African Development Bank adopts new policy to strengthen accountability and support people affected by its operations.
ENPNewswire-September 27, 2021--African Development Bank adopts new policy to strengthen accountability and support people affected by its operations
(C)2021 ENPublishing - http://www.enpublishing.co.uk
Release date- 24092021 - The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group have approved a new policy framework for the Independent Recourse Mechanism (IRM) aimed at strengthening accountability and providing more effective recourse to people affected by Bank-financed operations.
The policy framework is the result of a series of internal and public stakeholder consultations that began in December 2019. This process was part of the third policy review of the Bank's Independent Review Mechanism and marked the first time that the IRM has engaged in such a comprehensive public consultation process.
The new policy represents a significant step forward for the IRM, according to its Director, David Simpson. 'The new policy framework restructures the complaints mechanism to make it more accessible, efficient and predictable,' said Simpson. 'It also simplifies the complaint process for users of the Independent Recourse Mechanism, while enhancing its transparency, and providing clearer guidelines for case management.'
Stephanie Amoako, a Senior Policy Associate at Accountability Counsel, an international civil society organization that supports communities adversely impacted by internationally financed projects, commented that 'the new accountability policy, if properly implemented, better serves the needs of communities across Africa by removing barriers to access the IRM and creating a more equitable process for those using the mechanism.'
Highlights of the new IRM Policy
A new name accompanies the new policy as the Independent Review Mechanism will now be known as the Independent Recourse Mechanism.
The new mechanism has been restructured, replacing the previous external expert panel model with a fully integrated unit that will now lead all problem-solving and compliance review functions.
The new policy strengthens accessibility for complainants by allowing complaints to be filed by a single person and enabling the mechanism to advise communities on how to submit complaints if needed.
It adopts a zero-tolerance standard for retaliation against complainants and rejects any form of threat, intimidation, harassment, violence, or discrimination towards those that raise concerns through the Independent Recourse Mechanism.
It also requires...
To continue reading
Request your trial