The Author addresses the important issues facing the global community today: namely, how to reconcile globalization and the activities of the World Bank and the IMF with the implementation of international human rights rules. His comprehensive work explains the relation between economy, finance, and investments and their impact on the human rights situation. Using an interdisciplinary approach, The Author incorporates historical, political, economic, financial, and institutional dimensions into his analysis. Comment Don:RWI.

This book explores the human rights obligations of two of the largest international financial institutions,namely, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Based on international legal methodology, this book addresses these two institutions in public international law, and assesses the extent to which international law provides foundations for obligations in the field of human rights. This book analyses any possible obligations related to the effect of the two institutions own programmes and projects. The core of this analysis is focused on the two institutions international legal personality, and addresses their relationship to international law as legal subjects, rather than as a collectivity of states with international legal personality. Building on the traditional sources of international law, such as customary international law, general principles of international law and treaty law, the book concludes that the two institutions are under an obligation to respect human rights in their operations. This implies that they will break their obligations if they make the human rights situation worse as a result of their programmes or projects. It also concludes that the World Bank and the IMF are not under obligations to promote or fulfil human rights, but that they may legitimately do so if they can do it within their Articles of Agreement (the treaties establishing the institutions). The book also looks at the practical implications of the obligation to respect, which involves both substantial and procedural obligations. These obligations will, even if limited in their scope, imply that the two institutions need to include human rights checks in the planning, implementation and evaluation stages of projects and programmes. The final part of the book looks at redress possibilities in situations where either of the two institutions may be in breach of their human rights obligations.

Women, Business and the Law 2021 is the seventh in a series of annual studies measuring the laws and regulations that affect women’s economic opportunity in 190 economies. The project presents eight indicators structured around women’s interactions with the law as they move through their lives and careers: Mobility, Workplace, Pay, Marriage, Parenthood, Entrepreneurship, Assets, and Pension. This year’s report updates all indicators as of October 1, 2020 and builds evidence of the links between legal gender equality and women’s economic inclusion. By examining the economic decisions women make throughout their working lives, as well as the pace of reform over the past 50 years, Women, Business and the Law 2021 makes an important contribution to research and policy discussions about the state of women’s economic empowerment. Prepared during a global pandemic that threatens progress toward gender equality, this edition also includes important findings on government responses to COVID-19 and pilot research related to childcare and women’s access to justice.

The World Bank Group’s Women, Business and the Law examines laws and regulations affecting women’s prospects as entrepreneurs and employees across 190 economies. Its goal is to inform policy discussions on how to remove legal restrictions on women and promote research on how to improve women’s economic inclusion.

ÔDr Fujita reminds us of the critically important role that human rights can play. Opening up new perspectives, this book is a major and original contribution to the literature.Õ Ð From the foreword by Paul Hunt ÔSanae FujitaÕs book, The World Bank, Asian Development Bank and Human Rights is a significant scholarly contribution to important issues of global governance in our increasingly interconnected world. The book is an excellent treatment of the emergence of participatory rights and accountability in the context of international finance and international organizations more generally. Particularly valuable is the in-depth treatment of transparency and accountability at the Asian Development Bank, an important and often-overlooked institution critical to international governance.Õ Ð David Hunter, American University Washington College of Law, US The World Bank and the Asian Development Bank are two of the worldÕs major institutions conducting development projects. Both banks recognize the importance of transparency, participation and accountability. Responding to criticisms and calls for reform, they have developed policies that are designed to protect these values for people affected by their projects. This original and timely book examines these policies, including those recently revised, through the prism of human rights, and makes suggestions for further improvement. It also analyses the development of the BanksÕ stance to human rights in general. This unique book contains valuable and deeply insightful information drawn from extensive face-to-face interviews with relevant actors, including key personnel from both banks, consultants to the banks and members of civil society organisations. It expands the scope of research/discussion on human rights obligation of International financial institutions that will prove insightful for both academics and students. Practitioners will gain a great deal from the detail given on the standards of transparency, participation and accountability and their applicability to the day-to-day operations of development institutions.