Strengthening Global Accountability: IAMnet Members Convene in Bangkok
Bangkok, Thailand, October 12, 2026 — The Office of the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO) joined independent accountability mechanisms (IAMs) from international financial institutions for the 23rd IAMnet Annual Meeting, held October 9–12 in Bangkok, Thailand, under the theme “Accountability in Turbulent Times: Innovation, Geopolitics, and the Future of E&S Standards.”
Held ahead of the World Bank Group–IMF Annual Meetings, the gathering provided a dedicated space for practitioners to reflect on how independent accountability mechanisms can remain accessible, effective, and responsive to project-affected communities. Discussions covered key challenges, including geopolitics and accountability, policy reviews and independence, project grievance mechanisms, coordination among IAMs, and democratic and environmental and social safeguards backsliding. During the event, CAO colleagues Emily Horgan, Esteban Tovar, Gabriela Stocks, Irum Ahsan, Julia Gallu, Nokukhanya Ntuli, and Victoria Vasalo contributed to discussions on complaint eligibility, institutional effectiveness, artificial intelligence, gender-based violence, advisory practices, and safeguarding accountability. We thank them for sharing CAO’s experience and insights with fellow accountability practitioners.
For CAO, the IAMnet Annual Meeting is an important opportunity to learn from peer institutions and share experience from its dispute resolution, compliance, and advisory work. We thank this year’s host, the World Bank Inspection Panel, and regional co-host, the Asian Development Bank’s Accountability Mechanism, for convening the meeting.
We also recognize the contributions of colleagues from the African Development Bank’s Independent Recourse Mechanism, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank’s Project-affected People’s Mechanism, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s Independent Project Accountability Mechanism, the European Investment Bank’s Complaints Mechanism, the Green Climate Fund’s Independent Redress Mechanism, the Inter-American Development Bank Group’s Independent Consultation and Investigation Mechanism, the World Bank’s Dispute Resolution Service, the United Nations Development Programme’s Social and Environmental Compliance Unit and Stakeholder Response Mechanism, the Independent Complaints Mechanism of DEG, FMO and Proparco, the International Climate Initiative’s Independent Complaint Mechanism, Agence Française de Développement’s Environmental and Social Complaints Mechanism, and KfW Development Bank – Central Complaints Office.
The meeting also provided an important opportunity for dialogue with civil society organizations (CSOs), particularly during the dedicated CSO Day, which focused on strengthening trust, improving access to accountability mechanisms, and advancing effective remedy. We extend our appreciation to all participating CSOs, with special thanks to Accountability Counsel for its leadership in facilitating the CSO Day discussions, and to Urgewald for its contributions to the meeting.
Through continued engagement with IAMnet, CAO remains committed to exchanging knowledge, strengthening collaboration, and contributing to more effective accountability and improved environmental and social outcomes for project-affected communities.
