U.N. rapporteur criticizes World Bank's rights record
Source: Yahoo! News / Reuters
ZURICH (Reuters) - A United Nations investigator urged the World Bank on Tuesday to pay heed to human rights in its development work, accusing the lender of hiding behind outdated statutes to skirt its responsibilities.
"For most purposes, the World Bank is currently a human rights-free zone. In its operational policies, in particular, it treats human rights more like an infectious disease than universal values and obligations," said Philip Alston, the U.N. special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights.
The veteran independent U.N. expert made the comments in a report to be presented to the U.N. General Assembly next month.
The articles of agreement for the Washington-based World Bank, formed in 1944, include a provision that the bank and its officers "shall not interfere in the political affairs of any member" and takes only economic factors into consideration.
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