World Bank Group sanctions system: INT, OSD, the Sanctions Board and the debarred firms list
- Investigator
- Integrity Vice Presidency (INT) 4
- First tier
- Office of Suspension and Debarment, led by the Chief Suspension and Debarment Officer 2
- Second tier
- World Bank Group Sanctions Board, seven external judges 3
- Sanctions Board Chair
- Philip Daltrop, according to the Board page 3
- Sanctionable practices
- Corrupt, fraudulent, coercive, collusive and obstructive 4
- Baseline sanction
- "A baseline sanction of a 3-year debarment with conditional release is the default starting point" 5
- FY2025 period
- 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025 4
- FY2025 sanctioned
- 32 firms and individuals debarred or otherwise sanctioned 4
What the system is
The World Bank Group sanctions system is administrative. Its final tier describes itself as "an independent administrative tribunal" 3. It applies to firms and individuals in development projects the Group finances 3. The FY2025 annual report lists five sanctionable practices. They are corrupt, fraudulent, coercive, collusive and obstructive practices 4. Obstructive practice covers impeding a Bank Group investigation or audit 4.
The system page lists the Integrity Vice Presidency, OSD, the Sanctions Board and integrity and sanctions units at IFC and MIGA 1.
The three bodies
| Body | Role |
|---|---|
| Integrity Vice Presidency (INT) 4 | Investigates allegations and may seek sanctions by submitting a case to OSD or by negotiating a settlement 4 |
| Office of Suspension and Debarment (OSD) 2 | "provides the first level of adjudication". It reviews INT's evidence, can temporarily suspend a respondent, recommends sanctions and imposes them on respondents who do not contest 1,2 4 |
| Sanctions Board 3 | "an independent administrative tribunal" and "the second tier" of the system. It reviews contested cases de novo 3,4 |
Types of sanction
The Sanctioning Guidelines of October 2024 list debarment with conditional release, debarment, conditional non-debarment, letter of reprimand, indefinite debarment and restitution 5. They set the default starting point at a 3-year debarment with conditional release 5.
The FY2025 Data Companion explains the main terms 7.
- Debarment with conditional release: the stated length is a minimum, and release follows only after case-specific conditions are met 7.
- Fixed-term debarment: the period of ineligibility is set in advance 7.
- Conditional non-debarment: a set period in which the respondent must show compliance to avoid debarment 7.
- Finding of non-liability: no sanction, and the proceedings end 7.
Settlements and cross-debarment
Many cases end in a settlement between INT and the respondent 4. In FY2025 INT submitted 19 settlements to the Suspension and Debarment Officer and one to the IFC Evaluation Officer 4. World Bank press releases have used the term "negotiated resolution agreement" for some settlements 8,9.
The annual report describes the Agreement on Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions 4. The parties are the African Development Bank Group, the Asian Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Inter-American Development Bank Group and the World Bank Group 4. Each enforces the others' debarments of more than one year for corrupt, fraudulent, coercive and collusive practices 4. The 2012 Alstom release dates the agreement to 9 April 2010 9.
FY2025 totals
The Sanctions System Annual Report for fiscal year 2025 is dated 17 December 2025 in the World Bank documents database 4. It reports these figures for 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025 4.
- 32 firms and individuals debarred or otherwise sanctioned 4.
- 19 sanctions cases submitted by INT to OSD 4.
- 65 new INT investigations opened and 54 completed, of which 31 were substantiated 4.
- 16 firms and 2 individuals temporarily suspended 4.
- 20 firms and individuals cross-debarred by OSD based on other banks' decisions 4.
- 2 Sanctions Board decisions, No. 144 and No. 145, both ending proceedings for insufficient evidence 4.
Where it publishes
The debarred firms page lists debarred firms and individuals, who are ineligible for World Bank-financed contracts for the periods shown 6. A second table lists other sanctions that do not result in debarment 6. Entries posted after 1 January 2021 state the sanctionable practice in the Grounds column, and cross-debarred entries are marked there 6. Sanctions Board decisions and OSD uncontested determinations are linked from the system page 1.
Case records on this site
| Case | Sanction | Settlement |
|---|---|---|
| SNC-Lavalin Inc. and affiliates, 17 April 2013 8 | 10-year debarment, reducible to 8 years if conditions are met. SNC-Lavalin Group conditionally non-debarred 8 | Negotiated Resolution Agreement 8 |
| Alstom Hydro France and Alstom Network Schweiz AG, 22 February 2012 9 | 3-year debarment, reducible to 21 months. About US$9.5 million restitution 9 | Negotiated resolution agreement 9 |
Common questions
Who investigates fraud and corruption in World Bank projects?
The Integrity Vice Presidency (INT) investigates and may submit a case to OSD or negotiate a settlement 4.
Can a sanctioned firm appeal?
A respondent can contest. The Sanctions Board is the final decision-maker in all contested cases 3.
How do I check if a firm is debarred by the World Bank?
Search the World Bank Listing of Sanctioned Firms and Individuals, which gives each firm's ineligibility period and grounds 1,6.
Does a World Bank debarment apply at other development banks?
Debarments of more than one year for corrupt, fraudulent, coercive and collusive practices are enforced by the other parties to the mutual enforcement agreement 4.
Rules and fees change. Check the official site linked above before you apply or pay. Spotted an error? Email [email protected] with the official link.
Sources
- World Bank Group: Sanctions System
- World Bank: Office of Suspension and Debarment
- World Bank Group: Sanctions Board
- World Bank Group: Sanctions System Annual Report Fiscal Year 2025 (17 December 2025)
- World Bank Group: Sanctioning Guidelines (October 2024)
- World Bank: Procurement, World Bank Listing of Ineligible Firms and Individuals
- World Bank Group: Sanctions System Data Companion, Fiscal Year 2025 (January 2026)
- World Bank: press release 2013/337/INT, World Bank Debars SNC-Lavalin Inc. and its Affiliates for Ten Years (17 April 2013)
- World Bank: press release, Enforcing Accountability, World Bank Debars Alstom Hydro France, Alstom Network Schweiz AG, and their Affiliates (22 February 2012)
Related
- World Bank sanctions and debarment explained
How the World Bank investigates, debars and settles with firms over fraud and corruption in Bank-financed projects, from INT to the Sanctions Board.
- World Bank debarment of SNC-Lavalin Inc. over the Padma Bridge project (2013)
On 17 April 2013 the World Bank debarred SNC-Lavalin Inc. and over 100 affiliates for 10 years under a negotiated resolution over the Padma Bridge project.
- World Bank debarment of Alstom Hydro France and Alstom Network Schweiz AG (2012)
On 22 February 2012 the World Bank debarred two Alstom units for three years and Alstom agreed restitution of about US$9.5 million over a Zambia project.
- Cross-debarment among multilateral development banks explained
How a debarment by the World Bank, AfDB, ADB, EBRD or IDB can be enforced by the others under the 2010 mutual enforcement agreement, and its limits.
- African Development Bank sanctions and debarment explained
How the AfDB investigates fraud and corruption, how the Sanctions Commissioner and Sanctions Appeals Board decide, and how AfDB settlements work.