IFTI Watch
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6 May 2004
ADB Holds First Consultation on Public Communications Policy
JAKARTA – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) met with Indonesian organizations in Jakarta April 27 to discuss its draft Public Communication Policy. Nongovernmental organizations involved in the first of 12 planned ADB consultations came to the conclusion that they were pleased with the ADB’s proposals to release some information that used to be secret, but […]
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13 April 2004
EU Parliamentary Committee Rejects Criticisms of EIB
A committee of the European Parliament on April 6, 2004 rejected virtually all of the criticisms of the European Investment Bank by Spanish delegate Monica Ridruejo. According to supporters of Ridreujo, the Economic and Monetary Committee (EMAC) "completely watered down" the Ridruejo proposals for good governance, transparency and accountability at the EIB. Ridruejo voted against […]
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13 April 2004
African Development Bank Issues New Disclosure Policy
The African Development Bank on March 30, 2004 published a new disclosure policy going further than other international financial institutions in the release of draft documents. The new policy is available here. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the draft AfDB policy announced in October was the flirtation with the release of draft Country Strategy […]
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18 March 2004
EU Committee Defers Action on Report Critical of the EIB
A committee of the European Parliament, to the surprise of some observers, did not flatly reject Spanish parliamentarian Monica Ridruejo’s critical report about governance and transparency at the European Investment Bank. Instead, the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs on March 16 opened up the door to amendments to the report and a vote on […]
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18 March 2004
ADB Sets Dates, Places for Transparency Policy Consultations
The consultation schedule for the disclosure policy review is now available on the ADB’s website. Date Location Contact Person 21 April 2004 Suva, Fiji Islands Mr. Bart W. Édes Office of External Relations, ADB Manila, Philippines Tel: +63 2 632 5293 Email: bedes@adb.org 23 April 2004 Sydney, Australia Mr. Bart W. Édes Office of External […]
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15 March 2004
Spanish Member of European Parliament Criticizes European Investment Bank
The European Investment Bank "fails to comply with good corporate governance" and does not disclose enough information to the public, according to controversial criticisms in a report prepared by a Spanish member of the European Parliament, Monica Ridruejo. After months of delay that Ridruejo considers intentional, her report will by taken up March 16 by […]
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10 March 2004
World Bank Staff Backs More Disclosure by Extractive Industries
The World Bank Group should begin requiring that extractive industries receiving Bank loans disclose what payments they make to governments, according to an internal Bank document obtained by freedominfo.org. The revenue disclosures, however, should not begin for two years for existing loans, according to Bank staff recommendations, the "draft management response" to external and internal […]
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10 March 2004
ADB Offers Draft Transparency Policy, Requests More Comment
The Asian Development Bank has issued a proposal to revise its disclosure policies and called for further public comment by May 28. Although the Feb. 28 draft does not propose dramatic changes, such as the disclosure of certain key draft documents, it does include numerous suggestions for more disclosure. The accompanying report is exuberant about […]
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24 February 2004
Parliamentarians Flex Growing Organization, Make Request of Bank
The chairman of an international group of parliamentarians has asked the World Bank to help assure a larger role for legislatures in setting the poverty-fighting strategies within their countries. The request marks one of the first times the parliamentarians have proposed a significant and specific policy change, according to persons familiar with the group’s history. […]
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24 February 2004
IMF Seeks Comment on Relations with Parliamentarians
The International Monetary Fund has asked for public comment on recommendations that the Fund staff increase their interaction with parliamentarians. While supportive of expanded IMF dialogue with parliamentarians, the recommendations of an internal working group also suggest limitations. The staff is cautioned against doing anything with legislators that would subvert the bargaining authority of government […]
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10 February 2004
World Bank Board to Meet in March on Disclosure Policy
The World Bank Executive Board will return to the topic of disclosure policy at a meeting in March 2004, to again address whether to disclose more draft documents and board minutes. The board last deferred action on these topics, asking for more Bank staff research. In the intervening six months, the research appears to have […]
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10 February 2004
IFC Rejects Request to Translate Document into Hindi
The International Finance Corporation recently rejected a request by an Indian group to translate an environmental report about a hydropower project into the local language, Hindi. The rejection means “the documents are available to the whole world, but sorry, affected people cannot be given it in the language they understand,” reacted Humanshu Thakkar Jan. 6 […]
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10 February 2004
IFC Announces Disclosure Policy Review, Seeks Comments
The International Finance Corporation, the private sector lending wing of the World Bank, said in mid-January that it would accept comments on its current disclosure policy until March 12. The call for public comments in a period of less than two months appeared on the IFC web site, but was not announced by an IFC […]
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10 February 2004
World Bank Divided on Disclosure of Country Performance Ratings
The World Bank is considering making a small step toward disclosing more information about its “country performance ratings” for the 81 poorest borrowing countries, but a minority of executive directors appears to have successfully resisted full disclosure. Derived by the Bank staff from a multi-component scoring system, these ratings influence funding levels. They are discussed […]
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5 December 2003
Information, Consultation, Participation (and the Lack Thereof)
The Inter-American Development Bank and Plan Puebla-Panama Journalist Wendy Call reports on the controversy over the IDB’s multi-billion-dollar development plan for southern Mexico and Central America, with specific attention to information access, public consultation, and participation of stakeholders (and the lack thereof). On September 17, 2003, a representative of the Inter-American Development Bank in Guatemala, […]
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1 December 2003
IDB Adopts Amended Public Disclosure Standards
The Inter-American Development Bank on November 26 agreed to publish the minutes of its executive board meetings, the first development bank to do so. The disclosure of minutes was the main advance made as the IDB board revised its entire disclosure policy. The IDB board decided to continue giving governments and private sector partners effective […]
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1 October 2003
African Development Bank Proposes New Disclosure Rules
The African Development Bank in September proposed modifications of its information disclosure policy. Overall, the bank does not appear to be making many substantive improvements, but does propose to update the disclosure policy to reflect new documents that have come into use since 1997, when the last policy was written. The draft Information Disclosure Policy […]
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1 October 2003
IMF Decides Against Mandatory Disclosure of Article IV Reports
The International Monetary Fund executive board has decided not to require the disclosure of a key document, the Article IV staff report. The board opted instead to say that publication of the Article IV reports is "voluntary by presumed." This new formulation very slightly ratchets up the existing policy of voluntary disclosure while still permitting […]
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1 August 2003
Inter-American Development Bank Revises Disclosure Policy Proposal
The Inter-American Development Bank Aug. 4 modified its proposal for a new disclosure policy, making changes that appear to cut in both directions. The bank’s revised 14-page draft is available at: http://www.iadb.org/exr/pic/consultation.htm On the positive side, the IADB appears to adopt stronger, clearer language for the disclosure of drafts of operational policies, sector policies, sector […]
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1 August 2003
Asian Development Bank Launches Transparency Policy Review
The Asian Development Bank Aug. 8 officially kicked off its disclosure policy review by asking for public comments on the current policies. Anticipating a year-long process, the ADB has established a web site (http://www.adb.org/Disclosure/default.asp). It provides links to relevant background documents, the review timeline, and contact information for sending comments and asking questions about the […]