Welcome to the February 2026 round-up of accountability knowledge products. In this issue, we draw attention to the omnibus of accountability essays that has been published by the Perspectives Project, a series of civil society responses to the ongoing review of the IFC Performance Standards, a pair of podcasts by Bankwatch and Accountability Lab, a book on global safeguarding, a report on critical minerals and communities in Africa, a report on the Asian Development Bank by NGO Forum on ADB, and a journal article that evaluates complaint mechanisms in Germany. We hope you find these resources useful!

CSO recommendations for IFC Performance Standards

The IFC is currently reviewing its sustainability framework, including its Performance Standards, a benchmark for environmental and social sustainability in the private sector. Civil society has issued several sets of recommendations for the IFC Performance Standards, namely PS1 on Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts, PS3 on Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention & Climate Change, PS5 on Land Acquisition and Involuntary Resettlement, and PS6 on Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources. The IFC standards are globally recognized, most notably through the Equator Principles that were based on them and are now followed by 129 financial institutions. Civil society input into bolstering the IFC’s sustainability framework review, which is due to conclude in 2028, is critical.

13 years of accountability: Reflections, challenges, and what’s next?

Accountability Lab, a global “translocal” network that runs Network Labs in nine countries, features the experiences of practitioners on its AccountabiliTea podcast. A special episode hosted by Naseera Noor-Mahomed now marks 13 years of the network’s learning, adapting, and growing, as seen through the insights of members and collaborators. The episode features reflections from co-CEOs Blair Glencorse, Jean Scrimgeour, and Cheri Leigh-Erasmus as well as the wider ecosystem of Accountability Lab.

30 Years of Bankwatch: Reflecting on the past, present, and future

Bankwatch, a network founded in 1995 to advocate for climate justice, transparency, and human rights in public finance in central and eastern Europe, celebrated its 30^th anniversary in 2025. A podcast episode featuring long-serving staff Fidanka Bacheva-McGrath, Mark Martin, and Petr Hlobil reflects on the past 30 years, including how the network seeks to use the lessons it has learned to address the challenges we face today, shrinking civic space, and the need for sustainable and inclusive development solutions.

When vulnerability meets power: Safeguarding in the international aid and development sector

Edited by Steve Reeves and Marcus Erooga, this title from Global Safeguarding works as a handbook for practitioners, safeguarding specialists, senior leaders in governance roles, or regulators looking to understand and respond to the operational, organizational, and cultural challenges in the international aid and development sector. A broad range of expertise addresses the safeguarding crisis, challenges for leaders, aid workers, and HR professionals, gender and sexual violence, vulnerable populations in humanitarian crises, whistleblowing, children’s safeguarding, and the future of the sector.

Perspectives on accountability at international financial institutions

Building on the online resource Perspectives Project: Documenting and reimagining IFI accountability, this open-source essay collection from Brill publishers provides over two dozen viewpoints on the promise and future of the World Bank Inspection Panel and similar independent accountability mechanisms (IAMs). Current and past IAM staff, World Bank lawyers, civil society advocates, and leading academics contribute their perspectives.

Holding ADB accountable: Forum Network Engagement Report on ADB Safeguards Policy Review (2021-2024)

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) updated its Safeguard Policy Statement in 2024 with an Environmental and Social Framework that came into force in January 2026. A report from NGO Forum on ADB and its allies identifies the significant gaps that remain despite policy improvements. Overall, the report finds that while ADB has enhanced stakeholder engagement and reiterated its commitment to addressing reprisals against affected communities, the lack of mandatory human rights assessments, weak risk categorization, and inadequate transparency in consultation processes pose challenges. The Forum recommends coordinated efforts to target ADB’s decision-making processes and enhance grassroots participation, as well as setting up mechanisms to monitor ADB’s compliance with its safeguarding commitments.

Grounded transitions: Closing the gap between G20 priorities and the realities of critical mineral-affected communities

A report by the Coalition for Human Rights in Development, released just before the first G20 meeting held in Africa in November 2025, centers the voices of mining-affected communities and reveals how the current policy discussions are failing them. Three case studies from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe are presented alongside the G20’s priorities and policy discussions around critical minerals and the “just transition.” Recommendations include discussing alternatives to extraction; a reframing of G20 priorities to center community rights rather than supply security; holding institutions and corporations that support critical mineral projects to account with respect to human rights and the environment; benefit-sharing frameworks that move toward structural redistribution; and supporting African states and regional bodies to strengthen governance.

Perceptions of human rights complaint mechanisms: The case of German international development cooperation

An article in the Journal of Human Rights acknowledges that while complaint mechanisms, including independent accountability mechanisms (IAMs) are “an important element of human rights-based approaches to development,” “the availability of such mechanisms is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for accountability in international development cooperation.” They can only deliver accountability for citizens if they are accessible, independent, and transparent, and if they include safeguards against reprisals against complainants. The authors draw specifically on the case of bilateral German development cooperation, including the experience of the complaint mechanisms of KfW (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau) and GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit). Findings include a lack of awareness in affected communities about these complaint mechanisms combined with a fear of participation due to the risk of reprisals, but also a failure to include these mechanisms in project planning documents. The authors call for substantial improvements to ensure the “prerequisite” conditions for accountability.  

We keep our eyes and ears open for news in the field of accountability, but we need your help to make sure we don’t miss anything important. Please write to us about any forthcoming publications at accountability@worldbank.org.