16 September 2022
Recommendations to Improve The World Bank’s Accountability Process From 57 Civil Society Organizations
Accountability Counsel, along with 56 other organizations, submitted recommendations for making the World Bank’s accountability process more effective for communities harmed by World Bank projects. We submitted 13 recommendations for improving the World Bank Accountability Mechanism’s and Inspection Panel’s draft operating procedures. Those thirteen recommendations are below, followed by everyone who endorses them. The full letter supporting our recommendations is available here.
Recommendations
- The procedures should be amended to explicitly state that issues left unresolved by dispute resolution will be subject to a compliance investigation by the Inspection Panel. In other words, a partial agreement means that unresolved issues are subject to a compliance review.
- The operating procedures should make explicit that the Accountability Mechanism and Inspection Panel can recommend suspension of projects when aware of imminent or irreversible harm.
- The procedures should be amended to use the word “monitoring” in addition to or instead of “follow-up,” and the requirement for parties to consent to monitoring should be removed.
- Language should be amended to clarify that requesters have a right to the representation of their choice.
- Language should be amended to clarify that the World Bank Accountability Mechanism process is committed to the effectiveness criteria in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and assists in facilitating remedy.
- The operating procedures should include language enshrining a good hiring process.
- The operating procedures should state that the World Bank can participate in the dispute resolution process with the consent of the Requesters.
- The operating procedures should include language regarding consistency with Bank policies and law.
- The operating procedures should be amended slightly to clarify that the Inspection Panel will confirm that new facts and circumstances have been alleged as opposed to substantiated.
- Language should be amended to clarify that requesters may come back to the Inspection Panel for investigation if an agreement is not implemented.
- Language should be amended to clarify that the Management Report and Recommendation (MRR) will include remedial actions.
- The operating procedures should note that Requesters may select advisors to participate in the case process.
- Language should be added to confirm that requesters will be involved in the Panel’s verification process.
Endorsers
- AbibiNsroma Foundation ANF – Ghana
- Abna’a Alnazehien Organization in Myssan – Iraq
- Accountability Counsel – United States of America
- Africa Development Interchange Network (ADIN) – Cameroon
- Association jeunes pour jeunes (AJJ) – Morocco
- Association Talassemtane pour l’environnement et développement (ATED) – Morocco
- Association Tunisienne de Droit du Développement – Tunisia
- Association Zero Zbel – Morocco
- Arab Watch Coalition – United States of America and Middle East North Africa Region
- ATCP – Tunisia
- ATGL – Tunisia
- Bank Information Center – United States of America
- The Bretton Woods Project – United Kingdom
- Buliisa Initiative for Rural Development Organisation (BIRUDO) – Uganda
- Center for International Environmental Law – United States of America
- Centre de Défense des Droits de l’Homme et Démocratie – Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Centre de Développement de la Région de Tensift – Morocco
- Centre for Financial Accountability – India
- David Hunter, Peregrine Environmental Consulting – United States of America
- Dibeen for Environmental Development – Jordan
- EG Justice – Equatorial Guinea
- Endorois Welfare Council – Kenya
- Espace de Solidarité et de Coopération de l’Oriental – Morocco
- Foundation for Environmental Management and Campaign Against Poverty – Tanzania
- Friends of the Earth US – United States of America
- Fundeps (Foundation for the Development of Sustainable Policies) – Argentina
- Gender Action – United States of America
- Global Legal Action Network – Ireland and United Kingdom
- Green Advocates International – Liberia
- Hayat Center – RASED – Jordan
- Inclusive Development International – United States of America
- International Accountability Project – Global
- Jamaa Resource Initiatives – Kenya
- Lawyers’ Association for Human Rights of Nepalese Indigenous Peoples (LAHURNIP) – Nepal
- Lebanon Eco Movement – Lebanon
- Lori Udall, Montpelier Consulting – United States of America
- Mazingira Network – Tanzania (MANET) – Tanzania
- Natural Justice – South Africa
- Observatoire d’etudes et d’appui a la responsabilite sociale et environnementale (OEARSE) – Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Oxfam – United States of America
- Oyu Tolgoi Watch – Mongolia
- Peace Point Development Foundation (PPDF) – Nigeria
- Phenix Center – Jordan
- Press Freedom Advocacy Association in Iraq/جمعية الدفاع عن حرية الصحافة في العراق – Iraq
- Recourse – Netherlands
- Resonate Yemen – Yemen
- Rivers without Boundaries Coalition – Mongolia
- The Sentry – United States of America
- Social Justice Platform/ منصة للعدالة الاجتماعية – Egypt
- Stop pollution – Tunisia
- SUHODE Foundation – Tanzania
- urgewald – Germany
- Wedyan Association For Society Development – Yemen
- Witness Radio – Uganda
- Women’s and Children’s Affairs Organization/ منظمه شؤون المراه والطفل – Iraq
- Yemen Organization for Promoting Integrity – Yemen
- Yemeni Observatory for Human Rights – Yemen