As the world responds to the global financial crisis, governments are increasingly turning to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for assistance. At the same time, Civil Society Organizations, and oversight officers inside the institution are asking for greater accountability at the IMF, given the likelihood of dramatically increased lending in the coming years.
Among the specific improvements in governance and accountability needed is an explicit and comprehensive whistleblower protection policy. A May 2008 report by the IMF’s Independent Evaluation Office, for example, found that “whistleblower protection is a known concern at the Fund, but it has not been actively addressed yet,” and that “reports from interviews with the Ethics Officer and Ombudsman have consistently voiced concerns raised by staff and outsiders (such as vendors) regarding actual and perceived retaliatory conduct.” In response to this finding, the IMF subsequently established an Integrity Hotline to process whistleblower complaints. The hotline services will be more effective, however, when they are accompanied by a robust policy mandating protection from retaliation for staff members, contractors and vendors who report misconduct or fraud. An effective policy protecting whistleblowers must also establish an impartial forum to resolve issues of retaliation, if and when they occur.
