BIC has closely monitored implementation of the World Bank’s Disclosure Policy since the Policy became effective in January of 2002. Some of the more significant improvements made in the 2002 Policy include increased access to documentation related to Structural Adjustment, the disclosure of Environmental Assessment Reports (EA Reports) for medium-impact projects and pre-approval disclosure of a list of Factual Technical Documents (FTDs) used during project preparation.
However, despite the Bank’s progress in some areas, implementation of several fundamental disclosure requirements has been unsatisfactory. A 2003 BIC report, Implementation of the World Bank’s Disclosure Policy: An External Review (External Review), evaluates World Bank implementation of its Disclosure Policy in the context of the Policy’s underlining principle of a presumption in favor of disclosure. The report argues that the manner in which the Bank is implementing its Disclosure Policy does not comply with the Policy’s principle that, “there is a presumption in favor of disclosure, subject to the provisions of [the Disclosure Policy]”.
For more information on transparency recommendations for the World Bank and other IFIs, see the GTI’s Charter of Transparency Principles for IFIs. [http://www.ifitransparency.org/activities.shtml?x=44474&als[select]=44474]