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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Language should be amended to clarify that requesters have a right to the representation of their choice.
  5. 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.
  6. The operating procedures should include language enshrining a good hiring process.
  7. The operating procedures should state that the World Bank can participate in the dispute resolution process with the consent of the Requesters.
  8. The operating procedures should include language regarding consistency with Bank policies and law.
  9. 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.
  10. Language should be amended to clarify that requesters may come back to the Inspection Panel for investigation if an agreement is not implemented.
  11. Language should be amended to clarify that the Management Report and Recommendation (MRR) will include remedial actions.
  12. The operating procedures should note that Requesters may select advisors to participate in the case process.
  13. Language should be added to confirm that requesters will be involved in the Panel’s verification process.

Endorsers

  1. AbibiNsroma Foundation ANF – Ghana
  2. Abna’a Alnazehien Organization in Myssan – Iraq
  3. Accountability Counsel – United States of America
  4. Africa Development Interchange Network (ADIN) – Cameroon
  5. Association jeunes pour jeunes (AJJ) – Morocco
  6. Association Talassemtane pour l’environnement et développement (ATED) – Morocco
  7. Association Tunisienne de Droit du Développement – Tunisia
  8. Association Zero Zbel – Morocco
  9. Arab Watch Coalition – United States of America and Middle East North Africa Region
  10. ATCP – Tunisia
  11. ATGL – Tunisia
  12. Bank Information Center – United States of America
  13. The Bretton Woods Project – United Kingdom
  14. Buliisa Initiative for Rural Development Organisation (BIRUDO) – Uganda
  15. Center for International Environmental Law – United States of America
  16. Centre de Défense des Droits de l’Homme et Démocratie – Democratic Republic of the Congo
  17. Centre de Développement de la Région de Tensift – Morocco
  18. Centre for Financial Accountability – India
  19. David Hunter, Peregrine Environmental Consulting – United States of America
  20. Dibeen for Environmental Development – Jordan
  21. EG Justice – Equatorial Guinea
  22. Endorois Welfare Council – Kenya
  23. Espace de Solidarité et de Coopération de l’Oriental – Morocco
  24. Foundation for Environmental Management and Campaign Against Poverty – Tanzania
  25. Friends of the Earth US – United States of America
  26. Fundeps (Foundation for the Development of Sustainable Policies) – Argentina
  27. Gender Action – United States of America
  28. Global Legal Action Network – Ireland and United Kingdom
  29. Green Advocates International – Liberia
  30. Hayat Center – RASED – Jordan
  31. Inclusive Development International – United States of America
  32. International Accountability Project – Global
  33. Jamaa Resource Initiatives – Kenya
  34. Lawyers’ Association for Human Rights of Nepalese Indigenous Peoples (LAHURNIP) – Nepal
  35. Lebanon Eco Movement – Lebanon
  36. Lori Udall, Montpelier Consulting – United States of America
  37. Mazingira Network – Tanzania (MANET) – Tanzania
  38. Natural Justice – South Africa
  39. Observatoire d’etudes et d’appui a la responsabilite sociale et environnementale (OEARSE) – Democratic Republic of the Congo
  40. Oxfam – United States of America
  41. Oyu Tolgoi Watch – Mongolia
  42. Peace Point Development Foundation (PPDF) – Nigeria
  43. Phenix Center – Jordan
  44. Press Freedom Advocacy Association in Iraq/جمعية الدفاع عن حرية الصحافة في العراق – Iraq
  45. Recourse – Netherlands
  46. Resonate Yemen – Yemen
  47. Rivers without Boundaries Coalition – Mongolia
  48. The Sentry – United States of America
  49. Social Justice Platform/ منصة للعدالة الاجتماعية – Egypt
  50. Stop pollution – Tunisia
  51. SUHODE Foundation – Tanzania
  52. urgewald – Germany
  53. Wedyan Association For Society Development – Yemen
  54. Witness Radio – Uganda
  55. Women’s and Children’s Affairs Organization/ منظمه شؤون المراه والطفل – Iraq
  56. Yemen Organization for Promoting Integrity – Yemen
  57. Yemeni Observatory for Human Rights – Yemen