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​Panel Takes Part in IAMs 14th Annual Meeting; Will Host Event in 2018

The Inspection Panel in late August took part in the 14th Annual Meeting of the Independent Accountability Mechanisms (IAMs) hosted by the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank in Thessaloniki, Greece. Chairman Gonzalo Castro de la Mata, Panel Member Jan Mattsson, Executive Secretary Dilek Barlas and Senior Communications Officer Rob Doherty represented the Panel at the two-day meeting, which, among other things, discussed challenges and opportunities when different IAMs collaborate to handle complaints about co-financed projects, compliance and problem-solving related to financial-sector investments, IAMs’ efforts to address reprisals against complainants, and outreach to civil society and potentially affected communities. It was also agreed that the Panel would host the IAMs’ 15th Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., in November 2018 in conjunction with a conference on accountability to mark the 25th anniversary of the Panel’s creation. While in Thessaloniki, the IAMs also held a daylong meeting with 30 civil society organizations to discuss issues of common interest, including how to ensure community access to the mechanisms.