Governance and Accountability in Extractive Industries: Theory and Practice at the World Bank
Journal of Energy & Natural Resources Law, Vol 30 No 2, June 2012, pp. 101-128
28 Pages Posted: 25 Jun 2012
Date Written: June 25, 2012
Abstract
The efforts of international financial institutions such as the World Bank to support countries in the effective capture and use of revenues from extractive industries have focused increasingly on transparency, notably through the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. In this article, we outline the limitations in policy thinking that result from an overemphasis on transparency alone. We develop a theoretical framework for building accountability, emphasising political, legal and economic institutions, social processes, and historical legacies. We then outline how this framework is relevant to practical development challenges, exploring the case of the World Bank’s responses to the limitations of traditional extractive industries policy frameworks and its emergent turn to strengthen accountability.
Keywords: Extractive industries, World Bank, IFC, EITI, accountability, transparency
JEL Classification: F23, F35, K3, O13, O19, Q32
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation