Independent mechanisms and multilateral organizations: institutional limits of social and environmental responsibility and resistance of affected communities

• Grant number: 23/10435-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: October 01, 2024
• End date: September 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Urban and Regional Planning - Fundamentals of Urban and Regional Planning
• Principal Investigator: Marcel Fantin
• Grantee: Douglas de Almeida Silva
• Host Institution: Instituto de Arquitetura e Urbanismo de São Carlos (IAU). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This research project aims to analyze conflicts arising from financing from International Financial Institutions (IFIs) in development projects for cities and regions in the Global South. Specifically, the study seeks to investigate how Independent Accountability Mechanisms (IAMs) have acted to repair environmental injustices caused by IFI financing. The objective of the research aims to understand the accountability strategies of Independent Mechanisms and the sustainability discourse of Multilateral Organizations. The object of study was defined based on virtual meetings promoted by the Independent Mechanisms in collaboration with civil society in 2020. Based on the research object, we selected as a case study a set of complaints sent by affected communities to the IAMs. The investigation will be conducted by exploratory research, based on a triangulation of methods: documentary research, semi-structured interviews and action research. Documentary analysis will investigate primary and secondary sources. The action research will be conducted through ethnography in the communities and interviews with the selected actors who participated in the 2020 virtual events. The analysis of the results will be based on the Discourse Analysis of the interviews and documents and the action research will be evaluated using the Systematization of Experiences, according to Oscar Jara Holliday's approach. The theoretical framework regarding environmental justice is based on national and international literature. The results of this research can provide valuable insights to improve decision-making processes, promoting greater equity and sustainability in relationships between IFIs and communities affected by large projects in Latin America. (AU)