EFTA00587714.pdf

Conflict of Interest Guidelines for Global Secondment Program Participants Introduction This Annex describes the World Bank's rules and guidelines governing conflict of interest issues and notes specific guidelines which will be applied in the case of the Global Secondment Program. Relevant World Bank Rules and Guidelines An individual seconded to the World Bank through the Global Secondment Program is subject to the World Bank's Principles of Staff Employment, Staff Rules, and the Code of Professional Ethics for the duration of his/her appointment. The Staff Rules include provisions regarding conflicts of interest. A key provision stipulates that a staff member or former staff member who is in possession of non-public information obtained in the course of Bank Group employment shall not use such information in furtherance of a private interest or a private interest of any other person or entity [SR 3.01, para. 5.01]. This obligation continues after a Secondment staff member's separation from the service of the Bank Group. Further, staff members employed by the World Bank as part of the Global Secondment Program are subject to the following guidelines: U Secondment staff should be especially attentive to the policies and rules adopted by the World Bank Group relating to situations of conflict of interest, whether real or apparent, and to the obligation to serve with probity and integrity. U Secondment staff have a special responsibility to avoid situations and activities that might reflect adversely on the Bank Group or might compromise Bank Group operations or interests. U Secondment staff should be particularly careful with respect to the disclosure of confidential Bank Group information. They should not use confidential information related to the business of the Bank Group or acquired in the course of employment with the Bank Group to serve the interests, or for the benefit, of their host employer. U Secondment staff should not use their association or employment with the Bank Group to gain special favors or benefits for their host employer. U Secondment staff should not attempt to influence Bank Group officials on behalf of their host employer. U Secondment staff should not participate in any transaction of the Bank Group that involves a project or entity in which their host employer was, is, or intends to be involved. U Secondment staff should not participate in business solicitation activities from entities to which the Bank Group has provided, or is considering to provide, financing. EFTA00587714  Before assigning any activity to a Secondment staff, the Bank will review whether the activity poses any conflict of interest issues, which would make the Secondment staff member's participation in the activity inappropriate. The Bank expects Secondment staff, to the extent reasonably practicable, to disclose to the Bank any interests of their host employer within their actual knowledge which may entail a conflict of interest with their activities on behalf of the Bank. The Bank will also make sure that Secondment staff do not have access to any non-public information, which in the Bank's view would be impossible for them to maintain confidential when returning to their host employer. Without prejudice to the Guidelines enumerated above, the following principles will guide a Secondment staff member's work at the Bank: 1) A Secondment staff member cannot work on the design or implementation of any program or project in which his or her host employer may have an interest in investing directly or in potential downstream contracts, if such work in the Bank's view could provide, or be perceived to provide, a preferential treatment or benefit to the host employer, including an opportunity to inappropriately influence the design of the program or project. 2) The Bank and the Secondment staff member will use all reasonable efforts to ensure that the Secondment staff member is not put in a position where he/she could influence the design or implementation of a program or project to serve the interests of his/her host employer. 3) In addition, the Bank and the Secondment staff member will use all reasonable efforts to ensure that the Secondment staff member is not put in a position where he/she would be expected to divulge to other Bank staff any information that is deemed to be confidential or company sensitive to the host employer. 4) If a Secondment staff member is working on an assignment involving a competitor to the host employer, the Bank will disclose to the competitor where the Secondment staff member is seconded from and that as a Secondment staff member, he/she is representing the interests of the Bank, not the host employer, and that the Secondment staff member is subject to the guidelines in this Annex. If the competitor is not satisfied with arrangements regarding conflicts of interest, and these concerns are deemed legitimate by the Bank, the Bank will remove the Secondment staff member from working on the assignment. 5) When a Secondment staff member returns to his/her host employer, the company will use its best efforts to post him/her in a position that makes it possible for him/her not to disclose confidential information gleaned from his/her assignments at the Bank. 6) All materials — written, graphic, film, magnetic tap, or otherwise — produced or acquired by Secondment staff during his/her tenure as a staff member of the World Bank shall remain the property of the World Bank. The World Bank furthermore retains the exclusive right to publish or disseminate reports arising from such materials. The rights and duties provided for in this Annex, shall continue, notwithstanding the termination of this Agreement or the execution of its provisions. November 2009 EFTA00587715