Eimi Watanabe Chairs the World Bank Inspection Panel
Washington D.C., May 1, 2013 - The Inspection Panel is pleased to announce that Eimi Watanabe is the new Chairperson of the Inspection Panel, effective May 1, 2013, for one year. Ms. Watanabe replaces Alf Jerve, whose term as Chairperson of the Inspection Panel ended on April 30, 2013. Mr. Jerve continues as a full-time Panel Member until October 31, 2013, when his five-year appointment ends.
Eimi Watanabe was appointed to the Inspection Panel in November 2009. A Japanese national, she has over 30 years of experience in development. A Sociologist by training, she has been involved in a wide range of substantive areas, both at the project and policy levels, including poverty reduction, gender, child health and nutrition, governance, capacity development, the environment, and migration. From 1998 to 2001, she served as Assistant Secretary General and Director of the UNDP’s Bureau for Development Policy.
Prior to that, Ms. Watanabe was UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Bangladesh, and UNICEF Representative in India. Recently she has served as a member of the Strategic and Audit Advisory Committee of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS).
Ms. Watanabe earned a PhD from the London School of Economics and received her BA in Sociology from the International Christian University in Tokyo.
About the Inspection Panel: The Inspection Panel consists of three members who are appointed by the Board for nonrenewable periods of five years. As provided for in the Resolution that established the Panel, members are selected on the basis of their ability to deal thoroughly and fairly with the Requests brought to them, their integrity, their independence from Bank Management, and their exposure to developmental issues and to living conditions in developing countries. The Panel is independent of Bank Management, and reports solely to the Board. In addition, Panel members are prohibited from ever working for the Bank after their term ends.
For more information about the Inspection Panel, please visit:www.inspectionpanel.org