Making Development Work for Communities: A Discussion in the Middle East & North Africa Regions

WASHINGTON, DC - On December 6, 2023, CAO co-hosted an open, online event with six other independent accountability mechanisms (IAMS) and the Arab Watch Coalition to increase awareness about accountability mechanisms across the Middle East and North Africa regions. Organized with the IAMs of the African Development Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the European Investment Bank, the International Climate Initiative, the World Bank and the United Nations Development Program, the event was attended by 25 participants in-person, with over 100 viewers streaming online.

The event included presentations on the IAMs’ work, participant quizzes, and plenary discussions. The presentations, questions, and discussions focused on issues such as: how to file an environmental and social complaint; eligibility requirements for complaint cases; how complainants choose between the mediation and/or investigation processes; what kinds of remedy are provided to communities; and how threats of retaliation against complainants are addressed. Additionally, participants learned about cases handled by IAMs, including a complaint related to pollution and livelihood impacts from a sugar refinery plant in Yemen and inadequate land compensation offered to homeowners due to the construction of the metro in Egypt.

A recording of the event is available. Additionally, a recording of a previous event held in July 2023 for the Asia region is also available.