Call to Safeguard Reproductive Health at the World Bank and Secure Wolfowitz's Resignation

A key figure in the World Bank, said to have links to the Roman Catholic sect Opus Dei, was accused on April 15 of undermining its commitment to the health of women by ordering the deletion of goals, targets and policies relating to family planning.

Juan Jose Daboub, the bank's managing director, ordered staff to remove all references to family planning from its country assistance programme document for Madagascar. Mr Daboub is the former finance minister of El Salvador and a member of the Arena party, which has close ties to the Catholic church.

The Government Accountability Project has the documents in the health scandal at the World Bank. See the UK's Guardian on April 16 Leak Prompts Fear Over World Bank Health Policies. The key person at GAP is Bea Edwards beatricee@whistleblower.org Tel: 202-408-0034 ext 155

Write letters to the World Bank's Executive Directors, which they can show to their authorities in their capitals as evidence of overwhelming lack of confidence on the part of civil society in Wolfowitz's ability to lead the Bank. Ask NGO's, parliamentarians, and elected officials to write to the ED's also.

The names, phone numbers and email addresses of the World Bank ED's are here: http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.92.aspx

Language to use:
This is the language used in the statement by the Board of Governors of the World Bank (the Development Committee Communique) on Wolfowitz. It is unprecedented language and extremely strong. The key words that should be used in letters to the Executive Directors are in bold.

We have to ensure that the Bank can effectively carry out its mandate and maintain its credibility and reputation as well as the motivation of its staff. The current situation is of great concern to all of us. We endorse the Board's actions in looking into this matter and we asked it to complete its work. We expect the Bank to adhere to a high standard of internal governance.


Explanation of Terms:
Executive Directors - 24 chairs representing 180 countries, making up a permanently sitting board in D.C.. Executive Directors report to the Boards of Governors of World Bank and IMF.

The Governors are Minister level - Finance or Development Cooperation, and Central Bank Governors. They are elected officials sensitive to public perception in home countries. They should be written to also. Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson is Governor for the United States.