RRI, Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), Environmental Investigation Agency-US, FERN, Forest Peoples Programme (FPP), Global Witness, HELVETAS-Swiss Intercooperation, International Forestry Resources and Institutions (IFRI), Namati, and PRISMA (Salvadoran Research Program on Development and Environment) sent a Group Letter to World Bank President Jim Kim in response to the World Bank?s April 8h statement acknowledging the risks of large-scale land acquisitions and the vital role secure access to land plays in achieving sustainable development, pledging that the World Bank Group will support the UN?s new Voluntary Guidelines on Land Governance, and committing to strengthen the safeguards and project risk assessments for the World Bank Group?s investments and policies. The letter?s signatories welcomed and applaud these new commitments, and called for the operationalization of these pledges across the Bank?s portfolio, and asked the Bank to take additional steps to demonstrate global leadership in addressing the global land crisis.