Task Force Mandate

The Boards of the World Bank, IFC, and MIGA (collectively referred to as the World Bank Group Boards) have established a Task Force comprised of Charles Di Leva and David Fariman to develop options and recommendations regarding the potential integration of the World Bank Group’s (WBG’s) independent accountability mechanisms (IAs): the World Bank Accountability Mechanism (comprised of the Inspection Panel (IPN) and Dispute Resolution Service (DRS)) and the IFC/MIGA Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman (CAO). The objectives of the Task Force are to conduct an assessment and provide options and recommendations that will enable the WBG Boards to make informed decisions concerning whether, and if so, how to best integrate the IAMs.

Acknowledging the potential risks and costs of integration, both during the process of integration and in post-integration effectiveness, the WBG Boards have asked the Task Force to adhere to the following principles when developing its integration options and recommendations:

  • Improved effectiveness of the IAMs in their ability to serve project-affected communities, borrowers/clients, and the WBG, including the Board.
  • No regression of policies and mandates while taking care to keep the strengths of each mechanism and not weaken accountability.
  • Safeguard the independence of the IAMs.
  • Enhance the leadership of the IAMs in the field.
  • Sufficient resourcing and cost-effectiveness.

Key Questions 

The Task Force will aim to address the following over-arching substantive questions throughout its work:

1) What IAM components might be most useful to integrate?

2) How extensive should integration be?

3) How might the process of integration proceed?

Task Force Work Plan and Consultation Process

To carry out its work, the Task Force is expected to consult with WBG Board members, work closely with the leadership of the three IAMs as well as World Bank, IFC and MIGA management, individually and through an internal expert group; and consult with IAM requesters/complainants, WBG clients, and independent experts on IAMs, dispute resolution and compliance, primarily through an external Reference Group.

The Task Force is following this work plan to meet its objectives and address the key questions:

  • September - December 2025: Gather input and information on integration Issues; organize Reference Group and other channels for external stakeholder input
  • January - February  2026: Hold external consultation sessions (via webinars) for complainants/requesters and civil society organizations (CSOs) that work directly with them; World Bank borrower governments; IFC clients and MIGA guarantee holders
  • February - March 2026: Produce a draft report for Board consideration
  • April 2026: Hold public consultations on the draft report
  • May 2026: Produce the final report

Consultation Webinars to be offered in January 2026

In order to provide opportunities for wide external input in response to its key questions, the Task Force will hold webinars in January 2026. Each webinar will include an overview by the Task Force of its mandate, guiding principles and key questions, and dedicated time for participants to provide comments and ask questions for clarification.

The webinars will be conducted in English, and AI-powered translation and transcription will be provided in Arabic, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Danish, Dutch, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Please select your preferred webinar date from the choices below by Friday January 9th, 2026.  Please make sure to select one of the dates for your stakeholder group.

Complainants/Requesters/CSOs/Other

World Bank borrower governments

IFC clients and MIGA guarantee holders

Written comments and questions should be sent to IAMIntegrationTF@worldbank.org

Please  select your preferred webinar date from the choices below by Friday January 9th, 2026.  Please make sure to select one of the dates for your stakeholder group.

Complainants/Requesters/CSOs/Other

World Bank borrower governments

IFC clients and MIGA guarantee holders

Written comments and questions should be sent to IAMIntegrationTF@worldbank.org

Accountability Task Force member

David Fairman Member of the Task Force World Bank Group Accountability Mechanisms

David Fairman is Senior Mediator at the Consensus Building Institute and Associate Director of the MIT-Harvard Public Disputes Program. For 35 years, he has built consensus and enhanced collaboration capacity on complex organizational and public issues internationally and in the U.S. He has been deeply engaged in strengthening and supporting multilateral and bilateral accountability mechanisms for the World Bank Group, EIB, European DFIs, the Green Climate Fund, and UNDP, among others.

In addition, he has built development agency and private sector capacity for effective stakeholder engagement in Brazil, Ghana, Nepal, Nigeria, the Philippines, Tanzania, and more than 20 other countries.

Charles Di Leva. Charles Di Leva joined the World Bank in 1992 following a career that included as an attorney with the United Nations Environment Program, the United States Department of Justice, Environment Division, and in private practice with a national law firm.  Before retiring in 2021, he served as the World Bank’s Chief Officer for Environmental and Social Standards, and prior to that as Chief Counsel, International and Environmental Law.  In these roles he oversaw the implementation of the Environmental and Social Framework, participated for Bank management on a number of Inspection Panel investigations and related matters  including the Toolkit Review, led the legal work related to the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement, accreditation to the Green Climate Fund and Global Environment Facility, and in partnerships with borrowers and external stakeholders.  He also played a leadership role among multilateral development banks on developing and harmonizing environmental and social policy. Upon retiring, he became a partner in Sustainability Frameworks, LLP. 

Accountability Task Force member

Charles Di Leva Member of Task Force World Bank Group Accountability Mechanisms

Charles Di Leva joined the World Bank in 1992 following a career that included as an attorney with the United Nations Environment Program, the United States Department of Justice, Environment Division, and in private practice with a national law firm.  Before retiring in 2021, he served as the World Bank’s Chief Officer for Environmental and Social Standards, and prior to that as Chief Counsel, International and Environmental Law.  In these roles he oversaw the implementation of the Environmental and Social Framework, participated for Bank management on a number of Inspection Panel investigations and related matters  including the Toolkit Review, led the legal work related to the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement, accreditation to the Green Climate Fund and Global Environment Facility, and in partnerships with borrowers and external stakeholders.  He also played a leadership role among multilateral development banks on developing and harmonizing environmental and social policy. Upon retiring, he became a partner in Sustainability Frameworks, LLP. 

Charles is an Executive Counsellor with the American Society of International Law, co-chair of the ASIL International Law Development Interest Group, and former Director of the IUCN Environmental Law Program.  He has also dedicated decades to academia, serving as an adjunct professor at American University and George Washington University, where he has taught courses on international environmental law, development finance, and climate change law and policy. His scholarly contributions include supervising research on accountability mechanisms for multilateral development banks and co-authoring articles on the Paris Agreement, climate finance, and environmental and social standards.