- Former Inspection Panel Chairman Jim MacNeill died in Ottawa on March 5 after a brief battle with pneumonia. He was 87. Mr. MacNeill, a Canadian national, was appointed to the Inspection Panel in 1997, and served as chairman from 1999 to 2001. “We were saddened to hear of Mr. MacNeill’s death and truly appreciate his efforts to advance the work of The Inspection Panel in its early days,” said…
- The safe access of affected people to the Inspection Panel is a fundamental premise of its accountability function. With this in mind, the Panel on March 30 releasedguidelines to address retaliation aimed at those seeking to work with it. The guidelines will help the Panel to (i) identify and monitor potential risks both to those who request the Panel to investigate World Bank-funded projects and…
- On December 7-8, the Independent Accountability Mechanisms (IAM) held their 12th Annual Meeting at World Bank Group Paris Headquarters. In addition to updating each other on the latest developments, they examined themes of common interest including an update on recent reforms or safeguard reviews in their IFIs, their potential impact on the functioning of accountability mechanisms, and shared…
- On February 18th, the Panel welcomed a visit from Mr. Gabriel Quijandria, Vice-Minister of Environment and Gustavo Suarez de Freitas, Director of the National Forests Program. At the meeting, they discussed the important progress achieved in the country in terms of better environmental management, forest conservation, and citizen accountability. The delegation also informed the Panel about recent…
- Staff from theInspection Panel(IPN) andCompliance Advisor Ombudsman(CAO) held a video conference with CSO representatives from Myanmar on November 18, 2015. The purpose of the virtual meeting was to discuss the accountability role and compliance work of the IPN and CAO, and listen to CSO concerns. The event was organized by four Myanmar CSO networks –IFI Watch Myanmar Initiative,Myanmar Alliance…
- Under the guidance of Prof. Grainne de Burca and Prof. Angelina Fisher, NYU School of Law students Cristina Passoni, Ariel Rosenbaum and Eleanor Vermunt met with the Panel Members and staff of the Inspection Panel on November 19, 2015. The students made a presentation on the research project they are undertaking as part ofNYU Law School’s International Organizations Clinicon the proposed draft…
- 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…
- On March 18, 2016, the Inspection Panel received a Request for Inspection raising concerns relating to the Irrigation System Enhancement Project in Armenia. The Request was submitted by members of the Goght community affected by the Gegardalich Gravity Irrigation Scheme. The Requesters are concerned about a lack of water for irrigation and inadequate consultation and participation. The Inspection…
- The Inspection Panel held a farewell reception on Feb. 24 for John Garrison, who worked as a senior civil society specialist with the Panel before his retirement. John had joined the Inspection Panel in October 2014 and spearheaded the Panel’s outreach efforts. The event was attended by more than 70 people, including Panel members, Bank staff, John’s previous colleagues, friends and family. The…
- The Inspection Panel on Feb. 25 presented the highlights of its first Emerging Lessons report to the Committee on Development Effectiveness of the World Bank Group’s Board of Executive Directors. The report, which was presented by Chairman Gonzalo Castro de la Mata, focuses on lessons learned about involuntary resettlement from the Panel’s caseload over its 22-year existence. The Emerging…