The Rehab Archipelago - Human Rights Watch

The World Bank claimed monitoring of projects in three drug detention centers in 2005
would “meet the highest ethical standards.” 315 However, human rights abuses were not
identified as an indicator for monitoring.
[Monitoring and evaluation] indicators will include specific monitors of
program activities (such as the numbers of residents tested, [anti-retroviral
therapy] and medications dispensed, patient consultations performed and
injecting equipment exchanged and appropriately disposed of) as well as
indicators developed to gauge the efficacy of this model of harm reduction
integrated with treatment and care (including rates of recidivism, and
continuity of patient care). 316
In correspondence to Human Rights Watch, the World Bank country director stated:
We are not aware of World Bank staff receiving any reports of human rights
violations in the drug rehabilitation clinics supported by the Project. If we do
receive such a report, we would make this a focus of a supervision mission to
ensure all Bank policies are met and that any concerns are fully examined. 317
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
With respect to UNODC, the Charter of the United Nations states that the UN shall promote
universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms. 318
UNODC is one of six core UN agencies comprising an Inter-Agency Team that forms part of
the governance framework of the “United Nations Global Compact on Human Rights,
Labour, the Environment and Anti-Corruption” (the Global Compact). 319 Included among the
lending agreements that the borrower would undertake to enforce its laws where there is good reason to
believe that exploitative child labor with negative development effects may occur.” The World Bank,
“Development and Human Rights: The Role of the World Bank,” 1998, p. 23.
315 The World Bank, “Project Appraisal Document on a Proposed Grant in the Amount of SDR 23.1 million
(US$ 35.0 million equivalent) to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam for the Vietnam HIV/AIDS Prevention
Project,” Report No. 30319-VN, March 7, 2005, p. 9.
316 Ibid., p. 38.
317 Letter from Victoria Kwarka, Vietnam country coordinator, The World Bank, to Human Rights Watch, June 9, 2011.
318 United Nations Charter, arts. 1(3), 55
319 The Global Compact is an initiative to encourage businesses to embrace and promote a series of 10 widely
accepted principles.
87 HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH | SEPTEMBER 2011