On the sidelines of the AfDB’s 2024 Annual Meetings taking place in Nairobi, Kenya, the Independent Recourse Mechanism (IRM) of the African Development Bank has presented its 2023 Accountability in Action Award to Babacar Diouf, founding member of LSD – a Senegal-based NGO.
“We are truly honoured to present Babacar with this award in recognition of the accountability he has exhibited in his day-to-day engagement with communities in his home country of Senegal” said Stephanie Amoako, representing the chair of the award jury and member of the IRM’s Stakeholder Advisory Council.
Babacar has actively worked to seek redress for two communities adversely affected by two projects funded by the African Development Bank in Senegal: The Malicounda Duel Fuel Power project and the Dakar Regional Express Train (Phase 1)project. He has been instrumental in promoting and facilitating communities’ access to the AfDB’s Independent Recourse Mechanism and ensuring that they hold the Bank and its clients to account for any harm suffered from the Bank-funded projects. Babacar has also served as an advisor for impacted communities helping them navigate IRM’s complaint handling processes.
“ I’m delighted to receive this award, which encourages us to make even greater efforts in our commitment to communities. I would like to thank the MIR for awarding me the 2023 Accountability in Action Award. I dedicate this award to my dear colleagues at LSD, but also to the women and men who courageously defend the rights of communities when these are violated by development projects that are supposed to benefit them.” Remarked Babacar
Babacar has been working for the Senegal-based NGO since its inception in 2010. His main role at LSD is to investigate IFI-funded projects in Senegal particularly infrastructure projects funded by the African Development Bank. LSD’s mission is to promote good governance and accountability in the operations of international financial institutions (IFIs)
Babacar is the third laureate of the IRM’s Accountability in Action Award since it was launched in 2022. The two previous laureates were Regis Mpawenayo, former Director of the Road agency in Burundi and Hon. Justice Prof. Nixon Sifuna, Judge at the High Court of Kenya.
The Accountability in Action Award is an annual award launched in 2022 by the IRM to acknowledge the critical importance that accountability plays in sustainable development. The award seeks to specifically honour individuals and organizations that have made a notable contribution in the field of accountability during their engagement in the IRM’s complaints-handling process. The IRM’s Stakeholder Advisory Council (SAC) is in charge of handling the award selection process. Every year, they receive nominations from individuals and other entities once the call for nominations is launched and is in charge of determining who best meets the criteria to become the laureate for the award.
The SAC serves as a knowledge resource designed to strengthen the IRM’s effectiveness. Its goal is to enhance the strategic direction and operations of the IRM in support of its mission. The SAC is composed of members from the five African regions with academic backgrounds and/or experience in a variety of fields, including economics, political science, business, law, mediation, and communications.
