https://doi.org/10.4081/ilpolitico.2019.54
STRUCTURE AND OPERATION OF THE INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISMS (IAMS)
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Authors
The inclusion, in the 1990s, of the so-called "independent accountability mechanisms" (IAMs) in international organisations has several origins. A seminal work of the World Bank in 1991 focused on the need to make governments accountable to their citizens as a condition for the greatest success of the projects promoted by the Bank itself. While the bulk of the activity arising from such mechanisms consisted of responding to complaints about government services, it in turn fuelled citizens' expectations regarding the responsiveness of public organizations. The idea that an individual who felt his or her human rights had been violated could have recourse to an international body was a substantial innovation. It is also relevant that international institutions value the fact that they "open" their operations so that complaints can be made and answered. Finally, international accountability, after 25 years of experience, can benefit from the modernisation of systems: the opportunities offered by new technologies, for example, are rapidly closing the gap in much of the world.
