African Development Bank rolls out new whistleblowing policy | African Development Bank

The African Development Bank Group has launched a six-month campaign to raise awareness among its internal and external stakeholders of its new whistleblower scheme, approved by the Boards in January this year.

The 2023 Whistleblower Policy builds on a 2007 policy, which was widely considered progressive at the time and reflected the Bank Group’s value on the contribution of whistleblowers to its anti-corruption processes, and its zero tolerance for any retaliation against them.

The new policy sets additional standards by bringing the Bank’s board members and elected officials within the disciplinary scope of the policy when they are found to have threatened or participated in retaliatory action against internal or external parties who report fraud and corruption in banking activities , or in audits, investigations and disciplinary processes.

The new policy strengthens its ability to protect outside whistleblowers and classifies retaliation by outside parties in the context of AfDB-funded operations as restrictive practices, subject to exclusion under the bank’s sanctions system.

The new policy ensures that the Bank continues to protect natural persons or entities:

• who disclose fraud or corruption in good faith,
• who refuses to break the law by making disclosures,
• that challenge national or international illegality, as well as abuse of power, mismanagement, gross waste or substantial health or safety threats,
• who are falsely identified as whistleblowers,
• including AfDB personnel and consultants, individuals, development partners, non-governmental organizations, professional associations, government officials and officials of other international financial institutions, and
• employees of suppliers and contractors participating in AfDB-funded projects, by making employers’ guarantees of whistleblower rights a condition of the contract.

The new whistleblower policy also ensures a fair trial by:

• provide temporary assistance to individuals subject to retaliation pending final determination of their grievances,
• protection of whistleblowers’ rights to appeal against decisions of the Bank,
• protecting the anonymity of whistleblowers by maintaining the confidentiality of its processes, and
• protecting the rights of whistleblowers to be informed of the status of their submissions.

The Bank’s Boards have further committed to review the new policy in 2028, after five years of implementation, taking into account implementation reports and stakeholder feedback.

In 2007, a review of the Bank’s whistleblowing policy by the United States-based Government Accountability Project (GAP) indicated that the African Development Bank was the first multilateral development bank to substantially comply with whistleblowing transparency reforms drafted by Senators Patrick Leahy ( D- Vt.) and Richard Lugar (R-In.) and approved in an October 2005 U.S. credit law. GAP described the 2007 policy as setting “a new standard for protecting employees and others from retaliation for committing fraud or report corruption”. [and]… guaranteeing employment for alleged whistleblowers who are victims of retaliation.”

Whistleblower scheme 2023 Awareness campaign lasts six months

At the launch of the whistleblowing awareness campaign on Tuesday, April 25 at the bank’s headquarters in Abidjan, Paula Santos-Da Costa, director of the Office of Integrity and Anti-Corruption, stated: “the campaign will be conducted over a period of six months at the Bank’s headquarters, regional and country offices and in regional Member States.”

Santos-Da Costa, the bank’s designated chief whistleblower protection officer, said the campaign will be carried out through a variety of activities, including installing information desks, information dissemination, education and communication materials such as factsheets and FAQs. The campaign will also engage beneficiary communities hosting bank-funded projects, community organizations, relevant professional associations, contractors and government officials involved in project implementation.

The director further indicates that an internal guideline has been developed and issued to “ensure the strategic and efficient implementation of the 2023 Whistleblower Policy”.

The African Development Bank Group Whistleblower Policy 2023 is available for download in English and French from the bank’s website.

The Integrity and Anti-Corruption Bureau

The Office of Integrity and Anti-Corruption of the African Development Bank Group is responsible for preventing, deterring and investigating allegations of corruption, fraud and other criminal practices in Bank Group-funded operations and is tasked with coordinating the implementation of the whistleblower policy by the Bank Group and the maintenance of the whistleblower complaint channels.

For more information, visit https://www.afdb.org/en/about-us/organisational-structure/integrity-and-anti-corruption/

African Development Bank staff and the general public may use secure channels provided by the Office of Integrity and Anti-Corruption to report fraud, corruption and misconduct of staff within the Bank or Bank Group-funded operations through the following channels:

Secure phone (24/7): +1 (770) 776-5658

Secure email address: [email protected]; gold [email protected]

Complaint form (Anonymity enabled): https://www.afdb.org/en/about-us/organizational-structure/integrity-and-anti-corruption/complaint-form

Mail correspondence should be marked “CONFIDENTIAL” and sent to:

African Development Bank

Bureau of Integrity and Anti-Corruption (PIAC)

Building of the International Trade Center of Abidjan (CCIA)

John Paul II Avenue

01 P.O. Box 1387

Abidjan 01, Ivory Coast.