Chinks in the World Bank's armor.

• Author: French, Hillary F.
• Position: World Bank information policy

The notoriously secretive World Bank may be changing its ways. Two important new policies may make the institution more accountable to the public and help to insure that the bank's projects do not result in environment degradation and social disruption, as they have all too often in the past.

Under a new information policy that makes documents more accessible to the public, activists fighting controversial projects--such as a proposed dam in India--would be able to get a summary of the project plans and could request an array of other bank documents, including project evaluation reports and environmental action plans. The bank plans to create a public information center in Washington, D.C., to respond to requests submitted to its offices throughout the world.

World Bank leaders have also agreed to establish an independent appeals panel designed to help assure that its projects do not violate its own policies, including those that require environmental impact assessments, resettlement plans, and the protection of indigenous peoples and wilderness areas. The panel, composed of three independent experts, will investigate complaints from bank executive directors and citizens that bank procedures, policies, and...