The World Bank’s Accountability System Must Reform: Experts Map Out How

The World Bank marked its 80th anniversary last month, and while a lot has changed in the past eight decades, one aspect of the institution remains the same: its resistance to being held accountable. Past and current World Bank-funded projects displaced people, destroyed livelihoods, polluted water, harmed biodiversity and exacerbated sexual exploitation, among other harms. Even though harm to people and the planet is a known outcome of some of its projects, the World Bank does not routinely acknowledge or redress it.

Instead, it falls on brave human rights and environmental defenders to raise the alarm, demand justice and convince the bank to be accountable. That shouldn’t be the norm. And right now, there is an opportunity to finally change course. The World Bank’s board can empower the institution’s accountability mechanism to identify and redress environmental and human rights harm.

Read the full piece on Triple Pundit here.