Our Mandate
The Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO) is the independent accountability mechanism for the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA). The CAO responds to complaints from project-affected communities with the goal of enhancing social and environmental outcomes on the ground. Learn More
Case Update
Uzbekistan: Dispute Resolution Parties Announce Agreement Signing
January 16, 2020 – A group of CAO complainants and Hamkorbank, an IFC client, signed an interim mediation agreement in October 2019. The parties decided to keep the original agreement confidential and have jointly drafted two public communiques, available at the link below in English, Russian and Uzbek.Learn more about this case
Chad: CAO Concludes Dispute Resolution Process Related to the Chad-Cameroon Petroleum Development and Pipeline Project
January 10, 2020 - CAO has concluded the dispute resolution process between Esso Exploration and Production Chad, Inc., the operator of the Chadian portion of the pipeline, and representatives of local communities affected by the oil development and production of the pipeline. Issues that were not part of the dialogue process, specifically concerns around security and resource management, have been transferred to CAO compliance for appraisal of IFC’s performance. A dispute resolution conclusion report is available in both English and French.Learn more about this case
Summary of CAO Cases: December 2019
January 7, 2020 - CAO’s monthly summary of cases in assessment, dispute resolution, and compliance is available at the link below. Case Summary December 2019
Nigeria: CAO Initiates Compliance Investigation Regarding IFC’s Investment in Indorama Eleme Fertilizer and Chemicals
December 9, 2019 - CAO has completed its compliance appraisal regarding IFC’s investment in Indorama Eleme Fertilizer and Chemicals in Nigeria, and has determined that an investigation is merited in response to this case. The appraisal report and the Terms of Reference for the investigation are available in English at the link below.Learn more about the Eleme Fertilizer-01 case
Albania: CAO Releases Compliance Monitoring Report of IFC’s Investment in Enso Albania’s Lengarica Hydropower Project
December 6, 2019 – CAO has released its first compliance monitoring report of IFC’s actions in response to the October 2018 investigation of IFC’s investment in Enso Albania, regarding the impacts of the Lengarica hydropower project in southern Albania. CAO will keep the case open for monitoring. The report is available in English and is being translated into Albanian.
Learn more about the Enso Albania-01 case
CAO at the UN Business and Human Rights Forum
December 2, 2019 - CAO was at the UN Business and Human Rights Forum in Geneva, Switzerland this week participating in a discussion on gender guidance for the UN Guiding Principles and conducting outreach with Indigenous Peoples’ representatives.Learn more
Indonesia: CAO Refers Complaint Related to IFC-Supported Wings Group Project to Dispute Resolution
November 22, 2019 - CAO found the complaint eligible for assessment in February 2019, and conducted a field visit to Indonesia in May 2019 to discuss options for addressing the complaint with the relevant parties. During the assessment process the complainants and Gawi Plantations, part of the Wings Group, agreed to engage in a dispute resolution process, which is now ongoing. The assessment report is available at the below link in both English and Bahasa Indonesia, as well as IFC’s formal response.Learn more about the Wings-01 case
Kenya: CAO Accepts Complaint Regarding IFC Investment in Delonex and Africa Oil
November 14, 2019 – CAO has accepted a complaint related to IFC’s investment in Delonex and Africa Oil in Kenya. An assessment of the complaint is underway. The complaint and more information about the case are available at the link below. Learn more about the Delonex and Africa Oil-01 case
Nicaragua: Community Members and IFC Client Sign Final Mediation Agreement Regarding the Montelimar Sugar Mill
November 12, 2019 - The parties to the CAO dispute resolution process in Nicaragua regarding the Montelimar Mill, which is operated by IFC client Corporación Montelimar, have signed a final mediation agreement. The agreement between the affected community and the company concluded the CAO dispute resolution process. CAO is currently monitoring implementation of the agreement to assist in ensuring its smooth implementation, sustainability, and success. The agreement is available in English and Spanish at the link below.
Learn more about the Montelimar-01 case
Kenya: CAO Initiates Compliance Investigation Regarding IFC’s Investment in Bridge International Academies
October 24, 2019 - CAO has completed its compliance appraisal regarding IFC’s investment in Bridge International Academies in Kenya, and has determined that an investigation is merited in response to this case. The appraisal report is available in English at the link below.Learn more about the Bridge-01 case
Costa Rica: CAO Releases Compliance Investigation Regarding IFC’s Investment in the Reventazón Hydropower Project
October 24, 2019 - CAO has released its compliance investigation report of IFC’s investment in the Reventazón Hydropower Project in Costa Rica. The investigation assessed issues arounds land acquisition, livelihoods restoration, stakeholder engagement, and disclosure of information. The investigation report is available in English and Spanish, as well as IFC’s official response.Learn more about the Reventazon-01 caseLearn more about the Reventazon-02 case »
Azerbaijan: CAO Refers Complaint Related to MIGA-Supported Trans-Anatolian Pipeline Project to Compliance
October 15, 2019 - CAO found the complaint eligible for assessment in November 2018, and conducted a field visit to Azerbaijan in May 2019 to discuss options for addressing the complaint with the relevant parties. During the assessment, there was a lack of consensus amongst the parties to engage in a CAO dispute resolution process. Given that CAO dispute resolution is voluntary, the complaint has been referred to CAO’s Compliance function for appraisal in accordance with CAO’s Operational Guidelines. The assessment report is available at the link below in English and Azeri, along with MIGA’s formal response.Learn more about this case
Philippines: CAO Initiates Compliance Investigation Regarding IFC Investment in Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation
October 9, 2019 - CAO has completed its compliance appraisal regarding IFC's investment in Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) in the Philippines, particularly in relation to RCBC-supported coal-fired power plants. CAO determined to initiate a compliance investigation into IFC’s review and supervision of the client’s environmental and social risk. The appraisal report is available in English on CAO’s website.Learn more about this case
Albania: CAO Refers Second Complaint Related to IFC-Supported Enso Albania Hydropower Project to Compliance
October 9, 2019 - CAO found the complaint eligible for assessment in May 2019, and conducted a field visit to Albania in July 2019 to discuss options for addressing the complaint with the relevant parties. During the assessment, there was a lack of consensus amongst the parties to engage in a CAO dispute resolution process. Given that CAO dispute resolution is voluntary, the complaint has been referred to CAO’s Compliance function for appraisal in accordance with CAO’s Operational Guidelines. The assessment report is available in English and Albanian, as well as IFC’s formal response.Learn more about this case
Nicaragua: CAO Closes Condor Gold-01 Case After Appraisal
October 3, 2019 - CAO has completed its compliance appraisal of IFC’s investment in Condor Gold’s La India mining exploration project in Nicaragua. CAO concluded that IFC’s approach to the review and supervision of this project in relation to the issues raised in the complaint, did not meet the threshold of raising substantial concerns regarding E&S outcomes and/or issues of systemic importance to IFC that would warrant a compliance investigation. CAO has thus decided to close this case.
Learn more about this case
Ukraine: Call for Expressions of Interest for Joint Fact-Finding Study
October 1, 2019 - The parties to a dispute resolution process in Ukraine facilitated by CAO and EBRD’s Project Complaint Mechanism invite qualified experts to submit Expressions of Interest for independent studies on environmental impacts and damage to roads and houses. See links below for more details.
Call for Expressions of Interest and ToR for the study on environmental impactsCall for Expressions of Interest and ToR for the study on the damage to roads and houses »
Learn more about this case »
What's New
CAO Newsletter: November 2019
November 21, 2019 - This issue provides an update on the release of CAO's compliance monitoring report related to a hydropower project in Guatemala, the launch of CAO's 2019 Annual Report, the assessment of a case regarding bauxite mining in Guinea, engagement with IFC on learning from involuntary resettlement cases, and outreach in Bangladesh, along with other recent activities. Learn more
Bangladesh: CAO Reaches Out to Civil Society in South Asia
November 7, 2019 - CAO co-hosted an outreach workshop with Civil Society Organizations in Dhaka, Bangladesh on September 26 and 27, 2019 as part of its outreach efforts in the South Asia region. The meeting was organized together with the World Bank’s Inspection Panel, Green Climate Fund’s Independent Redress Mechanism, UNDP’s Social and Environmental Compliance Unit, ADB’s Compliance Review Panel, and with local, regional, and international CSOs.Learn more about this event
CAO Releases Reprisals Approach in Chinese, Portuguese, and Russian
October 25, 2019 - CAO has released its ‘Approach to Responding to Concerns of Threats and Incidents of Reprisals in CAO Operations’ in three new languages. The Approach provides practical guidance to staff and consultants on how to handle situations involving threats and reprisals, and is now available in English, Spanish, French, Arabic, Chinese, Portuguese, Russian, and Ukrainian. More information on CAO’s Approach is available at the link below.Learn more about CAO's Approach
CAO Launches 2019 Digital Annual Report
October 10, 2019 - CAO's 2019 Annual Report features outcomes from our dispute resolution, compliance, advisory, and outreach activities this year. Learn about CAO’s casework in 35 countries and explore highlights from our year working with communities, companies, IFC and MIGA staff, and other stakeholders for positive impact.CAO’s 2019 Digital Annual Report
CAO Annual Meetings Event: Enabling Remediation for Project-Affected Communities
October 21, 2019 - CAO hosted a panel discussion on “The Role of Financiers in Enabling Remediation for Project Affected Communities” at the WBG Annual Meetings Civil Society Policy Forum on October 16, 2019. The session, which was co-hosted with SOMO and moderated by Devex, brought together experts from Shift, ABN Amro, IFC, American University, and SOMO to discuss challenges, good practices, and lessons for enabling more effective remedy in cases of business-related environmental and social impacts on communities. A full summary of the event will be posted soon.Learn more about this event
CAO Dispute Resolution Launches Good Practice Publication on Joint Fact-Finding
September 5, 2019 - CAO’s Dispute Resolution function has released the third publication in a series on Reflections from Practice. The new publication provides information on the tool known as Joint Fact-Finding, a collaborative process in which parties in conflict work together with experts to address disputes of fact. The Reflections from Practice series provides guidance for CAO Dispute Resolution staff, mediators, and consultants, and informs parties about the foundational principles guiding CAO's dispute resolution work.Explore the series
Members of the World Bank Group