Senators want to see progress on whistleblower protection at the World Bank
13 July 2006
Highlighting the steps taken by the United Nations, Senator Chuck Grassley from Iowa (Republican) and Norm Coleman from Minnesota (Republican) sent a letter to President Paul Wolfowitz seeking a status report on whistleblower protection at the World Bank.
Highlighting the steps taken by the United Nations, Senator Chuck Grassley from Iowa (Republican) and Norm Coleman from Minnesota (Republican) sent a letter to President Paul Wolfowitz seeking a status report on whistleblower protection at the World Bank. Following accounts of retaliation against World Bank employees who have spoken up in the past, U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Grassley and U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Chairman Coleman stressed the importance of developing a protection mechanism for whistleblowers and noted the necessity of having a system in place at an institution such as the World Bank.
The Senators requested a detailed report on the reform efforts being taken at the bank; information regarding the work of Professor Vaughn and Mr. Robert Pozen; "a copy of all documents and records which were either commissioned or solicited by the World Bank related to internal reforms for whistleblowers within the past two years"; a list of all complaints, allegations of abuse, corruption and waste pertaining to World Bank operations from the last two years; an explanation of why Mr. Vaughn's report has yet to be made public and a detailed description of the nature of Mr. Pozen's work at the World Bank. Coleman and Grassley requested that this information be presented to them no later then July 14, 2006. The tone and directness of the letter suggests that the Senators are growing impatient with the lack of reform and the absence of an adequate protection mechanism for whistleblowers at the World Bank. This might also be a signal that Wolfowitz is losing support among Republican Senators.
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