Orders to Play Down ‘Climate Change’ Came From Wolfowitz’ Office

The following was posted on The Government Accountability Project (GAP) website today www.whistleblower.org.

April 27, 2007

Washington, D.C. – The Government Accountability Project (GAP) has acquired an internal World Bank document that summarizes a February 2006 meeting of World Bank officials regarding climate change and clean energy. The document indicates that orders to tone down references to "climate change" in an environmental strategy paper originated in the office of Bank president Paul Wolfowitz.

For more information please contact: Bea Edwards, GAP International Director, beae@whistleblower.org, tel.: 202-408-0034 ext 155 or Dylan Blaylock, GAP Communications Director, dylanb@whistleblower.org, tel.: 202-408-0034 ext 137, 202-236-3733 (cell)

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News Round Up April 25: "biggest crisis in Bank history'', more on Daboub, family planning, and climate change

New York Times
Frustrations With Wolfowitz Boil Over at Meeting

At a meeting between Paul D. Wolfowitz and his top managers at the World Bank last week, Mr. Wolfowitz made an unusual confession. ''I understand that I've lost a lot of trust, and I want to build that trust back up,'' he said, according to people present.

But the beleaguered bank president was immediately confronted by one of his top deputies, who asserted that Mr. Wolfowitz was wrong to think that the furor over his leadership sprang only from his handling of the pay and promotion for his companion or from unease over his support of the Iraq war while at the Pentagon.

Graeme Wheeler, the bank's managing director, said at the meeting that the fight over whether Mr. Wolfowitz should stay on at the bank amounted to the ''the biggest crisis in its history.''

Financial Times
Deputy's woes stir World Bank turmoil

One of Paul Wolfowitz's two handpicked deputies, Juan José Daboub, tried to water down references to climate change in one of the World Bank's main environmental strategy papers, the bank's chief scientist has told the Financial Times.

Mr Daboub, a conservative former finance minister from El Salvador, was brought into the bank by Mr Wolfo-witz. He is already under fire for allegedly trying to take out references to family planning in the bank's Madagascar country assistance strategy and reduce its prominence in its new health sector strategy.

Wall Street Journal
Wolfowitz Tensions Affect World Bank Operations - Europeans Fight U.S.-Backed Move On Family Planning

Several European members of the World Bank revolted against a U.S.-backed proposal on the bank's family-planning policy, in a meeting yesterday that illuminated how tensions over embattled President Paul Wolfowitz and his appointees are spilling into the institution's functioning.

The family-planning issue has become a lightning rod amid increasing criticism inside and outside the bank over Mr. Wolfowitz's tenure.

The Washington Post
Wolfowitz's Well-Traveled Travails

It seems Wolfowitz's priority is to put the brakes on the uproar -- something known at the bank as "The Current Situation," or TCS for short. In a bank-wide e-mail yesterday, Wolfowitz urged everyone to avoid a rush to judgment in "the current situation" and asked "for your continued patience . . . while we wait for the Board's decision."

"Yesterday," he wrote, "I briefly met with VPs and Actings to update them on the current situation and how to move forward. . . . The Vice Presidents have been very candid with their feedback to me on the challenges facing the Bank and I appreciate this." You betcha.

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.