Comments will be received on the Revised Policy Proposal from August 1 to September 15
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has launched a public consultation process beginning August 1, 2014, for key stakeholders, experts and interested parties to submit views on the IDB’s Independent Consultation and Investigation Mechanism (ICIM) Revised Policy Proposal.
Since September 2010, the ICIM has been operating under the Policy approved in February of that year by the IDB’s Board of Executive Directors. The Policy provides a forum for addressing claims made by parties that have been or may be affected adversely by IDB operations resulting from a failure by the Bank to adhere to its own policies.
An evaluation conducted by the IDB’s Office of Evaluation and Oversight (OVE) in December of 2012, which took into account the operations of the ICIM to date, identified a number of areas in need of improvement, both in the ICIM’s Policy and operations. Based on that review, the IDB’s Board of Executive Directors mandated a restructuring of the ICIM system and a revision of its Policy to improve its operation and effectiveness. In June 2013, an independent consultant was commissioned to work with the Board on a proposal for the revision of the ICIM’s structure and Policy in order to strengthen the following areas: clarity of mandate; accessibility; independence, efficiency and capacity to respond.
As part of that process, in August 2013, the first phase of public consultation was launched to invite comments regarding the Policy in force at the time. In that first phase comments from over 200 interested stakeholders were received from requesters, academia, civil society organizations from the region and others interested in the operation of these mechanisms, executing agencies, Bank officials and peer institutions. At the end of the first phase, a compilation of written comments received was published.
The second phase will be open from August 1 to September 15, 2014, to receive written comments on the draft revised ICIM Policy proposal. All interested individuals and organizations may send their comments to consultamici@iadb.org. Copies of the current Policy, the proposed revised Policy and a summary of the proposed changes are available at the ICIM website. At the conclusion of the second phase, a compilation of comments received will be presented to the Board.
After Board consideration and approval of the final Policy proposal, a report on the public consultation process will be published. The new Policy, once approved, will replace the Independent Consultation and Investigation Mechanism Policy now in force.