This page provides information on key documents available from the IFC, as well as tips on how to obtain documents and information from the institution.
Getting Info:
- Key Documents
- Information Disclosure
- IFC website
- Public Information Center
- Country Offices
- Annual Meetings
Key Documents
The IFC makes only two investment-related documents available to the public:
- Summary of Proposed Investment (SPI), a short description of all proposed projects.
- Environmental and Social Review Summary (ESRS), for projects with adverse environmental and social risks.
SPI and ESRS documents are disclosed a minimum of 60 days for high-risk projects (Category A projects) and 30-days for all other projects before project approval by the IFC’s Board of Directors.
In addition to the above documents, IFC requires that the project sponsor (the company to which IFC is providing financing), make the following publicly available:
- Social and Envrionmental Assessment (SEA), considers the relevant social and environmental risks of the project
- Action Plan (AP), the legally binding social and environmental mitigation measures that must be implemented by the borrower
- Annual Reports on the AP, updating the public on implementation of the AP
Information Disclosure
Visit the IFC Disclosure web page to view records, submit inquiries, and search project documents.
If the information cannot be accessed readily from the IFC website, the Infoshop, or the PIC, it can be requested in writing (email, mail, or fax) from IFC’s Corporate Relations Unit at the following address:
- Corporate Relations Unit
2121 Pennsylvania Avenue
N.W., Washington, D.C., 20433
USA.
Telephone: +1 (202) 476-3800 and Fax: +1 (202) 974-4384,
Or use the Corporate Relations website to search for e-mail addresses.
Requests must be specific. Contingent on the complexity of the information, IFC should respond within thirty calendar days upon receipt of the written request. If you feel like you have been unreasonably denied information, you may appeal the denial to IFC Disclosure Policy Advisor, who reports directly to the IFC Executive Vice President. An appeal response should be issued in written form within thirty calendar days except with complex cases.
For more information, see: IFC Disclosure Policy (IFC website)
IFC website
The IFC maintains an online project database searchable by country, region, sector, environmental category, and keyword. IFC SPIs and ERS’s can be found in full in this database, from the World Bank Info Shop or the IFC resident mission in the country where the project is located, if one exists.
A separate web page provides information on available Category 'A' project documents by country. Environmental assessments for Category A projects and any technical annexes are available from the Info Shop, resident missions, and the project sponsor.
Public Information Center
Visit IFC's Research and Publications web page to view records and IFC News to read about current events.
Also visit the World Bank Infoshop web page or contact:
World Bank InfoShop
1818 H Street, NW, Room J1-060
Washington, DC 20433, USA
Tel: +1-202-458-5454, Fax: +1-202-522-1500
Hours of Operation: 9:30am to 5:30pm (Monday through Friday)
For more information, subscribe to IFC Media Updates or the Sustainable Investor Newsletter.
Country Offices
IFC has 179 Member Countries classified into six Department Regions.
To become a member country, a nation must:
Belong to the World Bank (IBRD);
Sign IFC's Articles of Agreement; and
Have deposited an Instrument of Acceptance of IFC's Articles of Agreement with the World Bank Group's Corporate Secretariat .
Externals
Connect to other networks working on these issues through the links below.
IFI Transparency Resource
Global Transparency Initiative
ARTICLE 19: Global Campaign for Free Expression
Transparency International