The report released by the IAMs Network, titled “Citizen-driven Accountability for Sustainable Development: Giving Affected People a Greater Voice—20 Years On,” provides a brief history of Independent Accountability Mechanisms (IAMs) and reviews some of their impacts, highlighting risks, issues, and trends evidenced in complaints from affected communities.
June 2012: The Independent Accountability Mechanisms (IAMs) Network released a report titled “Citizen-driven Accountability for Sustainable Development: Giving Affected People a Greater Voice—20 Years On,” as a contribution to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20).
The IAMs Network is composed of accountability mechanisms at various international financial institutions (IFIs). IAMs allow people affected by IFIs’ projects to bring their grievances, including regarding environmental harm, to the highest levels of IFI decision-making.
The report provides a brief history of IAMs and reviews some of their impacts, highlighting risks, issues, and trends evidenced in complaints from affected communities. It makes recommendations for the future effectiveness of the IAMs, including: ensuring that the core principles of citizen-driven accountability are protected and strengthened across the IAMs; strengthening the capacity of IAMs to reach those whose interests they were designed to protect, namely poor and marginalized communities; and building IAMs’ capacity to take on potentially greater oversight responsibilities with respect to emerging issues. [Publication: Citizen-driven Accountability for Sustainable Development]