The Inspection Panel  Newsletter 

Ramanie Kunanayagam Appointed as New Inspection Panel Member

Ramanie Kunanayagam has been appointed as a member of the Inspection Panel, succeeding Gonzalo Castro de la Mata, whose five-year term expires on December 15, 2018. Ms. Kunanayagam, whose appointment was announced by World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim on October 29, 2018, is a Sri Lankan-born Australian citizen who will bring to the Panel more than 25 years of experience across diverse geopolitical and multicultural environments in the private and public sectors. More

Inspection Panel Marks 25 Years of Accountability at the World Bank

The Inspection Panel celebrated its 25th anniversary as the first independent accountability mechanism at an international financial institution with a ceremony and reception at the World Bank on November 14, 2018. Speakers at the event included World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim (top left) and Albie Sachs (top second from right), a former judge on South Africa’s Constitutional Court. More

Inspection Panel 25th Anniversary Book

To mark its 25th anniversary, the Inspection Panel has published a book that includes recollections from current and former Panel members, former World Bank executive directors and representatives of World Bank management, civil society and communities that have filed Requests for Inspection. The book details the history of the Panel and the legacy it has created over the last quarter century. The book can be accessed on the home page of the Panel’s website or by clicking here.

Panel Hosts 15th Annual Meeting of IAM Network;
Co-sponsors Accountability Conference at American University

As part of a series of events to mark its 25th anniversary, the Inspection Panel hosted the 15th annual meeting of the Independent Accountability Mechanisms Network on November 13 and 14, 2018, and co-sponsored a conference on accountability at the American University Washington College of Law on November 15. More

Board Summary of Its Review of the Inspection Panel’s Toolkit

The World Bank Board of Executive Directors has issued a chair summary of its review of the Inspection Panel’s toolkit. The summary can be accessed here.

CASE DEVELOPMENTS

Uganda: Water Management and Development, and Energy for Rural Transformation Phase III Projects – Panel Conducts Investigation Visit

The Inspection Panel in late November conducted an investigation visit to Uganda in response to Requests for Inspection of the two projects related to the Kalagala Offset Area. The Board of Executive Directors had approved the Panel’s recommendation to investigate on September 19, 2018. More

Lebanon: Water Supply Augmentation Project and the Greater Beirut Water Supply Project and Additional Financing – Board Approves Panel Recommendation Not to Investigate

The Inspection Panel conducted its eligibility visit to Lebanon from October 14 to 18, 2018, holding meetings in Beirut and visiting the project site in the Bisri Valley. The Panel submitted its report and recommendation to the Board on November 26, 2018. The Board on December 6, 2018, approved the Panel’s recommendation not to investigate the projects. More

India: Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project for Low Income States – Panel Issues Notice of Registration

The Inspection Panel on November 5, 2018, issued a Notice of Registration in response to a Request for Inspection of the project. More

Bank Management Update – Action Plan Implementation Report

World Bank management in October 2018 released its latest report on the implementation of its action plans. The action plans were developed in response to findings in Inspection Panel investigations, and have been approved by the Bank’s Board of Executive Directors. Management, as requested by the Committee on Development Effectiveness of the Board, began submitting these biannual implementation reports to the Board in April 2016. In line with its Updated Operating Procedures and to promote transparency, the Panel publishes the management reports on its website.

2018 Annual Report

The Inspection Panel published its fiscal year 2018 annual report in early October. The report provides summaries of cases the Panel processed from July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2018, and also includes a message from the Panel, highlights of the Panel’s year, the Panel budget, biographical information on each Panel member and the Panel executive secretary, and graphs detailing the Panel’s casework since it began operations. The report is now available on the Panel’s website. It also can be found here.

Panel Takes Part in Events at IMF-WBG Annual Meetings in Bali

Panel Chairman Gonzalo Castro de la Mata, Panel Member Imrana Jalal (top left) and Panel Executive Secretary Dilek Barlas (top right) took part in several events at the International Monetary Fund-World Bank Group Annual Meetings in Bali in October. More

ABOUT THE INSPECTION PANEL 

The Inspection Panel is an independent complaints mechanism for people and communities who believe that they have been, or are likely to be, adversely affected by a World Bank-funded project. The Board of Executive Directors created the Inspection Panel in 1993 to ensure that people have access to an independent body to express their concerns and seek recourse. The Panel is an impartial fact-finding body, independent from the World Bank management and staff, reporting directly to the Board. The Inspection Panel process aims to promote accountability at the World Bank, give affected people a greater voice in activities supported by the World Bank that affect their rights and interests, and foster redress when warranted.
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