International Investigations
World Bank
In order to help promote accountability at the World Bank, Government Accountability Project monitors the Bank’s lending and corporate practices closely by providing a safe haven for whistleblowers. The Bank, like other international institutions, enjoys immunity from national laws as it pursues its goal of sustainable development in poor and middle-income countries. As a result, staff typically cannot sue the Bank, leaving whistleblowers without protection if subjected to retaliation after reporting corruption, fraud or misconduct. Accountability at the Bank requires freedom of speech for staff members, without fear of reprisal. Without effective protection for those who report corruption and fraud, funds may be diverted and project goals ignored.
In 2008, the Bank adopted Staff Rule 8.02: “Protection and Procedures for Reporting Misconduct.” The new rule represented an improvement over pre-existing rules and protections for whistleblowers, but problems remain. Since the adoption of the whistleblower protection policy, Government Accountability Project has monitored the application and shortcomings of the measure and represents clients who have sought to shield themselves from reprisal by claiming protection.
Government Accountability Project represents whistleblowers from the Bank when their claims suggest that the institution has violated the public trust and operated in a manner contrary to the public interest. Allegations of corruption, fraud, discrimination in hiring, lack of due process, and abuse of authority, have been examined and reported by Government Accountability Project. We have also been prominently involved in exposing several ongoing or past scandals at the World Bank. These include:
Regional Development Banks
The international team works to strengthen accountability measures in intergovernmental organizations and the regional development banks, which represent an important dimension of multilateral grants and loans. Because the Asian Development Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the African Development Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development all enjoy sovereign immunities in the countries where they operate, staff contractors and vendors need the same whistleblower protections that other, larger international institutions should provide.
All of these institutions, however, lack a meaningful forum for the adjudication of a complaint of retaliation. Thus far, none of them provide whistleblowers with access to an independent, external judicial forum or to external arbitration. Complaints are heard in an office or before a grievance panel that consists of employees of the same institution, people who can be, and often are, subject to intimidation or influence by management. A structural conflict of interest taints these proceedings. While the regional development banks, particularly the African Development Bank, allude to the possibility of alternative dispute resolution, in practice they have not gone beyond allowing mediation by a third party chosen from a roster of mediators that is, in turn, compiled by management.
Government Accountability Project continues to work with the regional development banks to improve and strengthen both their policies and their internal justice systems. Our goal is to provide whistleblowers with a safe channel for reporting corruption as well as a fair forum for seeking relief from retaliation.
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United Nations
The United Nations is the source of fundamental international law on universal human rights to freedom of expression and access to information. Government Accountability Project advocates on behalf of the conviction that whistleblowers have fundamental rights consistent with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and treaties adopted by the UN General Assembly. Government Accountability Project works to ensure that these rights are honored by the institution itself when employees from the UN system disclose misconduct.
Government Accountability Project has represented whistleblowers from the UN secretariat, UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS), UN Development Programme (UNDP), World Food Programme (WFP), UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), and UN Police (UNPOL), among others. Because the institution operates beyond the reach of national laws, courts, and investigative bodies, Government Accountability Project has also advocated for reforms in its conflict resolution system and investigative units, so that those systems will be more effective. Government Accountability Project has also advised several staff associations within the UN system about whistleblower protections.