IFTI Watch
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28 April 2011
AfDB Aims for Fast Action on Draft Disclosure Policy
The African Development Bank has developed a draft disclosure policy and appears to be on a fast-track to adopt it, without a consultation period. The Global Transparency Initiative April 27 urged the Bank to establish a public consultation process for a yet-unreleased proposal. The Board was scheduled to discuss the policy April 29 and possibly […]
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22 April 2011
World Bank Issues Annexes to Access Handbook
The World Bank has released “attachments” to the staff handbook on how to follow the new access to information policy, after having resisted their release for months on the grounds that they concerned “Corporate Administrative Matters.” The Bank voluntarily released the attachments “A” and “C” after having persuaded the internal Access to Information Committee to […]
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21 April 2011
U.S. Delays Disclosures by Extractive Industries
A U.S. regulatory agency has announced a 4-8 month delay in its development of rules for corporate disclosures relating to “conflict minerals.” Creation of the rules was mandated by Congress, and the Securities and Exchange Commission was told to issue a rule in April, but now is looking at an August to December time frame. The […]
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15 April 2011
World Bank Names Winners of Apps Contest
The World Bank April 14 named the winners of a contest to develop digital apps using the Bank’s data. The three winning apps “all feature unique approaches to pressing development challenges,” according to the Bank release which listed the winners: First Prize Winner – StatPlanet World Bank (Australia): With this powerful app, you can visualize […]
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7 April 2011
Zoellick Says Work Bank Promoting Transparency
World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick April 6 lauded the Bank’s work on making itself more transparent and helping national governments become more transparent, and noted the revival of interest in freedom of information in Egypt and Tunisia. His comments came in a speech to the Peterson Institute for International Economics about the Middle East and […]
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4 March 2011
Six More Countries Considered EITI Compliant
Six more countries were designated as being in compliance with the standards of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), the global standard for transparency in the oil, gas and mining sectors. Added to the list during a conference in Paris were: The Central African Republic, The Kyrgyz Republic, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, and Yemen, for a […]
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4 March 2011
Focus Aid Transparency on Recipients, Barder Says
Aid transparency activist Owen Barder stresses the need to focus on the needs of aid recipients, such as transparency of spending execution, in an extensive blog post in which he consolidates lessons he has learned. Although hinting at an upcoming “new role,” Owen Barder is a Visiting Fellow at the Center for Global Development in […]
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11 February 2011
IATI Donors Set Standards for Reporting Aid Data
The 18 donors of the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) agreed Feb. 8 on the final details of a new global standard for publishing aid information. “The new aid transparency standard provides a common language and format and a single way that donor countries can share information on the aid they are spending,” according to an […]
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4 February 2011
CEE Bankwatch Urges More EBRD Disclosures
The CEE Bankwatch Network has submitted comments making suggestions for improving disclosure at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The Bank in December sought comments on its existing public information policy (PIP). (See previous Freedominfo.org story.) The next stage will be preparation of a draft proposal. A top priority for the CEE Bankwatch, a […]
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28 January 2011
GTI Recommends Changes to Draft ADB Openness Policy
The Global Transparency Initiative (GTI) explained its proposals to improve the second draft of the Public Communications Policy (PCP) prepared by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) during a workshop in Manila Jan. 24 with key stakeholders, including senior ADB representatives. The ADB Board of Directors is scheduled to consider the draft PCP on Feb. 16. […]
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21 January 2011
EIB Cites Reasons for Not Disclosing FI Information
By Toby McIntosh The European Investment Bank does receive reports from financial intermediaries about the loan they make, but that information is “not necessarily the subject of a specific report,” according to clarifications to Freedominfo.org provided by EIB officials. The lack of such specific reports is one justification used by the EIB to explain its […]
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21 January 2011
World Bank Sets Rules on Public Interest Review
The World Bank Access to Information Committee has determined that the World Bank staffers, not the committee, will make the calls on requests for documents under five years old when the requester argues that disclosure is in the public interest notwithstanding valid justifications for nondisclosure. For documents over five years old, however, the committee will […]
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10 January 2011
GTI Makes Suggestions on ADB Draft Policy
The second draft of the proposed Public Communications Policy by the Asian Development Bank still needs improvement, according to comments submitted by the Global Transparency Initiative. While there have been come positive alterations, the regime of exceptions remains too narrow and the ADB needs to take more responsibility for ensuring access by affected people, according […]