Collective Civil Society Statement: World Bank Group Must Fully Disassociate with the Board of Peace

To: World Bank Office of the President, Senior Management and Board of Executive

Directors

Cc: UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories

Occupied Since 1967; UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights

–

Via Email –

16th April 2026

Dear World Bank Group President Banga, Senior Management and Board of Executive Directors,

Amidst the illegal occupation, apartheid and ongoing genocide in Palestine, we – the undersigned civil society organizations and human rights advocates – express our unequivocal denunciation of the World Bank’s role in advancing an unlawful plan for ‘reconstruction’ in Gaza that fails to acknowledge the internationally recognized and inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination and freedom from foreign occupation, as well as to redress and reparations.

By joining the founding executive board of the Board of Peace (BoP) and taking on the role of limited Trustee for the BoP-associated Gaza Reconstruction and Development (GRAD) Financial Intermediary Fund (FIF), the World Bank is proactively enabling impunity for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide as well as colonial governance structures that entrench Israel’s illegal military occupation and apartheid in Palestine.

In the attached joint statement, we outline why it is incumbent upon the World Bank to urgently disassociate with the BoP and any related funding channels. In summary, the establishment of the BoP:

• Violates international humanitarian and human rights laws, as well as provisional orders and advisory opinions of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), rulings of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and UN General Assembly Resolutions spanning nearly six decades;
• Violates the World Bank’s own mandate and policies, and poses legal liability risks for the World Bank management;
• Denies the Palestinian peoples’ collective rights to self-determination and to lead the way forward for reconstruction, recovery and justice;
• Promotes dangerous notions that peace can be enforced through militarism and that reconstruction can move forward despite denying civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of an entire people, and
• Enables an illegitimate, racialized and colonial governance model that serves the narrow corporate and geopolitical interests of its executive membership, while sidelining the realities of genocide-ravaged peoples and lands.

Accordingly, we call on the World Bank Group’s Board of Executive Directors and management, to:

• Urgently withdraw the institution from the BoP and take immediate steps to terminate the GRAD FIF;
• Publicly recognize the illegitimacy of any imposed reconstruction framework, and that rebuilding of peoples’ lives and livelihoods in Gaza cannot begin until Israeli Occupation Forces end the genocide of Palestinians and their illegal, decades-long occupation, siege, blockade and system of apartheid, in full compliance with the ICJ Provisional Measures and Advisory Opinions along with international human rights and humanitarian law;
• Publicly promote and advocate for Palestinian-led reconstruction frameworks – including the Phoenix Plan – as the legitimate basis for any future process;
• Publicly condemn the reprisals – including but not limited to US-initiated sanctions – against Palestinian human rights defenders and their allies, as per the World Bank’s commitment to zero tolerance for reprisals, and Cooperate with UN Special Procedures, as well as avoid participating in structures that undermine the UN multilateral system.

The full text of our collectively issued calls to the World Bank Group’s management can be found at the end of the statement below.

We welcome the opportunity to discuss these matters further in an online or hybrid format.

Sincerely,

Action Aid International (Global)

Addameer (Palestine)

African Law Foundation (Nigeria)

Al-Haq (Palestine)

Alliance Sud (Switzerland)

Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights (Palestine)

Alternative Law Collective (Pakistan)

Alyansa Tigil Mina (Philippines)

Asia Development Alliance (Asia)

Asia Indigenous Peoples Network on Extractive Industries and Energy (Asia)

Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development | FORUM-ASIA (Asia)

Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development (Asia)

Asociación Coordinadora de la Mujer (Bolivia)

Association for Farmers’ Rights Defense (Georgia)Association For Promotion Sustainable Development (India)

BDS Thailand (Thailand)

Blind and Visually Impaired People of Solomon Islands (Solomon Islands)

Bretton Woods Project (Britain)

Cambodia Palestine Solidarity (Cambodia)

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (Canada)

Canadian BDS Coalition and International BDS Allies (Canada/Global)

CEE Bankwatch Network (Central and Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia)

Centre for Citizens Conserving Environment & Management (Uganda)

Centre for Counter Hegemonic Studies (Australia)

Centre for Environment, Human Rights & Development Forum (Bangladesh)

Centre for Socio-Eco-Nomic Development | CSEND (Switzerland)

Centres of Distinction on Indigenous and Local Knowledge (Global)

Changemaker (Norway)

Chiang Mai for Palestine (Thailand)

Climate Action Network-Africa (Africa)

Climate Action Network – Canada (Canada)

Climate Change Network for Community-Based Initiatives (Philippines)

Climate Watch Thailand (Thailand)

Coalition des Volontaires pour la Paix et le Développement (Congo)

Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence | KontraS (Indonesia)

Community Empowerment and Social Justice Network | CEMSOJ (Nepal)

Coalition des Volontaires pour la Paix et le Développement CVPD-RDC (Congo)

Counter Balance (European Union)

Crofter Foundation (Pakistan)

Debt Justice Norway (Norway)

Deep Sea Mining Campaign (Pacific)

Disability Peoples Forum Uganda (Uganda)

Doctors for Planetary Health – West Coast (Canada)

Emonyo Yefwe International (Kenya)

Entrelles (Morocco)

FIAN International (Global)

Freedom from Debt Coalition – Philippines (Philippines)

Free Trade Union Development Centre (Sri Lanka)

Focus on the Global South (Asia)

Gender Action (Global)

GenDev Centre for Research and Innovation (India)

Gerakan Gabungan Anti-Imperialis (Malaysia)

Gestos – Soropositividade, Comunicação e Gênero (Brazil)

Global Energy Embargo for Palestine (Palestine / Global)

Global Social Justice (Global)

Global Surgery Umbrella | GSU (Americas, Africa, and Asia)

Green Advocates International (Liberia)

HRM Bir Duino (Kyrgyzstan)

IBON International (Global South)

Ilias Center for Global Challenges (Bangladesh)Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (Global)

Indigenous Women Legal Awareness Group | INWOLAG (Nepal/Asia)

Indonesian Students for Justice in Palestine (Indonesia)

Inisiasi Masyarakat Adat (Indonesia)

Institute for Economic Justice (South Africa)

Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Loreto Generalate (Global)

International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (Indonesia)

International Rivers (Global)

Jalaur River for the Peoples Movement (Philippines)

Jamaa Resource Initiatives (Kenya)

Jubilee Australia Research Centre (Asia-Pacific)

Just Peace Advocates/Mouvement Pour Une Paix Juste (Canada)

Kerio Valley Community Organization (Kenya)

KRuHA – People’s Coalition for the Right to Water (Indonesia)

Ligue des Sacrifices Volontaires pour la Défense des Droits de l’Homme et de

l’Environnement (Democratic Republic of Congo)

Manushya Foundation (Laos / Thailand / ASEAN)

MADANI Berkelanjutan (Indonesia)

MenaFem Movement (Morocco/SWANA)

Migrant Forum in Asia (Asia – incl. SWANA)

Monitoring Sustainability of Globalisation (Malaysia)

MY World Mexico: Hub of Action for Sustainable Development in Mexico (Mexico)

National Fisheries Solidarity Movement (Sri Lanka)

National Forum For Human Rights (Yemen)

New Trade Union Initiative (India)

NGO Forum on ADB (Asia Region)

The Oakland Institute (USA)

Oceania Pride (Fiji/Pacific)

Oil Workers’ Rights Protection Organization Public Union (Azerbaijan)

Oyu Tolgoi Watch (Mongolia)

Pakistan Development Alliance (Pakistan)

Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (Pakistan)

Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (Palestine)

Palestinian Institute for Climate Strategy (Global)

People of Chiang Mai for Palestine (Thailand)

Pesticide Action Network Asia Pacific (Asia Pacific)

Policies for Equitable Access to Health | PEAH (Italy)

Puanifesto (Indonesia)

Quest For Growth and Development Foundation (Nigeria)

Reality of Aid – Asia Pacific (Asia Pacific)

RIPESS – Intercontinental Network for the Promotions of Social Solidarity Economy (Spain)

Rivers & Rights (South East Asia Region)

Rivers without Boundaries (Mongolia)

Rural Area Development Programme (Nepal)

SAVE Rivers (Malaysia)

SEDRAc – Servicioextension Desarrollo Rural Agricultura, Genero (Chile)Social and Economic Policies Monitor – Al Marsad (Palestine)

Society for International Development (Global)

South Africa Palestine Movement (South Africa)

Third World Network (Global)

TRIPPINZ CARE Inc. (USA)

Trend Asia (Indonesia)

Urgewald (Germany)

Uzbek Forum For Human Rights (Uzbekistan)

Vikas Adhyayan Kendra (India)

Wemos (Netherlands)

Women Development Program (Bangladesh)

World BEYOND War (Global)

World Economy, Ecology & Development – WEED e.V. (Germany)

World’s Youth for Climate Justice (Global)

Worldwide Lawyers Association | WOLAS (Turkiye)

Yayasan Indonesia Cerah | CERAH (Indonesia)

Individual Signatories

Alan Chafles Jackson (South Africa)

Alexandra Goossens-Ishii, Soka Gakkai International Office for UN Affairs (Global)

Amiera Sawas (Global)

Amy Hawke (Canada)

Anna Shahnazaryan (Armenia)

Amin Hanoun (Australia)

Annabel Dulhunty, Senior Lecturer, ANU (Australia)

Ayesha DSouza (India)

Dr. Brendan Tobin (Latin America)

Bhanumathi Kalluri (India)

Claudio Schuftan, Peoples Health Movement (Global)

Cara Wood (Australia)

Cameron Smith (United Kingdom)

Chris Michael (Thailand)

Darapheak Roth (Cambodia)

Deanne Hill (Australia)

Douglas J Courtemanche, MD MS FRCSC, BC Children’s Hospital (Canada)

Dr Elliot Dolan-Evans, Monash University (Australia)

Elisa Gazzotti (Switzerland)

Fanny Rittmo (Sweden)

Fiana Arbab, Transnational Activist and Organizer (Global/USA)

Friederike Strub (Global/Europe)

Georgina Gerber (South Africa)

Giancarlo Castiglione Guerra (Perú)

Greer Allen (Australia)

Guangchunliu Gangmei (Thailand)

Dr Jan Edwards (Asia Pacific)

Jennifer Hawke (Canada)Jessie Borrelle (Australia)

Jiae Yoon (South Korea)

Joana Ricart Sala (Spain)

Joseph George A (India)

Ivahanna Larrosa (Uruguay)

Ivan M. Brehaut (Peru)

Lauren Anderson (Australia)

Liane Schalatek, Development & Climate Finance Expert (USA/Global)

Lorena Cotza (Italy)

Luca Penasa (Myanmar)

Maria Fatima Pereira Guterres (Timor-Leste)

Marlene Obeid (Australia)

Martha Patty, AMAN Maluku (Indonesia)

Maya Narumi (USA)

Meera Ghani (Europe)

Miguel Lopes Jeronimo (Cambodia)

Dr Mira Shiva, Public Health Physician (India)

Monica Iyer, Assistant Professor of Law (USA)

Naved Bakali, Associate Professor (Canada)

Neil Pollick (Cambodia)

Pakeeza Haider (USA)

Pregs Govender, Author, Activist, Former MP; Human Rights Commissioner (South Africa)

Pyrou Chung (Asia)

Dr. Rachel Grimminck, MD, FRCPC (Canada)

Rachelle Ann (Malaysia)

Rendilyn Cuyop (Philippines)

Rocío Becerra Montané (México)

Robert Stowe MD, FRCPC (Canada)

Roselyn Tangoia, Office Manager, Blind and Visually Impaired People of Solomon Islands

(Solomon Islands)

Dr. S. Ellard (Canada)

Sa’d Nimer, Professor, Birziet University (Palestine)

Dr. Satya Rown (Canada)

Dr. Sherin Susan Paul, Public Health Physician & Global Health Researcher (Switzerland)

Sobia Kapadia (United Kingdom)

Sonia Aoula (France)

Surti Handayani (Indonesia/Asia)

Susan Engel, Assoc. Professor, Future of Rights Centre, University of Wollongong (Australia)

Susan Park, Professor of Global Governance (Australia)

Tala Batangan (Philippines)

Dr. Tom Chodor, Monash University (Australia)

Tanya L. Roberts Davis, Policy Director, Rivers & Rights (Canada)

Toshiyuki Doi (Japan)

Vishanthie Sewpaul (South Africa)