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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). More
>>
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. More
>>
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. More
>>
JULY
2003 Monkeys Play Role in NGO Protest
on EIB Transparency Seeking
to dramatize demands for more transparency at the European
Investment Bank, three persons in monkey suits greeted EIB
governors arriving for the EIB annual meting June 3 in Luxembourg.
More >>
JULY
2003 IMF
Board Discusses Transparency, Announcement Expected The
International Monetary Fund Executive Board met June 27
to discuss the Fund's current transparency policy and possibly
increasing the accessibility of IMF documents to the public.
More >>
JULY
2003 World Bank Disclosure Report Makes
Recommendations for Change
The
World Bank has encountered some difficulties implementing
its disclosure policy, according to a Bank progress report
published June 6, but overall the experience has been "generally
good." More >>
JULY
2003 World Bank Reviews Disclosure Policy,
Postpones Action on U.S. Reform Ideas The World Bank's Executive Board has asked its staff to
examine several transparency issues raised by the United
States and other members, including the possibility of releasing
draft documents prior to board discussions and disclosure
of board minutes, according to informed sources. More
>>
JUNE
2003 G-8 Urges More MDB Transparency,
Disclosure of Extractive Industry Revenues
The Group of Eight countries, meeting in Evian, France,
on June 2 restated their support for some additional transparency
at the multilateral development banks and added a new endorsement,
for greater disclosure by corporations and governments of
the revenues from extractive industries. More
>>
JUNE
2003 June IMF Meeting on Transparency
Planned Optimism
that the MDBs will follow through on suggestions for greater
openness from the G-8 is not high among transparency activists.
An article published recently by the Bretton Woods Project
reflecting on the potential disclosure of more documents,
observes: "It is unlikely that the IFIs and their borrower
governments will readily acquiesce to the publication of
such documents." More
>>
MAY
2003 NGOs Advise ADB on Procedures for
Revamping Disclosure Policy The Bank Information Center and 54 civil society organizations
from different parts of the world have urged the Asian Development
Bank "to ensure meaningful civil society participation"
as it begins a reviews of its Confidentiality and Disclosure
of Information Policy. More
>>
MAY
2003 World Bank Report Urges Disclosure
of Oil Revenues Multinational
corporations should be required to disclose more about payments
they make to countries for extracting natural resources,
according to a new World Bank report. More
>>
APRIL
2003 Formation of Global Working Group,
New Alliances A
number of new advocacy plans are under way, outgrowths of
a meeting in early February attended by several dozen transparency
activists from around the world. More
>>
APRIL
2003 85 NGOs Write EBRD on Transparency,
Environment Representatives of Russia, Eastern Europe, Caucasus and
Central Asian NGOs submitted a letter to the EBRD Jan. 21
calling for access to more environmentally significant information
on Bank projects. More
>>
APRIL
2003 IDB Extends Comment Period on New
Disclosure Policy Evidence
of the collaboration between development policy NGOs and
FOIA-oriented groups is seen in letters sent to the Inter-American
Development Bank about its proposed new information disclosure
policy. More >>
JANUARY
2003 Release of Secret Loan Document
in Uruguay Fuels Public Debate The
leak of a usually secret document describing the terms of
a recent World Bank loan to Uruguay has stoked public anger
at conditions attached to the loan, according to activists
and journalists there. The release also showed how much
crucial information was being withheld from the public.
More >>
JANUARY
2003 How EIB Officials Look at Transparency:
A freedominfo.org Interview The
European Investment Bank is "not comparable" to
other international financial institutions, began Henry
Marty-Guaquie, Director de la Communication for the EIB,
in an interview about transparency with freedominfor.org
Nov. 5.More >>
JANUARY
2003 Civil
Sector Groups Criticize New EIB Disclosure Policy CEE
Bankwatch Network and Friends of the Earth International
Dec. 4 charged that the European Investment Bank's new information
policy "fails to live up to expectations" and
after two years in the making is "only a slight improvement
over the previous one."More
>>
JANUARY
2003
EBRD's Information Policy Proposal Criticized; Deadline
Extended The
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development's proposed
changes to its public information policy have drawn criticism
from environmental groups in Central and Eastern Europe
who have filed some of the first comments. More
>>
The
Chashma Right Bank Irrigation Project in Pakistan commenced
in 1978. (Photo: Asian Development Bank)
ABOUT
IFTI WATCH In
this column, Washington, D.C.-based journalist Toby
J. McIntosh reports on the latest developments
in information disclosure in International Financial
and Trade Institutions (IFTI).
Contact: tmcintosh@bna.com or
1-(202) 452-4498
