---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 04 Nov 2000 23:40:12 -0800
From: Charlotte Utting <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [wa-afr] FW: ACTION: World Bank Info Access Under Review
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From: [log in to unmask]
Organization: Africa Policy Information Center
Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Fri, 3 Nov 2000 18:53:20 -0500
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: ACTION: World Bank Info Access Under Review
ADNA Action: 001103
Message from: Bank Information Center, USA
For contact information see also:
http://www.bicusa.org
Dear ADNA members,
Following find background information and several actions
recommended by the Bank Information Center, regarding the
importance of great transparency and access to World Bank
information, especially for communities affected by World Bank
policies/projects through the current review process. Feel free to
share this with your contacts, especially those in African countries.
Regards,
Vicki Ferguson
ADNA Communications Facilitator
Date sent: Wed, 01 Nov 2000 18:20:25 -0500
From: Graham Saul <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Access to Information at the World Bank Under Review
BACKGROUND
The World Bank's portfolio in Sub-Saharan Africa represents total
lending of over $13.0 billion. In fiscal year 2000 (FY00) alone, new
Bank commitments came to roughly $2.2 billion, over 75 percent of
which went to projects in infrastructure, agriculture, human
development and public sector management. These projects, along
with the Bank's structural adjustment programs (SAPs), have a
profound impact on the affairs of African societies.
The Bank's "Policy on Information Disclosure", which is currently
under review, defines people's right to know about the Bank's
activities in Africa, or anywhere around the world. The policy is
relevant to almost every aspect of every area in which the World
Bank works. Whether your interest is a particular project that is
affecting a given community or policy issues related to the
environment, gender or macro-economics, you cannot participate
without information.
The Bank's information policy also has significance far beyond its
own work. Greater openness at the Bank will influence the practices
of other international agencies and governments. Even if you do not
work directly on World Bank issues, greater transparency is in the
general interest of all those who advocate for open and participatory
decision-making and institutions within Africa.
The World Bank is currently revising its information policy and has
begun consulting with interested parties around the world. This is an
opportunity to help increase people's access to information about
the projects and policies that are affecting their lives. Greater
disclosure will allow affected parties a better chance to meaningfully
participate in - and influence - the design and implementation of
Bank policies and practices.
Unfortunately, the changes that the Bank is proposing to the
information policy are very modest and do not go far enough in
addressing the urgent need for greater transparency and
participation. Significant pressure from organizations around the
world will be needed in order to improve the policy. It is particularly
important that people put pressure on their Executive Director (each
country has an Executive Director representing them) at the World
Bank, and sign the "Global Call for Greater Transparency at the
World Bank" (available in French, Spanish and English).
Below are some specific actions that people can take to get involved
in this important struggle, including a copy of the global sign-on
letter. Some of these actions will not require very much of your time
but could be important in demonstrating civil society's overwhelming
agreement on the importance of greater transparency in
international institutions. Please also forward this message to your
partner organizations in Africa, especially those working to promote
transparency, participatory decision-making or economic justice on
the continent. This is not an issue that only affects organizations
working directly on World Bank issues, it has much broader
implications.
In Africa, the Bank is intending to hold consultations in Senegal and
Kenya, but there are a variety of ways in which individual
organizations can express their opinions and become involved.
See:
http://www.bicusa.org/action
or
http://www.worldbank.org/html/pic/disclosure
While there are a number of organizations around the world that are
working on this issue, if you would like further information from the
Bank Information Center, please contact Graham Saul
([log in to unmask] - fax: 202-737-1155 or by phone 202-624-
0626). Graham will be happy to answer any questions that you have.
You can also find more information on our website at:
http://www.bicusa.org/action
ACTION:
Here is what you can do:
There are many ways in which you can become involved in
expressing your opinion about transparency at the World Bank.
Here are a few suggestions:
I. Sign The Global Call for Greater Transparency at the World Bank:
Add your organization's name to the hundreds of others around the
world, who are calling on the World Bank to improve their
information policy (see below).
II. Participate in Bank organized consultations:
On September 28, the World Bank launched its face-to-face
consultations during its Annual General Meetings in Prague. The
English language version of the proposed, new policy is now
available on the Bank's website:
http://www.worldbank.org/html/pic/disclosure/. Translations into
Arabic, French, Russian and Spanish will be posted as soon as they
are available. Printed copies of the policy can be obtained through a
local World Bank Office/Public Information Center or by contacting
the disclosure policy staff at the World Bank. The Bank will be
carrying out consultations in every region in which it operates. We
hope that you will choose to attend.
For information about the regional consultations either contact us for
specific locations and dates or contact the Bank directly by using
the contact information below.
Contact information for Bank officials responsible for this policy:
Tel: 202-473-8064
Fax: 202-522-3381
Eml: [log in to unmask]
Disclosure Policy
Room U 11-003
World Bank
1818 H Street, N.W.
Washington DC 20433
USA
III. Contact your Executive Director:
Your Executive Director is your representative within the World
Bank and will ultimately participate in approving the final policy. It is
important that they know how you feel about this issue. Ask them
what their position is and share your view with them. To find out how
to contact your Executive Director, visit our website at:
http://www.bicusa.org/policy/execdir.htm
IV. Contact the World Bank:
This is the first time since 1993 that the public has had the
opportunity to improve this policy. It is important that individuals and
organizations read the paper and send comments to the Bank. The
Bank will synthesize all comments, along with their responses, and
present them to the Board of Executive Directors during the final
debate. It is therefore important that they hear from a wide range of
sources. We also encourage you to raise your own concerns
directly with the Bank.
V. Ask other organizations in your country to get involved:
Transparency benefits all citizens and their organizations, including
labour unions, religious organizations, student and academic
associations and even parts of the government, that are often
excluded from the World Bank's decision making process.
To link to the Bank Information Center's initial analysis on the draft
information disclosure policy, go to
http://www.bicusa.org/action/analysis
We hope that you will find this useful when participating in
consultations with the Bank. Keep in mind, however, that it is
critically important to make your views known to your Executive
Director. While the Bank itself still argues for secrecy, an even
greater challenge appears to be at the Board level where a few
powerful countries have vehemently opposed greater public
disclosure and public engagement in development decisions.
Graham Saul of the Bank Information Center is available to answer
any questions that may arise in this process. He can be reached at
[log in to unmask] or by fax at 202-737-1155.
********************************************************
To endorse the following letter, send an email or fax to Graham Saul
at the Bank Information Center - <[log in to unmask]> , Fax: 202-
737-1155.
For the French or Spanish versions, see http://www.bicusa.org
Global Call for Greater Transparency at the World Bank
Ms. Joanne Salop
Vice President
Operations Policy and Strategy
1818 H Street N.W.
Washington D.C. 20008
Dear Ms. Salop,
We are writing to express our support for transparency in the
largest development institution in the world and to express our
concerns about the World Bank's proposed information disclosure
policy. The World Bank’s increasing emphasis on participation and
‘ownership’ in the past few years is a welcome acknowledgement of
the central role that development must accord to the very people
whose economic lives are to be developed. We believe that the
Bank’s information policy must reflect commitment to and trust in the
principles and promises of full popular participation.
A fundamental norm of participation, partnership and ownership is
consent of the partners and those invited to participate. Consent is
meaningless unless it is informed. At the World Bank, the
information disclosure policy is the single most effective enabler
toward development effectiveness and partnership goals. We believe
there is a direct relationship between the implementation of the
information disclosure policy and the ability and willingness of the
public to be engaged in Bank activities. Furthermore, the
information disclosure policy has allowed interested members of the
public to monitor the outcomes of specific investments and has in
part helped to assure that benefits reach the intended beneficiaries.
In this new century, and with the accelerated pace of globalization
the IDA Deputies and the G7 have recognized the need for more
transparency at the international level. While it was not entirely
voluntary, the Bank is to be commended for taking a first step
toward transparency at the international level through this review of
the 1993 information disclosure policy. With modern technology and
an accelerated pace of change affecting even the most remote
communities, information is one of the very few tools available to the
poor and the public at large that allows civil society to both
understand and prepare for change. Transparency is an
empowerment tool for the poor.
The draft information disclosure policy moves toward greater
disclosure and as such is welcomed. There are, however, crippling
limitations to the policy that must be addressed if the Bank is to
foster an inclusive development model and achieve greater
development effectiveness. In its current form, the policy falls far
short of enabling partnership and participation. Whole categories of
important information continue to be withheld from the public,
including all information pertaining to structural adjustment and
sectoral adjustment loans the lending that currently makes up the
bulk of the Bank’s portfolio. Disappointingly, within the policy it
appears that the Board of Executive Directors is not prepared to
embrace basic good governance practices that begin with
information disclosure.
With this letter we argue for the release of:
· all Country Assistance Strategies;
· the President’s Report, Tranche Release Memorandum and
project documentation relating to structural adjustment and sectoral
adjustment;
· aide memoires, project status reports, policy papers and
country policy and institutional assessments;
· Board Minutes or the summaries of Board discussions that
relate to project and adjustment lending.
Limitations in the New Policy
The World Bank continues to withhold some Country Assistance
Strategies from the public even though the public is increasingly
asked both to participate in the development of this strategy and
work with the Bank in its implementation. The inconsistency in this
process should be rectified. Development is not an exclusive
process, but requires multiple stakeholders to be engaged in order
to be successful. The World Bank cannot expect support from
donors, the poor, other development agencies or even broad
borrowing country governmental support if its basic strategy for
development success is not made known to the public. Currently
there are two sets of standards: an open and transparent standard
for poor countries and a closed and secret standard for middle
income countries. We are aware of the concerns expressed by
many countries regarding the availability of the CAS. The CAS,
however, according to your own website, is a Bank owned
document. As such, it is both the right and the responsibility of the
World Bank to disclose this document. Failure to disclose the
overall plan for the Bank's operations in any given country mocks
the presumption in favor of disclosure that underpins the information
disclosure policy.
Macroeconomic Information
We are deeply disappointed by the lack of progress on disclosing
documents relating to structural adjustment lending. The current
proposal will simply affirm existing practice of allowing a country to
make information available at its own discretion.
In Fiscal Year 1999, 63% of the World Bank’s lending operations
consisted of policy-based lending (such as structural or sectoral
adjustment lending). No documentation has been made available to
illuminate the goals, the implementation or the outcomes of these
loans. Under the proposed information policy the public will continue
to be effectively excluded from participation in the bulk of the World
Bank’s lending operations. Popular participation is increasingly seen
as an effective way in which to foster ownership within a borrowing
country. Without the basic documentation, citizens cannot be
expected to participate in the development, implementation or
monitoring of these lending operations.
Structural adjustment is viewed as one of the key ways in which the
World Bank is engaged in globalization a contested issue that has
sparked massive protests around the world. The failure to release
material related to structural adjustment will impede the public’s
understanding of the Bank and fosters suspicion around the Bank's
role in globalization. While the Bank has attempted to rectify the lack
of openness on SAPs with a consultative process for the creation of
the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP), the two remain quite
different instruments. One is a broad planning instrument and the
other is an actual loan. Without access to the loan process it
remains impossible for the public to track the implementation of the
broad policy goals outlined in the PRSP.
SAPs are often negotiated in a very narrow discussion that excludes
relevant ministries and parliamentarians. Nevertheless, parliaments
are often asked to approve the loans without access to the basic
documentation and ministries are expected to implement the loans.
In 1999, in Brazil, the parliament could only obtain a leaked copy of
important information around specific proposed investments. Public
decisions undertaken in the absence of full information often fail in
the implementation stage in large part because the goals are not
fully agreed upon or well understood.
The development effectiveness would be greatly enhanced by public
debate and broad governmental participation. In order to increase
development effectiveness the President’s report, tranche release
memorandum and project documentation relating to structural
adjustment and sectoral adjustment loans should be released. The
half-step outlined in the draft policy would only codify what is now
existing practice. More importantly, the proposal blurs the line of
responsibility between Bank and Borrower. It places the onus on the
borrower to both take a decision about Bank generated documents
and to undertake the responsibility for distribution. Again in the case
of macroeconomic information, the Bank has made a proposal that
is not in line with the presumption in favor of disclosure.
Fostering Participation
Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the proposed new policy
is the argument that many documents cannot be released because
disclosure would impede 'the deliberative process.' This argument is
unsubstantiated within the policy and contradicts the Bank's
espoused goals of participation and partnership. Neither goal can
be achieved without timely information disclosure. Disclosure after a
decision has been taken does not foster ownership and cannot be
expected to satisfy public demands to participate in development
decisions. Meaningful "participation" requires access to documents
while they are still relevant to the "deliberative process," not AFTER
final decisions are made.
The Bank should release aide memoires, project status reports,
policy papers and country policy and institutional assessments
precisely because they inform the deliberative process.
In its new policy the Bank argues that draft project appraisal
documents (PADs) do not need to be released because relevant
information is already available through the project information
documents (PIDs). This argument does not stand up under close
scrutiny. Draft PADs include detailed information that is normally not
included in PIDs such as: the results of public consultation (in
Category A projects), key performance indicators, project
alternatives that have been considered, the value added of Bank
support, the effectiveness conditions, technical information such as
maps that actually lay out the proposed affected area, and a list of
other technical documents produced for the project. Effective
stakeholder participation in the project cycle requires that the Bank
either release Draft PADs or radically improve and more regularly
update the composition of PIDs.
The policy also fails to address the issue of getting information
especially project information into the hands of directly affected
people. In particular, the policy does not address the issue of
translating key documents, including the safeguard policies. The
fact that the draft policy identifies ‘excessive cost or logistics’ as a
reason for non-disclosure is troubling because it appears to provide
an excuse for not getting information into the hands of the most
directly concerned.
Governance and the Board
Over the past two years in response to shareholder and public
concerns about quality and compliance issues the Bank has created
two instruments to help improve both the quality of loans and the
compliance rates with safeguard policies. These are the Quality
Assurance Group and the Quality and Compliance Unit. The new
policy notes that the materials generated from these review units will
not be made available to the Board or the public. The very idea that
the findings of units that have been established in direct response to
shareholder and stakeholder demands are not to be disclosed to the
Board or other stakeholders is disturbing. In the new policy, no
rationale is given for the non-disclosure of QAG's periodic synthesis
reports. There is no excuse for the Bank not to disclose this
information.
The findings of these units could be very helpful to the Board in its
oversight role as they pinpoint problems in specific investments and
in broader areas like monitoring and supervision. Through the
Inspection Panel process the Board increasingly is confronted with
problems that are also identified through the QAG and QACU. Early
Board awareness could lead to more timely solutions and an
avoidance of Inspection claims. If these materials were to be
released to the public it would also help to improve development
effectiveness. The Operations Evaluations Department and your own
team have on separate occasions noted that the public spotlight has
already proven to be one of the best incentives to persuade Bank
personnel to administer projects more effectively.
Lastly, we are very concerned about the Board’s lack of
transparency. The World Bank has determined that good
governance is an important component for development
effectiveness. One of the defining criteria of good governance is
transparency. It is ironic that the Board of Executive Directors would
approve a condition for borrowing country governments that it is not
willing to embrace in its own operations, i.e. that of transparency.
Transparency in the Board would be enhanced by the disclosure of
Board Minutes or the summaries of Board discussions that relate to
project and adjustment lending, along with the proposed Chairman’s
Summaries. It is contradictory for the Board to require and
encourage borrowing countries to govern in the sunshine when it
continues to labor in the dark.
We appreciate the opportunity to share our view with you. We look
forward to a revised policy that fosters transparency and
empowerment for the poor.
To endorse this letter, send an email or fax to Graham Saul at the
Bank Information Center - <[log in to unmask]> , Fax: 202-737-
1155.
Graham Saul
Bank Information Center
733 15th Street NW
Suite 1126
Washington, D.C. 20005
USA
www.bicusa.org
phone: (202) 624-0626
fax: (202) 737-1155
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
***
This message from the Bank Information Center is distributed
through the Advocacy Network for Africa (ADNA).
Vicki Lynn Ferguson
Advocacy Network for Africa
Communications Facilitator
c/o Africa Policy Information Center
110 Maryland Ave, NE #509
Washington, DC 20002
Ph: 202-546-7961
Fax: 202-546-1545
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Web: http://www.africapolicy.org/adna
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