Catalog

	Table of Contents
p. 5 of 7 BACK | NEXT I. Introduction II. Current Policies and Practices III. Recent Developments at the World Bank and the IFC IV. Concerns and Constraints Relating to Confidentiality and Disclosure V. General Policy on Disclosure VI. Implementation of the Policy VII. Recommendations

Confidentiality and Disclosure of Information

---

V. General Policy on Disclosure

26. The Bank’s policy should be based upon the above principles, concerns and constraints, should benefit from the World Bank’s and the IFC’s experience, and should take into account the Bank’s own experience and recent developments. It is proposed therefore that while recognizing important legal and practical constraints, the Bank’s policy should be to provide the greatest possible degree of transparency and disclosure in all areas of the Bank’s operations to ensure the success of the Bank’s mission and to sustain public support for the Bank. Moreover, the Bank should not only ensure transparency and disclosure in its operations, but it should be seen as actively encouraging transparency and disclosure, as a model for those it seeks to assist. Furthermore, once the Bank discloses a document, that document will become available to all so that one party will not gain an undue advantage over another.

27. To implement that policy, the Bank should instill among its staff “a presumption in favor of disclosure of information” in the absence of the constraints described earlier.

Back IV. Concerns and Constraints Relating to Confidentiality and Disclosure	Next VI. Implementation of the Policy