News & Visuals

Panel Explains its Mandate and Operations to Civil Society Representatives in Sri Lanka

Ramanie Kunanayagam at Sri Lanka Outreach

Inspection Panel Member Ramanie Kunanayagam on October 15, 2019, explained the workings of the Inspection Panel at an outreach event for civil society representatives in Sri Lanka. The event – titled “Independent Accountability Mechanisms (IAMs) at International Financial Institutions (IFIs)” – was organized by the Panel and Environmental Foundation Limited and attended by more than 30 civil society participants who represented a mix of environmental, social, law and justice, and women’s associations from both the capital Colombo and other parts of the country. 

Ms. Kunanayagam provided an overview of the role of the more than 20 IAMs that operate at multilateral and bilateral development institutions and then spoke specifically about the Panel’s mandate and operations. Another speaker discussed the “core principles of citizen-driven accountability.” Participants raised a number of concerns – including the lack of transparency around who is funding a project (especially when there are multiple funders), and the challenges communities face in gathering information on a particular project in order to bring a complaint to an IAM.

The event is one of several the Panel takes part in around the globe each year in an effort to ensure that project-affected communities know it exists as an avenue of recourse if needed.