Accountability in a globalized world
January 2007

Accountability
From the editor

Accountability is a buzzword of the 21st century. But what does it mean to the NGOs, scientists, governments and companies in our conservation community?

This issue of World Conservation takes a look at how the pressure for greater accountability is playing out in the areas of environment and development. Are demands for good governance and transparency fundamentally changing the way governments, the private sector and NGOs operate? What more needs to be done, and who is responsible for driving the necessary changes? The following articles show how an elusive concept is translating into some tangible changes.

Industry sectors such as finance and tourism are making tentative steps towards greater accountability. Certification is helping the marine aquarium industry reduce its social and economic impact, and increased civil pressure is forcing governments to tackle illegal logging.

What efforts are you or your organization making on the road to greater accountability? What examples of best practice have you come across? We welcome your feedback and will post comments in the next issue of World Conservation as well as on this website.

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Other featured articles

Accountability in a globalized world Achim Steiner looks at accountability [HTML] [PDF]

Island states – easy prey? Lynn Holowesko says Caribbean islands are missing the corporate social responsibility wave [HTML] [PDF]

Responsible competitiveness Simon Zadek asks if this is a contradiction in terms [HTML] [PDF]

Purse strings Ton Boon von Ochsseé outlines what government donors expect of NGOs [HTML] [PDF]

State of the Union Gabriel Lopez looks at IUCN’s commitment to accountability [HTML] [PDF]

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