Проблемы, связанные с общественными консультациями по проекту строительства БТД трубопровода

Дорогие Друзья,

Мы собираем подписи на письмо о проблемах связанных с общественными консультациями о проекте строительства БТД трубопровода. К сожалению в Грузии планируется провести только двое общественных слушаний - один в Тбилиси и другой в Боржоми, что означает что большинство населения не сможет принять участия, и это будет очередная формальна организованная встреча. В нашем письме, мы требуем что бы слушания проводились соответственно процедурам ВБ и ЕБРР.

К сожалению мы не успели перевести письмо на русский, за что заранее извиняюсь.

С наилучшими пожеланиями

Nino Gujaraidze
National Coordinator for Georgia
CEE Bankwatch Network

To: Executive Directors of the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development Executive Directors of the International Finance Corporation

Dear Sir/Madam,

We, undersigned organizations would like to express our full disappointment with the Public Disclosure Process regarding the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline arranged under the EBRD/IFC procedures. While 120 days of disclosure period starts at June 12, information regarding the practical activities on possibilities for public to express its opinion over the pipeline project becomes available for NGOs only 23rd of July.

Till now project documentation is fully available only on the web-site of the company (and respectively of the EBRD/IFC), in central offices of the BTC Co and in some international organizations headquarters in capitals. The public comments should be directed to the BTC Co offices or should be e-mailed via EBRD/IFC web-sites. For affected communities that already loosed the faith to get answers from BTC Co, these arrangements do not change anything.

These arrangements does not correspond to the assurance of the EBRD and IFC staff that they will arrange fully independent process of public participation through participatory approach, widely used in Western European countries, to ensure freedom of expressing opinions of the affected communities and concerned citizens.

Few days ago we still believed that EBRD/IFC will take all necessary measures to ensure public access to the updated information, getting comments from affected communities, actively promote and monitor debate over sensitive issues related to the oil project. In particular, public and NGOs hoped that the EBRD/IFC involvement would help to freely raise questions and distribute information relevant to the project. However, today it becomes clear that the process moderator (CDR Associates) got clear task from IFC/EBRD team to arrange only two multistakeholder meetings in each country, that in best case scenario would totally include participation of around 1000 people, with the biggest share of the representatives of governmental structures and large entities, while the problems and outcry of the ordinary people would stay again without hearing. Unfortunately, those two meetings are the only activities planned by the EBRD/IFC to ensure public participation and consultation in the decision-making process.

The public disclosure process arranged in this way is and will go in full silence, when nobody, including media, raises any "inconvenient" question. When there is general restriction in access to information and consultation process, speaking about participatory approach is too ambitious.

The steps undertaken are the full violation of the EBRD/World Bank policy and guidelines on EIA consultations. The local residents have right to be heard by the banks, as well as to know how to report on violations of their rights directly to the EBRD and the IFC.

We request the EBRD/IFC Board of Executive Directors to take all necessary actions to: