The World Bank has made public its appointment of Mrs. Adedoyin Rhodes-Vivour, SAN as a member of the World Bank Group Sanctions Board.
It is on record that with her appointment, she is presently the only Nigerian on the board of the global financial institution.
The World Bank Sanctions Board is an independent administrative tribunal composed of seven external judges and sanctionable conduct occurring development projects handled by the World Bank Group to ensure good governance in World Bank operations and projects.
A chartered arbitrator and practicing lawyer, Rhodes-Vivour is also the Managing Partner of a Lagos base legal firm, Adeodoyin Rhodes-Vivour and Company.
With her appointment, she becomes one of the seven external judges for a six year term effective from November 17, 2020 through November 16, 2026. The independent Board is composed of top jurists and development experts from different jurisdictions.
The Sanctions Board is vested with responsibility to conduct hearings in respect of individuals and corporations alleged to have engaged in sanctionable conduct [fraud, corruption, coercion, collusion, obstruction or lack of transparency] in World Bank Financed Projects. The Board, on a determination that a sanctionable conduct has occurred is vested with power to impose appropriate sanctions including suspension or debarment from World Bank Group financing on such individual or organization. Decisions of the Sanctions Board are final and non-appealable.
The legal practitioner has significant experience in dispute settlement and arbitration. She is regularly ranked by publications including Who’s Who Legal and Expert Guides as a pre-eminent arbitrator. She has been described as highly recommended by clients and peers for her skill and versatile thinking and “one who garners strong praise from market sources for her first class practice”. She is adjudged as “providing clients with a wealth of expertise as both arbitrator and counsel across the financial services and energy sectors”.
She is a member of the International Chamber of Commerce [Paris] International Court of Arbitration, Member International Law Association, Past Member, Permanent Court of Arbitration [PCA] The Hague, Netherlands and past Chairperson, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators [UK] Nigeria Branch.
She is the author of the book titled: Commercial Arbitration Law and Practice in Nigeria through the Cases published by LexisNexis.
A statement issued by her firm and obtained by Maritime Bits quoted her saying that she considers it an honor to be appointed to the Sanctions Board and looks forward to working in the World Bank Family in the achievement of its goals of eradicating extreme poverty, promoting shared prosperity and its commitment to eradicating corruption with its negative effects on the development goals of the World Bank.
