19 July 2006
Comments will be accepted through August 4. Civil society has anxiously monitored the development of the framework since the Development Committee asked World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz to clarify his anti-corruption plan during last April's World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings.
The World Bank has invited public comment on the development of its anti-corruption and governance framework outline. Comments will be accepted through August 4.
Comments will be compiled and considered in the preparation of the paper to be presented to the Development Committee at the World Bank/IMF Annual Meetings on September 19-20.
The Bank will make the paper public in mid-September. A process for further consultation will be announced after the Development Committee meeting in September.
Civil society has anxiously monitored the development of the framework since the Development Committee asked World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz to clarify his anti-corruption plan during last April's World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings. Although there is broad support for the Bank's intention to weed out corruption in development lending, many groups have raised concerns about the Bank's incorporation of anti-corruption measures into its own practices, as well as the most appropriate role for the Bank to play.
Read the outline on the World Bank website.
How to comment
Background
In an April 11th speech in Jakarta, World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz denounced corruption as "one of the biggest threats to development in many countries," claiming that it "weakens fundamental systems, it distorts markets, and it encourages people to apply their skills and energies in nonproductive ways." While many would agree on the negative impacts of corruption, opinions diverge on how the Bank should address this broadly recognized “development cancer”.
Wolfowitz offered a glimpse into his anti-corruption drive in his Jakarta speech. He highlighted the importance of addressing corruption at the country and project levels, and partnerships with civil society, the private sector, borrowing countries and other multilateral development banks as critical components to the World Bank approach.
Seemingly dissatisfied with this rough sketch, on April 23, 2006 the Development Committee asked the Bank to develop clear and fair guidelines for strengthening governance and fighting corruption by the Annual Meetings in September.