IDA talks climax

The World Bank is now in the advanced stages of negotiation with donor countries on funding for the next 3 years of its International Development Association soft loan funding arm.

Government negotiators and NGOs are continuing to press the Bank on points including:

1. whether the Bank will press all borrowers to draw up Universal Primary Education Action Plans;
2. extending the treatment of governance to explicitly include civil society participation in drawing up development strategies;
3. improving language on social service spending levels and targeting;
4. more rigorous analysis of gender constraints and how to address them;
5. what role, if any, IDA has in supporting the private sector directly.

More info and documents: the Bretton Woods Project.