24 January 2001
An independent assessment of WCD's independent assessment
Three organisations analyse the WCD process

The World Resources Institute (WRI, Washington, D.C.) , Lokayan (Delhi) and Lawyers' Environmental Action Team (LEAT, Dar Es Salaam) are undertaking an intensive and independent assessment of the World Commission on Dams' process from January 2000-February 2001, to coincide with the final period of public consultations, preparation and release of the report, and initial reaction to the report's recommendations.

According to the three groups: "The central aim of our research is to assess the World Commission on Dams' experience as an example of global public policy-making at the contentious intersection of environment and development. We are examining the recent evolution of global public policy-making, including the experience of other global processes that emerged during and after the Rio Earth Summit. Within this broader context, we are asking: How successful has the World Commission on Dams been in putting into practice its guiding principles: independence, transparency, inclusivity, and consensus-driven process? What have been the challenges to doing so?

Finally, we will assess the likely impact of the Commission's experience on future attempts to create global, multi-stakeholder processes around contentious environment and development issues? What will be the Commission's legacy when governments and non-governmental groups look to create new, global rules for biotechnology development? For trade and environment linkages? For other forms of large infrastructure or extractive industry?"