The World Bank Policy on Access to Information

October 19 and 20, 2011

Open Development Initiatives

Open Data Sharing tools and essential information on the global economy and the Bank’s operations

Open Knowledge Enabling researchers, students, local communities to collect data, measure results, increase knowledge

Open Solutions Working together to devise development solutions

Access to Information Greatly increasing public access to Bank information and documents

Tools and knowledge resources for openness, transparency and accountability

Access to Information

“Ten years ago, we were only starting to speak about transparency.

Today, the World Bank is the only multilateral institution with a wide-ranging Freedom of Information Policy.”

- President Zoellick (April 6, 2011)The Peterson Institute for International Economics

Access to Information Policy Highlights:

Maximizing access to information Clear list of exceptions Safeguarding the deliberative process Procedures for disclosing information Right to Appeal Simultaneous disclosure of some Board papers Declassification of certain types of information (after 5, 10, or 20 years)

Access to Information

FROM(previous

disclosure policy)

An established set of disclosable information and documents

Limited disclosure via the web

Did not allow the public to appeal Bank decisions that deny disclosure

TO Access to all Bank documents, unless it falls under the list of exceptions

Allows disclosure of some Board papers before the Board discussion

Encourages public ownership of Bank operations

Allows sharing Bank’s global knowledge

Features an Appeals Process

Ten Policy Exceptions(Restricted Information)

Key Stats: July 2010 – June 2011

26,000+ Bank documents released to the public 800,000+ visits to the Bank’s public information database 640,000+ documents downloaded by the public 4 million public page views to the Access to Information

web site The Policy on Access to Information was the second most

popular downloaded document by the public 700 public information requests were made to the Bank

(84% of requests completed; 80% completed within 20 working days)

Request for World Bank Information

For information that is not available on the Bank’s website,the public may submit an information request:

through the Access to Information portal at worldbank.org/wbaccess

in-person at the InfoShop—701 18th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20433, or

through in-country public information services

⇨ Include a detailed description of the information requested: title, publication dates, and any other helpful details to identify the requested information.

Access to Information: One Year Review / 2011 Bank Fund Annual Meetings

Resources

For Access to Information (AI) Resources, visit www.worldbank.org/wbaccess to view and download:

AI Policy Booklet AI Staff Handbook AI InfoFinder Mobile App AI FAQs AI Brochure List of Public Information Centers and much more!