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    • World Bank

    World Bank project complaints plagued by fear of reprisal

    The World Bank's Inspection Panel was a groundbreaking solution to monitor the lender's programs when it launched 30 years ago. As it marks its anniversary, the head of the watchdog warns its only able to do its work if people are free to come forward.

    By Shabtai Gold // 15 May 2023

    Some of the bravest people Ramanie Kunanayagam has encountered in her job with the World Bank’s internal watchdog are the everyday folks who push aside threats and intimidation to lodge complaints about bank-funded development projects.

    Those coming forward are seeing their communities being uprooted to make way for things like new roads, dams, and power plants. They are often powerless compared to those who have a financial stake in the projects’ success.

    And so, they come to the independent Inspection Panel at the Washington-based lender, often after having exhausted all other options, hoping for some remedy.

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    About the author

    • Shabtai Gold

      Shabtai Gold

      Shabtai Gold is a Senior Reporter based in Washington. He covers multilateral development banks, with a focus on the World Bank, along with trends in development finance. Prior to Devex, he worked for the German Press Agency, dpa, for more than a decade, with stints in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, before relocating to Washington to cover politics and business.

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