Panel Holds Video Conference to Explain its Operations to Civil Society Representatives in 5 African Countries

The Inspection Panel on May 15, 2018, held a video conference (VC) with approximately 50 civil society representatives in five French-speaking countries in Africa. Operations Officer Tamara Milsztajn and intern Alice Schoonejans explained the Panel’s mandate and operations to civil society representatives in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Mali, Niger and Guinea, then took questions on a wide range of topics including the selection of Panel’s members, the Panel’s strategy to be accessible to local communities, the Panel’s criteria for investigating a complaint, and the timeframe of its investigations. The video conference, organized with the help of local World Bank offices, was part of the Panel’s ongoing efforts to make stakeholders aware of its role within the Bank, and to listen to their perspectives and concerns. The Panel held a similar session last December with about 60 civil society representatives in four Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa, and in March teamed with the World Bank Group’s Compliance Advisor Ombudsman to hold a VC with nearly two dozen civil society organizations in Senegal.