By Pascale Hélène Dubois, Chief Suspension
and Debarment Officer at The World Bank, Vice Chairperson of the IBA
Anti-Corruption Committee and Adjunct
Professor at Georgetown University Law
Center
An Introduction to the World Bank and
its Sanctions System
During FY14, the
World Bank Group committed $52.6 billion in financing with the objectives of
eradicating extreme poverty and creating shared prosperity. Since fraud and corruption work against these
objectives by diverting essential resources from poverty eradication efforts,
the World Bank works both on the preventive side and on the enforcement side to
combat fraud and corruption in World Bank-financed projects.
On the enforcement
side, the World Bank sanctions system is comprised of an investigative unit
(the Integrity Vice Presidency) and two tiers of adjudication: 1) the Office of
Suspension and Debarment (OSD) determines whether to suspend or debar firms and
individuals accused of fraud and corruption in World Bank-financed projects; and
2) the World Bank Group Sanctions Board decides appeals of these OSD decisions. I am the Chief Suspension and Debarment
Officer in OSD.
