Accountability Mechanisms meet Civil Society Organizations
Seven civil society organizations and representatives of six Independent Accountability Mechanisms (IAMs) met in Washington, DC on April 9th, 2015 to comment on the recent reforms made to the MICI (IDB) and IRM (AfDB), as well as to exchange views on current trends in how damage caused by operations funded by International Financial Institutions (IFIs) is being handled through international conflict resolution and compliance.
The event was organized jointly by the accountability mechanisms of the IDB (MICI), World Bank (IP) and the International Finance Corporation (CAO). Representatives from sister mechanisms of the African Development Bank (IRM), the European Investment Bank and the United Nations Development Programme (SECU/SRM) also participated in the event.
Civil society was represented in the event by Accountability Counsel, EarthRights International, FUNDEPS (Foundation for the Development of Sustainable Policy), Human Rights Watch, Indian Law Resource Center, ITUC (International Trade Union Confederation), Montpelier Consulting, SOMO (Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations), The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and Transparency International.
The introductory session was led by Osvaldo Gratacós, Vice-President of the CAO (IFC/MIGA) and Kristen Genovese (SOMO); and followed by a plenary session conducted by Felismino Alcarpe, Director of the Complaints Mechanism of the European Investment Bank. As part of this session Victoria Márquez-Mees, Acting Director of the MICI, host of the event, presented the changes in the current MICI Policy, approved and in vigor since past December 17th, 2014. Juan Martin Carballo, Executive Director of FUNDEPS, commented on the issues of the MICI Policy which FUNDEPS considers favor potential Requesters and aspects where improvement could be made in order to address more accurately the needs of the affected communities. It is important to underscore that FUNDEPS staff participated in the public consultation process that was part of the drafting of the current MICI Policy.
Immediately after, Sekou Touré, Director of the Independent Review Mechanism (IRM) presented the key features of the policy recently approved by the African Development Bank and Kindra Mohr, Director of Policy of the Accountability Counsel, who also participated actively in the consultation process of that policy, commented constructively on the outcome.Later, the group openly discussed the ideas that are ruling the academia and the work in the field in the area of conflict resolution, from the perspective of civil society organizations. Finally, the closing remarks were conducted by Gonzalo Castro de la Mata, President of the Inspection Panel and Lori Udall, President of Montpelier Consulting. Both commented on how these events help strengthen the links between accountability mechanisms and civil society organizations.
Organizing such events is part of the strategy of the IAMs to disseminate the existence of these mechanisms among members of civil society. The objective of these efforts is to promote access to communities potentially affected by projects financed by the IFIs.
If your organization is interested in participating in future events or in receiving more information about the MICI and the IAMs network please send an email to mecanismo@iadb.org.