Posts Tagged ‘disclosure policy’
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21 October 2009
IATI Seeks Comments on Code of Conduct and Consultation Document
The Secretariat of the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) is now seeking comments on the IATI Code of Conduct, which will specify how donors should publish aid information. Comments are due by October 30th. Launched at the Accra High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in September 2008, IATI now has 18 donor signatories and a […]
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15 October 2009
Ukrainian Group Protests Lack of Transparency by EBRD in Connection with Major Power Project
The National Ecological Centre of Ukraine (NECU) recently criticized the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for violating EBRD procedures on public consultations and not providing full information about a major power transmission project in Ukraine. “On a recent fact-finding mission to the region, NECU representatives uncovered a highly haphazard approach from the project promoter Ukrenergo—Ukraine’s national […]
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12 October 2009
US Treasury Secretary Urges More Transparency at IMF, Advocates Release of All Article IV Reports
US Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner, speaking October 4 in Istanbul at the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) meeting, called for more transparency at the International Monetary Fund. Geithner said, “Moreover, greater transparency is critical to underpin the credibility and effectiveness of IMF surveillance. Since the crisis has taught us that no nation is […]
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21 September 2009
IMF Has No Plans to Post Draft Revision to Disclosure Policy
The International Monetary Fund board will discuss possible changes to the IMF disclosure policy later this fall, but still has no plans to disclose any proposed changes. Staff review of the IMF Transparency Policy is underway following a consultation this spring, and the staff may or may not make reform proposals, according to Silvia Zucchini, […]
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11 September 2009
Rep. Frank Urges World Bank to Make Transparency Reforms
US Congressman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) said September 10 that the World Bank should improve its disclosure policy and remove the anti-labor bias from its Doing Business report or else risk reduced US funding. Franks message was delivered at a hearing of the House Financial Services Committee at which academics and other witnesses advocated for greater […]
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11 September 2009
IFC Announces Plans to Review Disclosure Policy
The World Banks private sector lending arm, the International Finance Corporation, announced a review of its disclosure policy on September 8, a 15-month process to be done in conjunction with a review of its environmental and social policies. The IFCs July 23, 2009, report analyzes its experience with the environmental, social, and disclosure policies adopted […]
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19 June 2009
World Bank Internal Evaluation Group Posts Disclosure Policy
On June 18, the World Bank’s Internal Evaluation Group (IEG) posted its 2004 disclosure policy on its home page for the first time. The absence of the policy came to light because of indications that IEG plans to rewrite its policy after the Bank completes a rewrite of its disclosure policy, an effort now under […]
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12 June 2009
EIB Proposes Limit on Disclosure of Framework Agreements, Invites Public Comment on Transparency Policies
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is proposing to let countries decide whether to disclose the “Framework Agreement” documents that guide EIB lending to individual countries. Tajikistan is one such country getting EIB help. On February 11, 2009, the EIB announced that the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, and EIP President Philippe Maystadt […]
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1 June 2009
No Consultation Planned for IEG Disclosure Policy Review
With the Bank as a whole reconsidering its disclosure policy, the IEG is planning an update of its own. The Bank has released an “Approach Paper” outlining its ideas for changes, but IEG plans has not issued a proposal and plans to wait until the Bank’s policy is approved before taking parallel action, an IEG […]
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28 May 2009
Bank Proposal Called Too Broad
The Bank has proposed to follow the principle that most documents should be disclosed, subject to stated exceptions, but the GTI called the suggested exemptions “overly-broad.” “Most of the exceptions proposed in Section C of the Approach Paper do not refer to specific interests that might be harmed. Instead, they describe either a category of […]
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30 April 2009
IMF Holds Consultation on Transparency Policy
Article IV Reports Source of Tension Ana Quiros from Nicaragua had a very direct message for the International Monetary Fund. We would like to see what you are discussing with Nicaragua, and not just in a press note, said Quiros, who works for the Information Center & Advisory Services in Health (Centro de Informacion y […]
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30 April 2009
World Bank Disclosure Proposal Assessed at Consultation
The World Banks proposals to alter its disclosure policy were praised for moving in the right direction but criticized for not going far enough at a three-hour consultation held April 25 in Washington, DC. Peter Harrold, Director of Operations Services at the World Bank, indicated some areas of potential flexibility. He welcomed suggestions that the […]
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8 April 2009
World Bank Consultation Plan Slow Developing
Weeks after announcing plans for consultations on a proposed new disclosure policy, the World Bank April 6 provided dates for the first nine of 30 planned world-wide consultations sessions, giving a week’s notice for the first one. The first meeting is planned for April 13 in Russia, followed by April 14 sessions in Indonesia and […]
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27 January 2009
World Bank Expands Disclosures on Debarments
The World Bank has expanded its policy of disclosing the names of firms and individuals banned from doing business with the Bank. In a Jan. 11 announcement, the Bank said it will reveal the names of firms and individuals barred from providing goods and services directly to the institution. Under existing policy, the Bank discloses […]
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22 December 2008
World Bank, Others to Support CSOs with New Funds
A new “Global Partnership Facility” holds the promise of new resources for civil society groups working on governance and anticorruption issues, including freedom of information and media development. The $65 million four-year initiative being administered by the World Bank is designed to “strengthen governance programs and further the fight against corruption,” according to a Dec. […]
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1 December 2008
International Lenders Permit Georgia to Limit Release
of Information; Groups Protest Lack of Transparency Transparency was a casualty when international donors gathered recently to consider emergency aid to Georgia. Civil society groups requested disclosure of the primary document to be discussed at the multi-donor conference — the “Joint Needs Assessment.” On the day before the meeting, a summary was released by the […]
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24 September 2008
IMF Exploration of Governance Could Touch on Transparency
The International Monetary Fund has launched a high-level examination of its own governance, a topic also probed earlier this year by an internal evaluation unit that recommended many reforms, including greater transparency. The report by the IMF’s Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) makes a variety of suggestions for greater transparency by the Executive Board, along with […]
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28 March 2008
EBRD Issues Proposal on Information Policy With Few Changes
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has proposed an only slightly revised Public Information Policy (PIP) and is seeking comments by April 9. The draft policy will also be the subject of a consultation session to be held in conjunction with the EBRD’s review of its Environment and Social Policy. The revamped PIP essentially […]
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24 March 2008
Russia Urges IMF to Disclose Key Governance Proposal
The major ongoing discussion within the International Monetary Fund about how to revamp its voting structure is nearing completion but without the release of key recommendations by the IMF staff. While such opacity is typical for the IMF, freedominfo.org has learned that at least one country, Russia, has recommended that the staff paper be released. […]
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30 January 2008
World Bank Details Disclosure Plan for Fraud, Corruption Reports
The World Bank in late January said it will disclose redacted reports on its fraud and corruption investigations, but not the resulting “action plans.” The Bank’s disclosure intentions came as part of its endorsement of the findings of an internal working group that reviewed a report by an outside group concerning the bank’s investigative operations. […]