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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…

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.

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.

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…

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…

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.

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.

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…

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”?

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.

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  

KATHMANDU, 8 October 2020 – Today, Indigenous communities affected by the 220 kV Marsyangdi Corridor transmission line in Nepal call on their government and the European Investment Bank (EIB) to seek their Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) in accordance with a protocol they are releasing detailing the FPIC process.…

Gotu, Isiolo County Last week, I met with representatives from organizations in Northern Kenya that are working with communities to protect their land, natural resources, culture, and pastoral rights. Those organizations – from Isiolo, Marsabit, Garissa, Wajir – had expressed interest in learning more about using Independent Accountability Mechanisms (IAMs)…

Last week, Accountability Counsel and 22 civil society organizations joined independent accountability mechanism representatives from 17 development finance institutions for a multifaceted and deep discussion of complaint eligibility issues that can hinder community access to justice. The International Advocates Working Group and the Independent Accountability Mechanisms Network coordinated the virtual roundtable event.

Making sure that communities have the technical support they need to defend their rights is a fundamental component of Accountability Counsel’s work. We share two videos, created in collaboration with our partners at True Costs Initiative, which highlight the important and ongoing work of incorporating cultural knowledge and local expertise in concepts of science and technical expertise to further human and environmental rights.

The Inter-American Development Bank recently concluded a review of the environmental and social safeguards that regulate its public-sector financing activities. Among the many changes to the Environmental and Social Policy Framework are notable improvements that will enhance the bank’s accountability to local communities affected by its financing activities.

The board of directors for the African Development Bank recently announced the first public consultation period for the review of the AfDB’s accountability office, the Independent Review Mechanism. Accountability Counsel will work with partners on the African continent and around the world to submit recommendations during the consultation to ensure that the IRM is an effective accountability tool for communities affected by AfDB financing.

The final report of the external review of environmental and social accountability at the International Finance Corporation (IFC) makes critical recommendations to enhance the transparency and sustainability of the IFC’s financial intermediary (FI) portfolio. The IFC invests billions of dollars into FI clients such as commercial banks, private equity funds…

The people most directly affected by the eventual outcomes of the external review of environmental and social accountability at the International Finance Corporation (IFC) are the people on the ground: the communities whose health, livelihoods and environment are exposed to the risks and impacts of the projects in which the…

The process for replacing the Vice President of the International Financial Corporation’s (IFC) accountability office, the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO), is well underway, and the stakes for selecting the right candidate for the job have perhaps never been higher. At all times, the head of the CAO needs to be…