​Panel Participates in Discussion on Accountability at IAIA Annual Meeting

Inspection Panel Executive Secretary Dilek Barlas on May 18, 2018, joined representatives of five other independent accountability mechanisms (IAMs) to discuss accountability issues at the International Association for Impact Assessment’s annual meeting in Durban, South Africa. The session – titled “International Finance: The Role of Independent Accountability Mechanisms” – covered a range of topics, including the relevance of accountability in the context of environmental justice, how IAMs have been able to achieve outcomes for affected communities negatively affected by development projects, and how communities, the private sector and governments can work together to assess environmental harm and mitigate negative environmental impacts. The discussion was organized by the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman and also included representatives of the IAMs of the African Development Bank, European Investment Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, and Overseas Private Investment Corporation.