CSOs Comments on the Draft Operating Procedures for the Accountability Mechanism and the Inspection Panel

Arab Watch Coalition, along with 56 other organizations from around the world including AWC’s members and partners, 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 and Inspection Panel’s draft operating procedures.  Those thirteen recommendations are below, followed by everyone who endorses them. The full English letter supporting our recommendations is available here. A background and a summary of the letter in Arabic is available here.

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
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

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