Citizens' guides to international financial institutions

These guides are the result of ongoing work of several people and organisations. Find in-depth information and manuals for action for the institutions we monitor below.

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
European Investment Bank (EIB)
European complaint mechanisms
World Bank
Additional resources

Introduction

At a first glance, the environment and activities of international financial institutions (IFIs) appear unrelated - but this is only the first glance.

IFIs are public institutions that are the main agents in a global financial architecture. As public institutions, they should be accountable to the public and act in its common good. However, their track record is far from perfect.

There is little, in-depth knowledge about these institutions among the general public but there's a growing demand for such information. Our guides aim to provide a tool for readers, not so much as bed-side reading, but more as a manual. This tool is not only about information but action too. It is written with the aim to provide knowledge to concerned citizens to raise their voices about the operations of IFIs.

Introductions to the institutions we monitor can be found here on our website.

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

We have prepared a series of papers for NGOs and citizens who are concerned about the EBRD, its policies, and projects that it finances. The papers clearly explain what information the EBRD makes available to the public and how it can be accessed, what the process is for a project from application for funding to implementation, who is responsible for making decisions in the EBRD, and where you can find your local EBRD office.

These papers are based on several years of experience in working on EBRD issues and should provide you with the initial and basic knowledge that you will need if you want to challenge an EBRD project or policy as well as some useful practical tips.

EBRD and the Council of Europe (pdf)	2002
Toolkit on the EBRD's Project Complaint Mechanism (pdf)	2014
Access to EBRD Information (pdf)	2010
EBRD Project Cycle (pdf)	2002
EBRD Project and Public Consultation (pdf)	2004
EBRD Decision-making Structure (pdf)	2002

relevant information on the EBRD's website:

An overview of EBRD strategies and policies

EBRD Offices

Compliance Hotline (Office of the Chief Compliance Officer)

European Investment Bank (EIB)

The coalition Counter Balance has put together a useful guide (pdf) for citizens wanting to find out more about the EIB. It is available in multiple languages here.

The video below takes a comic look at the basics of the European Investment Bank, the world's biggest public financial institution.

European complaint mechanisms

The Citizens' guide to European complaint mechanisms aims to help individuals and NGOs to successfully use existing institutional mechanisms at the European and international level to protect the environment and ensure adequate/effective use of public funds.

The guide summarises citizens' experiences so far with appealing to international institutions such as the EU Ombudsman and the Aarhus Convention committee. By building on these examples, it offers assistance for a better use of the complaint mechanisms.

Download the Citizen's guide to European complaint mechanisms (pdf) or visit the interactive guide online.

A guide for the Espoo Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context, prepared by the European Environmental Bureau, the European ECO Forum and the Resource & Analysis Center "Society and Environment", is available for download as pdf (in English, for Russian and Ukrainian versions visit this website).

The German environmental organisation Deutscher Naturschutzring (DNR) translated parts of the guide into German. The document can be downloaded in pdf.

World Bank

Our friends over at the Bretton Woods Project have put together an excellent resource documenting the (not-so) good, the bad and the ugly at the World Bank.

Also watch here Bankwatch coordinator for the Caucasus region Manana Kochladze explaining two ongoing revisions at the World Bank where it's possible for citizens to get active and involved.