Blog
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1 March 2021
The Eligibility Bottleneck
Understanding the reasons why complaints fail to advance beyond preliminary stages allows visibility into the system of accountability in international finance, and helps us evaluate how IAMs are functioning as sources of redress for communities facing harm. -
1 March 2021
The Story of a Complaint
The Accountability Console has a page dedicated to each of the 1,395 complaints filed to accountability mechanisms. Complaint pages do more than display the data of a specific complaint; they tell the stories of communities facing harm, and their attempts to find remedy. Here is one example. -
17 February 2021
Review Team Recommends Important Reforms to the AfDB’s Accountability Framework; More is Needed to Ensure Remedy for Communities
The African Development Bank (AfDB) is one of the largest development finance investors in Africa, committing $7.1 billion in 2018 alone to fund development projects in Africa. But what happens when these projects negatively impact the very communities that are meant to benefit? Unfortunately, negative impacts are not a hypothetical.… -
16 February 2021
Welcoming Vanessa Barboni Hallik to Accountability Counsel’s Board
We are pleased to announce that Vanessa Barboni Hallik has joined Accountability Counsel’s Board of Directors. Vanessa comes to Accountability Counsel with a range of expertise that deeply supports our mission and the communities we serve. -
29 January 2021
Understanding Complaint Stage Outcomes
Complaint stage information is a critical component in helping us understand how accountability mechanisms function in practice. Recent updates to our methodology on complaint stages provide further insights into things like registration criteria, eligibility trends, and outputs for communities — helping inform a community-centered approach to our data. -
29 January 2021
Document Search
The Console’s newest feature is a powerful way to do highly targeted research by scanning through nearly 100,000 pages of complaint documents in seconds. Learn more about use cases and example searches. -
8 January 2021
This is America. Where is Accountability?
At Accountability Counsel, we will continue to shine a light on the power structures that operate with impunity, within the US and elsewhere. We will persist in our demand for accountability of these structures. We will maintain our call for transparency so that power cannot wield misinformation as a weapon. We will amplify the voices of communities who have been silenced and ignored. -
5 January 2021
U.S. Congress Requires USAID to Create an Accountability Mechanism
In late December 2020, when the United States Congress passed its appropriations legislation to fund the government, it issued an accompanying explanatory statement that requires the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to establish an accountability mechanism. This is welcome news for those who want USAID’s projects to be successful… -
22 December 2020
Independent Panel Reports On WWF And Makes Case For Accountability
An independent panel of experts has reviewed some of World Wide Fund for Nature’s conservation projects alleged to have contributed to human rights abuses. A key recommendation from the review is to establish an effective accountability mechanism to strengthen compliance and ensure communities have redress for project harms. WWF should… -
11 December 2020
Senate Subcommittee Takes Important Step to Address USAID’s Accountability Gap In Appropriations Bill
Soon Congress might address a long-standing accountability gap in upcoming appropriations legislation. In its draft bill, a Senate appropriations subcommittee took a critical step towards strengthening accountability at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) by requiring the agency to establish an accountability mechanism. We applaud the Senate subcommittee for… -
10 December 2020
Nouveau rapport, Redevabilité en Afrique : Préjudices causés par les flux financiers internationaux et recommandations
Aujourd’hui, à l’occasion de la Journée internationale des droits de l’homme, Accountability Counsel et la Coalition africaine pour la redevabilité des entreprises (ACCA) lançons notre nouveau rapport intitulé : Redevabilité en Afrique : Effets préjudiciables des flux financiers internationaux et stratégies de soutien à l’accès aux recours par les communautés. -
10 December 2020
New Report, Accountability in Africa, Examines Harm From International Financial Flows and Recommends Action
Today, on Human Rights Day, Accountability Counsel and African Coalition for Corporate Accountability launch our new report, Accountability in Africa: Harm from International Financial Flows and Strategies for Supporting Community-Led Access to Remedy. -
1 December 2020
AC Joins 26 Partners to Push Back Against Illegitimate Consultation Process on DFC’s Transparency and Board Public Engagement Policies
Although transparency and stakeholder engagement are pillars for an effective development finance institution, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC)’s recent consultation on its draft transparency and board public engagement policies does not indicate a commitment to these pillars. DFC only provided two weeks for the public to comment on… -
25 November 2020
Disclosures For IFC’s Impact Principles Reveal Obvious Next Step For Accountability
The ever-growing field of impact investing seeks to transform traditional investing by focusing on positive impacts — such as increasing the use of renewable energy — and not just financial returns. As the field has evolved, a key question has emerged: how do we best measure and manage both positive… -
23 November 2020
Recommendations on the AIIB’s Environmental and Social Framework
Earlier this month, Accountability Counsel joined over 50 partners in the Asia region and elsewhere in a submission on the Environmental and Social Framework of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. -
13 November 2020
Accountability Counsel and Partners Advance Recommendations for Strengthened Accountability at the African Development Bank
The African Development Bank (AfDB) is currently in the process of reviewing the effectiveness of its office for addressing complaints related to its financing, the Independent Review Mechanism (IRM). Accountability Counsel and 53 partners from Africa and around the world recently submitted recommendations to ensure that the IRM is an effective tool to remedy impacts from AfDB projects. -
12 November 2020
Accountability Counsel’s Vision for U.S. Government Leadership on Accountability to People Harmed By U.S. Financial Flows
We welcome the news that U.S. voters have chosen Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as the next President and Vice President of the United States. The Biden-Harris administration will guide the next phase of U.S. leadership at institutions that impact the human rights and environment of people in communities around the… -
9 November 2020
The Need for Human Rights Commitments and Assurances in Development Finance – A Letter to Finance in Common Participants
The second week of November 2020 marks the first ever convention of “public development banks” concerned with the health and economic crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as with achieving sustainable development objectives. Called the Finance in Common Summit, the event is intended to coalesce the agendas of banks, governments, and other stakeholders to prioritize sustainable recovery measures and push finance toward a “future we want.” But who is included amongst “we”? -
6 November 2020
Joint Civil Society Statement on the Hiring of the First Accountability Mechanism Secretary
The World Bank Group is about to hire its first Accountability Mechanism Secretary to lead the new Accountability Mechanism, which was recently created as an outcome of reforms to the World Bank Inspection Panel. It is critical that the Bank select someone who has (1) a demonstrated commitment to and experience with respecting communities’ rights and agency; (2) a demonstrated commitment to ensuring the independence of the Accountability Mechanism and Inspection Panel; and (3) prior dispute resolution experience; as well as (4) someone who embodies the World Bank’s commitment to diversity. -
2 November 2020
Accountability for Impact Investments: New UN Impact Management Standards Champion Hearing from People Affected by Investments
With the release of impact management that seek to align with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), early October 2020 may very well be seen as a positive inflection point for accountability in private sector impact management. Recognizing the critical importance of hearing from communities impacted by investments, the new standards place an expectation on private equity funds in the impact investing space to demonstrate good governance and management through the availability and use of effective grievance mechanisms