Find Information
- two-column
Disclosure — Making Information Public
Many documents are routinely disclosed as part of their overall information life cycle as described in the Access to Information (ATI) Procedure.
The following repositories and websites offer routinely disclosed information:
- Most routinely disclosed documents are available in the Documents & Reports (D&R) repository, which contains over 600,000 documents starting from 1946. If a document is not disclosed in its entirety, you can use its metadata to make an Access to Information request for full access.
While most of this content is in English, the top levels of D&R are available in the six Bank languages: Spanish, French, Arabic, Portuguese, Russian, and Chinese. - The Open Knowledge Repository (OKR), a subset of D&R, is the World Bank's official open access repository for its research outputs and knowledge products.
- Additional content which does not fit into the D&R collection nor into a regular website is disclosed and made available via pubdocs.worldbank.org. Information available there that is associated with a project ID number can be found at projects.worldbank.org under the Documents subtab.
- Some information on projects, such as procurement notices and contract awards, is disclosed directly to the Projects site.
- Data.worldbank.org has thousands of development-related datasets, many from World Bank research and operations work.
- The FinancesOne site has an enormous amount of information, including historical, about the finances of the World Bank Group.
- A large number of files (documents, presentations, photos) are made public via individual websites that are searchable and browsable from www.worldbank.org . For older, retired websites, check webarchives.worldbank.org
- The World Bank Group Archives preserves the institutional memory of the World Bank Group and provides public access to a wealth of historical records. Its Catalog offers finding aids that assist researchers when making a request for access to records.
- Email Alerts let the public subscribe to the latest news, project documents, procurement notices, research, and more. They are customizable, sent daily, and available in six languages.
- Please refer to IFC's Disclosure Portal and MIGA's Access to Information page for information made available under their respective Access to Information policies.
In addition to the World Bank’s proactive disclosure and extensive efforts to make information readily accessible to the public online, the World Bank releases information to the public on request. A user account is required to submit an ATI request.
The ATI Policy states that the World Bank endeavors to provide a comprehensive response to requests within 20 working days, recognizing that additional time may be needed for special circumstances, such as complex requests or requests that require consultation with internal or external parties.
Submit request for information
Declassification – Opening Previously Restricted Content
Declassification refers to content that was initially restricted from public access but later became eligible for declassification as per the ATI Policy. Declassification may be proactive or on demand.
Declassification is proactive when information is thought to be of interest to researchers and the general public. Examples include older working papers, historical analyst reports, and records from the World Bank’s European loans (1945-1960).
Declassification on demand occurs in response to ATI requests. Requested information is identified, retrieved, reviewed, digitized if needed, and posted online. Declassified historical records may also be consulted in person at the Archives Reading Room at World Bank headquarters in Washington, DC.
Digitization – Bringing Paper Records Online
Many of the World Bank Group's historical records are in paper format and are stored in an off-site storage facility. If paper content has been declassified, there are several steps to make it accessible online.