Despite'the'stern'admonishments'of'the'prominent'Extractive' Industry'Review' in'2003,'the'World'Bank'Group'(WBG)'has'continued'to'promote'the'expansion'of'mining' activities' in' resource' rich' clientEcountries.' While' keeping' in' line' with' its' traditional' mantra' on' the' economic' benefits' of' the' sector' in' cashEstrapped' countries,' poverty' reduction'and'environmental' sustainability'have'become'in'recent'years,' the'new'porteE étandard'to'justify'the'need'for'the'WBG'to'remain'actively'involved'in'the'sector.'Building' on' the' cases' of' the' Philippines,' Papua'New' Guinea' and' Lao' PDR,' three' of' Asia’s' richest' countries' in' term' of' mineral' endowment,' this' paper' analyses' this' new' social' and' environmental'narrative'in'conjunction'with'the'highly'political'nature'of'the'role'played by'the'WBG'in'the'mining'sector'of'its'countryEclients'over'time.'The'cases'suggest'that'the' WBG'has'played'a'key'role'in'influencing'a'wave'of'new'mining'regimes'in'the'region.'It'is' argued' that' these' new' regimes,' which' comprises' multilateral' social' and' environmental' safeguards,' circumscribes' the' risks' faced' by' industry,' rather' than' by' local' populations.' While' successful' in' stimulating' foreign' direct' investments' in' the' sector,' these' regimes' might'also'prove'to'be'ineffective'in'taming'local'and'national'resentment'against'mining' activities.'Crucially,'the'engineering'of'mining'regimes'and'normEsettings'in'multilateral' arenas'brings'forth'concerns'relating'to'the'legitimacy'of'the'transformations'of'the'roles' and' responsibilities' assigned' to' local' mining' stakeholders,' as' well' as' the' possible' subsequent'contraction'of'local'political'spaces.'