Review of IRM

2008 Review of the Independent Recourse Mechanism (IRM)

The current Independent Recourse Mechanism (IRM), the EBRD’s accountability mechanism, was adopted by the EBRD Board of Directors on 29th April 2003 and began functioning on 1st July 2004.

The purpose of the IRM is to strengthen the Bank’s accountability and to increase the transparency of the Bank’s decisions in relation to its banking operations. The mechanism gives local groups, who may be directly and adversely affected by a Bank-financed project, a means of raising complaints or grievances with the Bank about the project. The IRM provides two functions: (1) a compliance review function which assesses whether or not the Bank has complied with its policies, specifically its Environmental Policy and the project specific provisions of the Public Information Policy, in relation to a specific project, and (2) a problem-solving function which aims to restore dialogue between the parties with a view to resolving the issues underlying the complaint or grievance.

The Bank is undertaking a review of its IRM in 2008 with the assistance of external IRM Review Consultant, Natalie Bridgeman, and IRM Review External Advisor, Dr. Edith Brown Weiss. The IRM Review seeks to evaluate experience with the IRM to date and identify whether, and if so, how, the functions of the IRM can be made more effective.

IRM Review Status and Schedule

To date in the IRM Review process, public consultations have been held, comments have been solicited on the current IRM, and a Stakeholder Analysis and Research Period has been conducted.

The next steps in the IRM Review Process are as follows:

• November 28, 2008: Public Release of the First Draft of the Revised
  IRM Rules of Procedure
  
  
• November 28, 2008- Public Consultation Period on the
  January 30, 2009: First Draft of the Revised IRM Rules of Procedure
  
  
• January 20, 2008, Public Consultation in London at EBRD
  2:00 – 5:00 p.m.: Headquarters on the First Draft of the Revised IRM Rules of Procedure
  
  
• 1st - 2nd Quarter Bank approval of Revised IRM Rules of Procedure
  (March-April) 2009:

Questions and Comments on the IRM Review may be directed to IRM Review Consultant Natalie Bridgeman via email at natalie@ihrlaw.com.

Please see revised stakeholder consultation and disclosure plan  (0.1Mb) for the IRM Review process is now available.