Social Development and Public Governance
Indigenous Peoples and Community Development
- Indigenous Peoples
- Databank on Indigenous Legislation
- Strategy and Policy on Indigenous Peoples
- Involuntary Resettlement
- Community Consultation
- IND Unit Work Plan
- How to Contact Us
- Events
- Links to Other Sites
- News Bulletins
- Publications
The Indigenous Peoples and Community Development Unit (SDS/IND) of the Sustainable Development Department (SDS) was created in 1994 to support the Bank in ensuring the systematic inclusion of indigenous issues in its policies and projects, and promoting the sociocultural appropriateness of Bank operations.
The Unit plays an important role in promoting development consistent with individual and collective rights and aspirations of indigenous peoples. Within this framework, IND contributes to the sociocultural assessment of the operations and actively supports the identification of projects earmarked for indigenous peoples. The Unit also helps screen other projects to avoid, mitigate and compensate potential negative impacts on indigenous peoples and seek their participation and agreement. Other areas of concern for this Unit are the implementation of the Operational Policy on Involuntary Resettlement (1998) and community development issues.
Two important documents to further strengthen the Bank's work on indigenous peoples were approved by the Bank's Executive Board of Directors in February 2006: the Operational Policy on Indigenous Peoples (OP-765) and the Strategy for Indigenous Development The Policy became effective on August 22, 2006. In order to facilitate the implementation of the Policy, Operational Guidelines were developed by an Interdepartmental Working Group. These guidelines were approved by the Administration in October 2006.
