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​Castro de la Mata Elected to Continue as Inspection Panel Chairman

The members of the Inspection Panel have unanimously elected Dr. Gonzalo Castro de la Mata to continue to serve as the chairman of the Panel for another year beginning on November 1.

Dr. Castro de la Mata first became chairman on November 1, 2014. He was initially appointed to the Panel in December 2013 for a non-renewable term of five years.

In addition to conducting investigations into cases in Uganda and Kosovo this year, the Panel released guidelines to address retaliation against complainants, updated it operating procedures to enhance consultation with Requesters and facilitate the tracking of actions plans implemented by Bank management, and released the first report in its series highlighting lessons that have emerged from its 22-year caseload.

“I look forward to another productive year and thank everybody on the staff for their dedication, professionalism, and results,” Dr. Castro de la Mata said.

A U.S. and Peruvian national, Dr. Castro de la Mata brings to the Panel more than 20 years of international development experience. His career has included positions across the private sector, government, and civil society. His early career included key roles at the Global Environment Facility, the World Bank, the World Wildlife Fund, and Wetlands for the Americas. Later, as chair of an independent advisory panel in the Camisea Project for the Export-Import Bank of the US, he demonstrated his thorough knowledge and appreciation for the nuances of each stage of a project cycle, from policy creation to implementation. He previously served as founder and chairman, Ecosystem Services, LLC.

Dr. Castro de la Mata earned a Ph.D. in ecology and population biology from the University of Pennsylvania and received his M.A. and B.A. from the Cayetano Heredia Universidad in Lima, Peru.