to project information.  

Action

During the assessment phase, the CAO held conversations with the complainants, company representatives, and the IFC team working in the project. In addition, CAO staff conducted two field trips to meet with stakeholders, visit project facilities, and surrounding neighborhoods of the community members to better understand whether and how the CAO could be most helpful. As a result of the assessment, the parties agreed that a structured dialogue process was not necessary. Instead, they agreed that a meeting among the parties’ representatives could be a helpful step forward to discussing the concerns that were raised in the complaint to the CAO.

With IFC, the CAO raised broader concerns about systemic issues relating to potential cumulative impacts of the project, and how to take these issues into consideration during decision making processes.

Status

In November 2010, the CAO closed the complaint in agreement with all the parties involved.

Case Documents

  • Complaint & Assessment

    Assessment Report
    Assessment Report
    Aug 01, 2010
    English
    Assessment Report
    Assessment Report
    Aug 01, 2010
    Spanish
    Assessment Report
    IFC Response to CAO Assessment Report
    Sep 07, 2010
    English
    IFC Response to CAO Assessment Report
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