Accountability Counsel amplifies the voices of communities around the world to protect their human rights and environment. As advocates for people harmed by internationally financed projects, we employ community driven and policy level strategies to access justice.
Impact
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Communities Supported40
Our impact in 40 communities includes redesigned projects that now reflect community needs, harm stopped and prevented to defend water resources, and agreements resulting in compensation and other remedies.
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Policy Influenced66
We advocate for the world's 66 accountability offices to be independent, transparent, fair, and effective. Our impact is improved global policy and practice at multilateral and bilateral development institutions, U.N. agencies, and within the OECD.
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Accountability Data Exposed24k
We expose patterns in the accountability office system related to 24,450 data points that we track and evaluate. Our analysis has influenced global policy and is a tool for advocates. This database goes live later in 2018.
News
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20 July, 2018Accountability Counsel, C20 Call on G20 to Improve Access to Remedy in Infrastructure Development Projects
In anticipation of the upcoming G20 meetings in Argentina, Accountability Counsel has been collaborating with civil society partners as part of the C20 coalition around the impacts of investment and infrastructure on human rights. The C20 Investment and Infrastructure working group has released a statement calling on G20 countries to approach infrastructure development finance in a manner that respects the voices and human rights of the communities affected by these projects. While recognizing that building sound infrastructure remains vital to economic development, the statement presses the G20 to protect the human rights of local communities, and ensure that funding flows do not contribute to climate change. -
17 July, 2018It Takes Consultation to Help a Village
…This relatively simple step — consulting the people who would benefit from the project — is overlooked in a vast majority of overseas philanthropic and development projects, whether they are led by large institutions like OPIC or the World Bank or even small nonprofits. “People are well intentioned, but a little bit of good intention with a lot of money can do a lot of harm,” said Natalie Bridgeman-Fields, a human rights lawyer. Her organization, Accountability Counsel, works with communities in developing countries to file grievances in an effort to hold large institutions like OPIC accountable when their projects bring harm rather than improvement to the people to be served… -
13 July, 2018The Business of Giving Visits the Offices of Accountability Counsel
In The Business of Giving’s radio segment Better Than Most, a regular feature that examines the best places to work among social good businesses and nonprofit organizations, Denver Frederick interviews Accountability Counsel’s San Francisco office. -
28 June, 2018How the EBRD can seize the day in sustainable development
To truly invest in changing lives and preventing human rights violations, the EBRD must ensure that its independent accountability office can conduct rigorous investigations into allegations of abuse in financed projects – and hold itself accountable. -
23 June, 2018Living next door to 17 million chickens: ‘We want a normal life’
Ukrainian villagers living in the shadow of Europe’s biggest chicken farm are fighting back – not just against the company but the development banks funding it.
