The chart below includes information on where to submit requests for documents to 21 international institutions, such as the World Bank and UN bodies.
The addresses for making submissions are sometimes hard to find, so EYE’s collection is meant to help facilitate requests.
Unfortunately, many international organizations do not provide any formal mechanism for making requests, most notably the UN Secretariat and the International Monetary Fund.
Where access to information policies do exist, they facilitate transparency. But the policies include exemptions for some kinds of material, which can be frustrating.
EYE has made several dozen requests for information from a variety of international organizations, with mixed success. Nevertheless, making requests can be a vital tool for obtaining information. And testing the disclosure regimes reveals their limitations, laying the ground for eventual reform.
EYE’s experience has yielded a few bits of practical advice.
- First, write clear and specific requests.
- Second, make sure your request has been received by asking for an acknowledgement of receipt.
- Third, follow up if the organization goes beyond the stated deadline for providing answers.
- Fourth, appeal partial or full denials. In EYE’s experience, appeals of the initial responses have usually resulted in more disclosure.
EYE welcomes suggestions for improving and expanding this list.
EYE on Global Transparency’s list of where to send access requests for international organizations.