Infrastructure

Commentary

Disempowered development

World Bank support for a Nepal power line has been criticised for violating indigenous peoples’ rights and the use of armed forces, yet an Inspection Panel investigation has been delayed.

31 March 2014 | Guest comment

Environment

Analysis

Global Partnership for Oceans: World Bank fishing in troubled waters?

CSO concerns have been raised over the Bank’s Global Partnership for Oceans initiative, due to the strong emphasis on promoting aquaculture and the push for privatisation of access to fish resources.

31 March 2014 | Guest analysis

Infrastructure

Analysis

Costly dams criticised

In March the Bank approved funding related to the controversial Inga 3 dam project in the Democratic Republic of Congo, while an academic study finds large dams often are neither cost efficient nor carbon neutral.

31 March 2014

Environment

Analysis

World Bank’s climate change crusade: rhetoric or reality?

The World Bank is focussing significant time and resources into promoting itself as an agent for tackling climate change, but is still funds dirty energy through coal and gas projects, most recently in China.

31 March 2014

Rights

News

World Bank accused of resettlement “cultural genocide”

A series of high-profile eviction cases in Kenya, Nigeria and Cambodia has exposed the World Bank’s failure to protect the human rights of communities supposed to benefit from its projects, prompting widespread international condemnation.

31 March 2014

IFI governance

News

“Declining performance” at World Bank as strategy moves forward

A leaked draft IEG report reveals declining performance trends at the World Bank, including the IFC’s financial sector lending, while the implementation of the Bank’s strategy continues with the launch of a public consultation on the new country engagement model.

31 March 2014

Private Sector

Analysis

IFC funding to financial intermediaries: unfit for purpose

An IFC investment in ANZ Royal Bank has been criticised after the bank was implicated in a “massive land grab” in Cambodia. Further cases from Guatemala and Honduras reinforce calls for IFC to rethink its investments in financial intermediaries.

31 March 2014

Accountability

Background

IMF technical assistance

Technical assistance is a form of non-financial assistance provided by the IMF with the aim of improving the implementation of economic policies. Technical assistance accounts for about one-quarter of the IMF's operating budget, of which approximately two-thirds of total technical assistance goes to low income and lower-middle income countries.

31 March 2014 | Inside the institutions