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Civil society demands effective participation at IDB annual meeting
Civil society organizations have demanded that the IDB (Inter-American Development Bank) expand and improve its social participation mechanisms at the next annual meeting, scheduled for 2018 in Mendoza, Argentina.
The organizations claim that at the last annual meeting, held between February 30 and April 2 in Paraguay, the opportunity for dialogue was limited and insufficient. Since 2014, non-governmental organizations have had limited access to the ConSocs (Civil Society Consulting Groups) and the IDB-Civil society Meetings – two platforms for collaboration and consultation that have already proven to be insufficient for guaranteeing interaction with the bank’s executive directors and management.
The position of the bank contrasts with what used to happen in the past, when the IDB itself organized and promoted civil society participation, and with the freedom granted to the press and the private sector.
In a letter sent to the leadership of the bank, the organizations say the IDB should guarantee effective participation by civil society, on the grounds that “the executive directors and governors are public employees who represent our countries and their decisions are key to the institution’s decision-making process, as well as the development projects that it supports in our countries”.
“It is important for civil society to participate fully in the meetings to ensure that the decisions taken by the bank are representative and respect international human rights standards,” said Caio Borges, a lawyer at Conectas, about the meetings.
In addition to participation at the 2018 meeting, the organizations asked the bank to create a space for civil society participation at all annual meetings. They claim this would facilitate the interaction between the bank, civil society, the press, the private sector and other relevant actors, similarly to what is already done by the World Bank. The organizations also called for an in-person or virtual meeting to discuss these proposals and to reach a solution that is beneficial to everyone involved.
