01. Annual Reports & Independent Evaluations

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2019 ICSID Annual Report: Excellence in Investment Dispute Resolution

(Washington, DC: ICSID, 2019-10-18) International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes

ICSID is an international facility available to States and foreign investors for the resolution of investment disputes. Established in 1966 by the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of Other States (the ICSID Convention), it is the only global institution dedicated to international investment dispute settlement. Through its specialized rules of procedure, world-class facilities, and expert legal and administrative support, ICSID provides unparalleled dispute resolution services to States and investors. Since the first case was registered with ICSID in 1972, the majority of all known international investment disputes have been administered by ICSID.
The International Finance Corporation’s Engagement in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Situations: Results and Lessons

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-08-26) Independent Evaluation Group

Fragility, conflict and violence (FCV) pose a major challenge for development and for reaching the Bank Group’s twin goals. Enabling appropriate private sector activities can be a means to break free of the fragility trap by supporting economic growth, promoting local employment and income earning opportunities, generating government revenues, and delivering goods and services. However, the private sector faces substantial constraints in fragile and conflict-affected situations (FCS). This report takes stock of available evidence regarding the effectiveness of IFC’s support in FCS. It aims to inform IFC’s strategy in FCS as IFC seeks to scale up its activities in FCS as part of its commitments under the Capital Increase Package, and to provide inputs for the Bank Group’s Fragility, Conflict and Violence (FCV) strategy currently being developed.
ICSID 2018 Annual Report

(Washington, DC, 2018-10) International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes

Over more than five decades, ICSID has firmly established itself as the facility of choice for investor-State dispute settlement, having administered more than 70% of all known cases. Demand for the Centre’s services continues to increase, demonstrating the importance of its role. In FY2018 ICSID registered 57 new cases, the highest number in ICSID’s history. A full analysis of the cases is published in the ICSID Caseload — Statistics every six months and is summarized in Chapter 3 of this report.
ICSID 2017 Annual Report

(Washington, DC, 2017-10) International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes

Today, ICSID is the acknowledged world leader in investor-State dispute settlement. It has administered more than 70% of all known international investment proceedings. Over the past year alone, ICSID administered 258 cases, the most in any single year of its history. These cases are administered in every region of the world, and are decided by a diverse international group of specialist arbitrators, conciliators and ad hoc committee members. ICSID’s case administration is complemented by its leading role in training parties about international investment dispute settlement and in publishing cutting-edge legal scholarship on developments in the field. This systemic perspective enhances ICSID’s ability not only to provide the most effective administrative service, but also to envision and implement continuous improvement of investment dispute settlement.
Tax Revenue Mobilization: Lessons from World Bank Group Support for Tax Reform

(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2017-02-16) Independent Evaluation Group

The mobilization of domestic resources through reforms in taxation is essential to ensuring sustainable financing of development. The World Bank Group is engaged in several international initiatives that focus attention on constraints to growth, particularly in low-income economies, where domestic taxes and foreign private and market-related borrowing do not expand enough to compensate for declining flows of official development assistance. This Learning Note reviews existing IEG evaluative evidence on World Bank Group support to tax policy and administration reform over FY2005-15. Over FY2005-15, the vast majority of World Bank support to tax policy and administration reform has been provided through programmatic DPOs. For most of the operations, the tax reform component was a minor part of the operation, predominantly in the 10–14 percent range. In terms of project numbers, the majority of the approved operations were in the Latin America and the Caribbean and Sub-Saharan Africa Regions. IFC Advisory Services in business taxation are usually a small part of investment climate advisory services addressing other issues related to regulatory environment. Tax components in World Bank operations have been designed mostly to enhance revenue to enable fiscal consolidation or create/maintain fiscal space for priority expenditure and/or to improve investment climate or strengthen export competitiveness. With a few exceptions, reviewed DPOs did not specifically address the efficiency and equity of tax systems. The review draws lessons for both the design and implementation of operations and for country programs and World Bank Group strategic engagement in tax reform mobilization.
ICSID 2016 Annual Report

(World Bank Group, Washington, DC, 2016-10-07) International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes

The ICSID Convention entered into force on October 14, 1966, making this year the 50th anniversary of the Convention and of the ICSID system of dispute settlement created by Member States under the Convention. As can be seen from the summary of highlights in the following section and the detailed overview of operations in Chapter 3, ICSID’s core function remains the provision of impartial, cost-effective and high quality dispute settlement services. In fiscal year 2016, the Centre fulfilled this function by registering 45 cases, administering a new record of 247 cases, constituting more than 70 tribunals, holding nearly 150 hearings in numerous locations, and concluding 51 cases.
ICSID 2015 Annual Report

(World Bank Group, Washington, DC, 2015-10-09) International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes

2015 marked the ICSID Convention’s 50th anniversary and has been an opportunity to review and celebrate the accomplishments of ICSID’s first 50 years. Today ICSID is the premier international investment arbitration facility in the world, with the ICSID Convention ratified by 151 members and signed by a further eight States. The Centre’s activities in fiscal year 2015 are presented in detail in this report.
Guinea-Bissau: The World Bank Group Country Opinion Survey FY 2014

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2015-02) World Bank Group

The Country Opinion Survey in Guinea-Bissau assists the World Bank Group (WBG) in gaining a better understanding of how stakeholders in Guinea-Bissau perceive the WBG. It provides the WBG with systematic feedback from national and local governments, multilateral/bilateral agencies, media, academia, the private sector, and civil society in Guinea-Bissau on 1) their views regarding the general environment in Guinea-Bissau; 2) their overall attitudes toward the WBG in Guinea-Bissau; 3) overall impressions of the WBG’s effectiveness and results, knowledge work and activities, and communication and information sharing in Guinea-Bissau; and 4) their perceptions of the WBG’s future role in Guinea-Bissau.
Opportunities and Challenges from Working in Partnership: Findings from IEG's Work on Partnership Programs and Trust Funds

(World Bank Group, Washington, DC, 2015) Independent Evaluation Group

Partnerships and trust funds are big business for the World Bank Group. It participates in around 126 global partnership programs and administers more than 1000 trust funds which have become a significant source of revenue for the Bank Group and its clients. Partnership and trust funds offer opportunities for the Bank to benefit from partners skills and resources, extend its reach, and innovate. Some programs and funds are complementary to the Bank or fill gaps, for example on global public goods. IEG has found that most partnership programs tackle relevant development problems and that the Bank often makes strong contributions. But there are also risks, for example proliferation of uncoordinated or competing initiatives and high transaction costs. A key challenge facing the World Bank Group, therefore, is to make sure that its engagements in partnerships and trust funds create shared value for its client countries and support its goals of ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity goals. As emphasized in the World Bank Group strategy, engaging in strong and well-aligned partnerships can help the Group enhance its contributions to global development, but the evaluation experience summarized in this note suggests that there is room to improve. IEG has recommended reforms (summarized at the end of this note) to help the Bank address these challenges via internal reforms to ensure selectivity, routine corporate oversight, and policies and standards around partnership governance, engagement strategies for individual programs, empowerment of staff serving on partnership boards, and results frameworks.
Senegal: The World Bank Group Country Opinion Survey FY 2014

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2015-01) World Bank Group

The Country Opinion Survey in Senegal assists the World Bank Group (WBG) in gaining a better understanding of how stakeholders in Senegal perceive the WBG. It provides the WBG with systematic feedback from national and local governments, multilateral/bilateral agencies, media, academia, the private sector, and civil society in Senegal on 1) their views regarding the general environment in Senegal; 2) their overall attitudes toward the WBG in Senegal; 3) overall impressions of the WBG’s effectiveness and results, knowledge work and activities, and communication and information sharing in Senegal; and 4) their perceptions of the WBG’s future role in Senegal.