The World Bank is no stranger to questions about its human rights record. The development finance institution lends money for projects in some of the riskiest parts of the world, where weak institutions and political conflicts can give rise to harmful situations for vulnerable individuals and communities. How does the bank deal with those instances of alleged abuse?
Media coverage of the World Bank’s human rights record has raised questions about the institution’s ability to protect people in the communities where it works, but few of those reports have delved into the specific operational policies and processes that lead to these outcomes. The World Bank’s Inspection Panel is the body responsible for fielding complaints and turning them into recommendations to the board of directors.
In a recent report, Devex looked into the trade-offs underlying some of the panel’s recent decisions and asked: Is the Inspection Panel working the way it should?