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Costa Rican to Chair the World Bank's Inspection Panel ( August 1 ,1997 )

CONTACT: Eduardo G. Abbott

Telephone: (202) 458-2617

Washington, August 1, 1997-The independent Inspection Panel of the World Bank today announced the election of its new Chairman, Mr. Alvaro Umaña Quesada. He replaces Mr. Richard E. Bissell, who served as Chairman during the past year and has concluded his non-renewable three year term as a member of the Inspection Panel. The other members of the Inspection Panel are Messrs. Ernst-Günther Bröder, and Jim MacNeill--whose appointment by the Executive Directors is effective today.

The Inspection Panel--an unprecedented international body--was created in 1993 to provide an independent forum to private citizens who believe they or their interests have been or could be harmed by a project financed by the World Bank. Such groups of project affected people may now present their concerns in a Request for Inspection to the Panel. Since it began operations in September 1994, the Panel has received ten formal Requests for Inspection.

Dr. Umaña has had a diverse career in academia, public service and international organizations. He is presently on leave from INCAE, Latin America's leading business school. Dr. Umaña is also a Board member of the Rockefeller Foundation, the Stockholm Environment Institute and the World Resources Institute.

As Costa Rica's first Minister of Natural Resources from l986-1990, Dr. Umaña was one of the pioneers of the debt-for-nature swaps. Under President Arias' Administration, he orchestrated the conversion of $95 million of commercial debt into environmental protection funds. For these efforts in 1988, he was awarded both the President's Public Service Award by the Natural Conservancy and the Special Achievement Award of the National Wildlife Federation.

Dr. Umaña holds a Bachelor of Science in physics with Honors and a Master Degree in Environmental Pollution Control from Penn State University. He also holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering and a Masters Degree in Economics from Stanford University. In 1989, he was declared a Distinguished Alumnus by the School of Engineering of Stanford University and was Shimizu Visiting Professor of Civil Engineering in 1994.

After leaving Government, with support from the MacArthur and Ford Foundations, Dr. Umaña launched a Masters Program in Natural Resources Management (MARN) at INCAE. This unique program, which emphasizes sustainability within a business context, was launched at the Rio Summit and already has 70 graduates from 15 countries. Dr. Umaña is also President of the Arias Foundation for Peace and Human Progress and the Center for Environmental Study. He has been Vice President of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and Member of the Executive Board of UNESCO.

Dr. Umaña has published numerous articles on the fields of energy and ecological economics, conservation and sustainable management of natural resources. He is also an author of several books, including "Energy for Development" (1981), "The Heritage of our Natural Resources" (1990) and "Financing Sustainable Development" (1996).

Dr. Umaña has been the Costa Rican Representative to the Climate Change Convention and has advised the Costa Rican Government on joint implementation and development of carbon markets. He is also personally involved in conservation having established a private reserve adjacent to Braulio Carrillo National Park, where he grows butterflies and promotes environmental education with local schools.

For more information on the Inspection Panel, please visit our website:http://www.worldbank.org (search "Inspection Panel") or call the World Bank Public Information Center (202) 458-5454