Orsolya Szekely Appointed as New World Bank Accountability Mechanism Secretary

By: WE Staff | Tuesday, 4 May 2021

Ms. Orsolya Székely was appointed Secretary of the World Bank's Accountability Mechanism today by the World Bank.

On September 8, 2020, the World Bank's Board of Executive Directors formed the World Bank Accountability Mechanism (AM) to strengthen the WB's accountability process. The Bank's Inspection Panel and the Dispute Resolution Service (DRS) will be housed in the Accountability Mechanism, which will maintain the members' independence. As announced in October 2020, the Accountability Mechanism will become operational once the Accountability Mechanism Secretary is hired and begins work.

The World Bank is an international financial institution that lends and grants money to governments in low- and middle-income countries to fund capital projects. The World Bank is a component of the World Bank Group.

Székely, a Hungarian national, has a long history as a pioneer of transparency mechanisms. She brings extensive knowledge of environmental and social problems, as well as extensive experience in international development, as a lawyer and senior conflict-resolution specialist.

Székely has worked with a wide variety of multilateral organisations and the private sector for more than two decades. Székely's most recent role is as Senior Advisor and Coordinator in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, where she is responsible for improving good governance at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Székely previously served as a senior advisor in India, Myanmar, China, Kyrgyzstan, and Afghanistan, as well as on projects in Bangladesh and Nepal, with communities and high-level stakeholders.

She has focused on issues such as women's empowerment and inclusion in peacemaking processes. She previously worked as the Head of Operations at the Council of Europe Office in Bosnia and Herzegovina and as the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe's Special Representative in Kosovo.

Székely was instrumental in developing accountability structures in the UN and EU Missions in Kosovo and facilitated the transformation of the Ombudsperson Institution from internationally-led to locally-led in her managerial positions at the Council of Europe Office in Pristina.

Ms. Székely graduated from the University of Pécs in Hungary with a Master's degree in Law. She is a certified mediator with the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) in the United Kingdom. She also holds a Certificate in Negotiation from Harvard Law School.