On March 21 and March 22, 2024, the Secretariats of the World Bank Group Sanctions Board and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Enforcement Committee Secretariat jointly hosted the Multilateral Development Banks (MDB) Appellate Sanctions Bodies Conference in London, England. Under the theme “Impact Through Cooperation,” the conference brought together independent judges, secretariat staff, and lawyers from various MDBs (the Asian Development Bank, the African Development Bank Group, the InterAmerican Development Bank Group, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank) and IFIs (the International Fund for Agricultural Development, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria).
Participants engaged in discussions on several topics of common interest, including the development and harmonization of institutional sanctions frameworks, oral hearings practice, the selection and types of administrative sanctions for fraud and corruption, and corporate integrity and compliance tools that aid in the rehabilitation of sanctioned parties. These discussions also highlighted the important role accountability mechanisms play in protecting the use of public funds in MDB operations and in upholding the rule of law in the administration of justice.
The Secretariat is grateful for the invaluable assistance of the WBG and EBRD Secretariat staff involved in organizing the event and ensuring its success.
