5 OCTOBER 2007
EBRD Praised for Disclosing E-Mail Contacts

Transparency advocates have praised the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for disclosing the e-mail addresses of the EBRD Board of Directors through a dedicated Web page.

"We also welcome the commitment in the EBRD's May 2006 Public Information Policy (PIP) to release minutes of Board meetings."

The letter continued, noting that the minutes "do not, however, include information on the votes taken by Executive Directors at Board meetings, which we view as a serious obstacle to true transparency and accountability." The letter explained, "We are of the view that the voting records should be a matter of public record so that citizens are able to determine how they are being represented by their Executive Director."

"This decision follows the good example set by other international financial institutions," according to a letter sent July by the Global Transparency Initiative.

The letter noted positive actions by other international financial institutions, such as:

• the Inter-American Development Bank, which discloses telephone contacts to the offices of Directors,
• the Asian Development Bank, which provides phone contacts and the opportunity to submit an e-mail to Executive Directors through an online form,
• and the World Bank, which has released e-mail contacts of Directors' offices.

By Toby McIntosh

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