Recommendations for IDB Invest’s Access to Information Policy

CIEL argues that IDB Invest's Access to Information Policy must be rooted in democratic principles and international law to protect affected communities and environmental defenders. Key recommendations include eliminating fees for information requests, extending the disclosure window for environmental and social documents to 120 days before Board approval, and ensuring the policy aligns with the Escazú Agreement. CIEL also emphasizes the need for robust protections for indigenous peoples' free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) and the safety of environmental human rights defenders in the region.

• CIEL recommends that IDB Invest align its policy with the Escazú Agreement, a legally binding regional agreement in Latin America and the Caribbean that guarantees rights of access to environmental information and public participation.
• The document strongly advises the total removal of paragraph 75, which allows IDB Invest to charge fees for producing and sending copies of requested information, arguing that such fees create barriers for marginalized indigenous peoples and the rural poor.
• CIEL proposes extending the disclosure timeframe for Investment Summaries, Environmental and Social Review Summaries (ESRS), and Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) to 120 calendar days prior to Board approval to meet global standards.
• To protect environmental human rights defenders in Latin America from retaliation, CIEL suggests that IDB Invest prevent staff from inquiring about the identity or intent of those requesting information.
• Regarding indigenous peoples, CIEL recommends that the policy mandate the actual obtaining of free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) rather than just describing the status of the process, and suggests requiring site visits in remote areas.
• CIEL suggests improving the transparency of the review mechanism by creating a multilingual database that tracks the nature of requests, timelines, and the reasons for grants or denials.
• The document recommends that IDB Invest be transparent about unsatisfactory development results, stating that unfavorable outcomes should not be used as a reason to withhold documents.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2018). Recommendations for IDB Invest’s Access to Information Policy. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/CIEL-Recommendations-for-IDB-Invest-Access-Info-Policy-September-2018.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Recommendations for IDB Invest’s Access to Information Policy. 2018. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/CIEL-Recommendations-for-IDB-Invest-Access-Info-Policy-September-2018.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Recommendations for IDB Invest’s Access to Information Policy |date=September 2018 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/CIEL-Recommendations-for-IDB-Invest-Access-Info-Policy-September-2018.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2018recommendations, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Recommendations for IDB Invest’s Access to Information Policy}}, publisher = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2018}, month = sep, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/CIEL-Recommendations-for-IDB-Invest-Access-Info-Policy-September-2018.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }