MICI Meets with CSOs to Provide Updates and Exchange Views

MICI Director, Victoria Márquez-Mees, and staff held a lunch meeting with CSO representatives on October 5, 2016 to discuss MICI’s recent activities and exchange information. The agenda included a discussion of several recent MICI cases as well as updates on the recent annual meeting of IAMs, drafting of MICI’s reprisals policies, and establishment of the External Consultative Group (GCE). Over a dozen CSO representatives from Latin America, United States, and Europe participated in the meeting [1].

The meeting began with a brief on the Independent Accountability Mechanisms Network ( IAMnet ), which is an informal association of accountability mechanisms of 17 leading international financial institutions (e.g. World Bank, Asian Development Bank, IDB) which meets annually to exchange information, share lessons, and discuss emerging accountability trends. MICI provided information on the most recent Annual Meeting held in Manila in September, 2016 and the day-long roundtable held with CSOs. MICI also informed participants that IAMnet has decided to establish an informal and rotating Secretariat, and that MICI will take on this function for the coming two years.

MICI then provided an update on its 2016 caseload of complaints and discussed several current active cases (see MICI’s Public Registry ). This was followed by an update on the drafting of MICI’s policy on reprisals which has had the input of a number of CSOs, including Human Rights Watch. MICI is now reviewing the second draft and will shortly initiate a public comment period to receive feedback on the document.

Finally, MICI provided an update on the consultation process for MICI’s External Consultative Group (GCE). MICI distributed the GCE Concept Note at the beginning of July 2016 to a wide range of stakeholders, including civil society representatives, academics, government officials, and accountability experts. As a result, MICI received valuable feedback which was incorporated into the GCE Operating Procedures. MICI will receive nominations for membership in the GCE during the month of November, will select the eight members in December, and hold the first meeting in January or February, 2017. Please see the GCE webpage for the background documents and details on the Call for Nominations.

Representatives from the following CSOs participated: Derecho, Ambiente y Recursos Naturales/DAR (Peru), Fundación para el Desarrollo de Políticas Sustentables/FUNDEPS (Argentina), Accountability Counsel (US), Amazon Watch (US), Bank Information Center/BIC (US), Center for International Environmental Law/CIEL (US), Human Rights Watch/HRW (US), Indian Law Resource Center (US), and Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations/SOMO (Netherlands).