CAO Meets with Civil Society Organizations from Across Mexico

June 8, 2016 - More than 80 representatives of Mexican civil society organizations (CSOs) from 17 Mexican states met for the first time with CAO and four other independent accountability mechanisms (IAMs) on June 8 in Mexico City. CAO Vice President Osvaldo Gratacos, along with the heads of the World Bank’s Inspection Panel, the Complaints Mechanism of the European Investment Bank, MICI of the Inter-American Development Bank and OPIC’s Office of Accountability discussed their roles as compliance and/or dispute resolution mechanisms for project-impacted communities around the world. “It was a unique opportunity,” said Gratacos, “for CAO to meet with CSOs from across Mexico to explain our role as a recourse mechanism and understand the issues that they are facing.” The daylong workshop allowed the IAMs to meet with the various CSOs in small breakout groups to discuss how the IAMs could be utilized. Civil society organizations Fundar, CCC and Grupo Regional Sobre Financiamiento e Infraestructura were instrumental in planning and implementing the workshop.