Conceptualizing Accountability in International Financial Law

This volume explores, from an international law perspective, the various facets of the notion of accountability of International Financial Institutions. In particular, the book takes prospective and retrospective approaches to accountability; the legal constraints on IFIs towards all stakeholders; the benefits IFIs can achieve for themselves from their financial accountability; the ’soft law’ instruments that are adequate for ensuring IFIs accountability with regard to their activities; and the (positive and negative) effects of accountability on civil society and local indigenous populations. By providing a range of contributions on these aspects of the problem of accountability of IFIs the book provides readers with an overview of the issue at stake in a wide range of international institutions and assesses the current state of such issue under the lens of international law.

This volume explores, from an international law perspective, the various facets of the notion of accountability of International Financial Institutions. In particular, the book takes prospective and retrospective approaches to accountability; the legal constraints on IFIs towards all stakeholders; the benefits IFIs can achieve for themselves from their financial accountability; the ’soft law’ instruments that are adequate for ensuring IFIs accountability with regard to their activities; and the (positive and negative) effects of accountability on civil society and local indigenous populations. By providing a range of contributions on these aspects of the problem of accountability of IFIs the book provides readers with an overview of the issue at stake in a wide range of international institutions and assesses the current state of such issue under the lens of international law. The work has been arranged under three broad themes: accountability issues in multilateral development institutions; accountability issues in regional development institutions; accountability issues in climate finance institutions, the GEF and in Global Financial Markets.