Briefings

IFI governance

Analysis

Window of opportunity on IFI governance

Discussion of the key issues to be raised when the Development Committee discusses reforms to the governance structure of the IFIs at the Spring Meetings this April.

28 January 2003 | Briefings

Knowledge

Analysis

Cornering the Market: The World Bank and trade capacity building

The Bank’s role in trade capacity building affords enormous influence over the hearts and minds of trade policy makers and the way in which trade is mainstreamed into national development plans. The initial experience of the Integrated Framework programme shows that there is reason for concern. (September 2002)

16 September 2002 | Briefings

Conditionality

Analysis

Blinding with Science or encouraging debate?

This report examines the powerful roles of the World Bank in determining the policies chosen by PRSP countries. It provides a critical assessment of the current moves to introduce Poverty and Social Impact Analysis (PSIA), and recommends taking further action to break the Bank’s near monopoly on development analysis and control of policy formulation process.

16 September 2002 | Briefings

Finance

Analysis

Taken for granted? US Proposals to Reform the World Bank’s IDA Examined

US debt campaigners are siding with the Bush administration against European leaders and other NGOs over a key source of finance for the world’s 79 poorest countries. Discussions on the pros and cons of providing grants instead of loans through IDA appear deadlocked (March 2002).

25 March 2002 | Briefings

Accountability

Analysis

Bank and Fund take on terror

The World Bank and International Monetary Fund appear to have carved out roles for themselves in the “international war against terrorism” through their institutional framework (November 2001).

17 January 2002 | Briefings

Conditionality

Analysis

Bank and Fund watchers must watch WTO

As the World Bank and the IMF inch closer towards streamlining their policies with those of the WTO, and vice-versa, a Bretton Woods Briefing discusses why Bank and Fund watchers should keep a close eye on the WTO negotiations (November 2001) .

1 January 2002 | Briefings

Private Sector

Analysis

At whose disposal? Institutionalising the market

The latest World Development Report (WDR) places the market at the centre of any institutional framework for development and confirms the Bank’s neoliberal approach to development (October 2001).

2 November 2001 | Briefings

IFI governance

Analysis

A Tower of Babel on the internet?

Critical report on the World Bank’s major new internet initiative, the Development Gateway.

18 June 2001 | Briefings

Social services

Analysis

The World Bank’s global public goods agenda: good for whom?

Prepared for the World Bank-IMF Spring meetings 2001, a short analysis of the World Bank’s understanding of the global public goods and which areas it plans to concentrate on.

5 April 2001 | Briefings

Conditionality

Analysis

Comments on the IMF staff’s review of conditionality

Bretton Woods Project comments on the IMF’s conditionality review

5 April 2001 | Briefings

Social services

Analysis

New World Bank/WHO trust fund for health: risks of misuse

Washington, DC, 26 April, 2001 - Italy and UK are taking the lead among G7 partners to set up a global trust fund of $1 billion to provide cheaper drugs for poor countries.

5 April 2001 | Briefings

IFI governance

Analysis

Success or failure? Wolfensohn’s reforms at the World Bank

The World Bank is again trumpeting the changes it has made during Wolfensohn’s Presidency. But recent Bank documents reveal that many problems remain. These include a failure to institute a system for monitoring staff contributions to results in alleviating poverty, taking on too many global issues, and failing to balance global goals and national programmes. In a recent survey only 33% of developing country government officials said they thought the Bank was “effective” in hel

5 April 2001 | Briefings