A/79/317 criticism for allegedly failing to protect human rights by supporting the resettlement of Indigenous Peoples from their traditional lands under the guise of conservation. For instance, the plan by the United Republic of Tanzania to resettle 82,000 pastoralists was influenced by a World Heritage Committee report recommending measures to control population growth in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. UNESCO denied encouraging displacement but did not condemn the resettlement plans. 30 Similarly, mass evictions around the Angkor Wat temple have raised concerns about intimidation and violence by Cambodian authorities. 31 UNESCO has stated that it lacks authority to enforce rights-based standards, focusing instead on policy advice and capacity-building, 32 but even so, it is not evident that enough effort has been taken to encourage compliance with human rights such as by establishing grievance mechanisms or accountability measures for serious human rights violations. 33 D. Private sector 39. The private sector plays a significant role in resettlement, in particular in development projects involving infrastructure, mining or agriculture that require land acquisition and community displacement. Private companies often initiate these projects, providing capital investment and financial resources, including for resettlement plans and compensation packages. They are typically involved in planning and implementing resettlement, conducting environmental and social impact assessments, developing resettlement action plans and coordinating with local authorities. Companies also contribute to building new infrastructure in resettlement sites and may be responsible for compensation and livelihood restoration. 40. Development of standards. Although many international corporations have adopted human rights policies and committed to human rights due diligence in line with the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, 34 corporate policies and extractive agreements often lack comprehensive human rights frameworks and tend to prioritize investments over positive outcomes for affected communities. Resettlement projects aimed at meeting “international standards” often use IFC standards as a benchmark, owing in part to the Equator Principles, which are a common benchmark for managing social and environmental risks in finance. The Equator Principles explicitly refer to IFC performance standard 5 on land acquisition and involuntary resettlement. Although 130 financial institutions in 38 countries have signed the Equator Principles, they offer weak protection against involuntary resettlement. Moreover, some major banks, such as JP Morgan, Citi, Bank of America and Wells Fargo, are no longer signatories even to these weak standards. 35 41. Some companies in the extractive industry such as Vale have committed to exploring alternatives to involuntary resettlement and adhering to IFC performance standards when unavoidable. 36 However, Vale has been criticized for not disclosing __________________ 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 24-15075 See communication OTH 262/2021 and the UNESCO response dated 8 April 2022. Amnesty International, “Nobody Wants to Leave Their Home”: Mass Forced Evictions at Cambodia’s UNESCO World Heritage Site of Angkor, 14 November 2023. UNESCO letter to Amnesty International, 24 October 2023, on file with Amnesty International, p. 1. UNESCO Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention set out that “States parties are responsible for implementing effective management activities for a World Heritage property” (para. 117). However, the Guidelines lack spe cific criteria or commitments on human rights. World Benchmarking Alliance, Corporate Human Rights Benchmark. Available at www.worldbenchmarkingalliance.org/publication/chrb . See www.reuters.com/business/finance/jpmorgan-citi-wells-boa-are-no-longer-signatoriesequator-principles-website-2024-03-05. Vale, Sustainable Mining, Involuntary Resettlement. Accessed on 21 July 2024. See https://vale.com/esg/involuntary-resettlement. 11/24