Books
The World Bank and governance: A decade of reform and reaction
Collection of papers from a network of post-graduate researchers on the World Bank, covering topics such as safeguards, forestry, pension reform and PRSPs.
Diane Stone and Christopher Wright (eds.), Routledge
ISBN: 0-415-41650-7
Human rights and development: towards mutual reinforcement
Exploration of human rights in relation to private finance, PRSPs, fiduciary responsibility and macroeconomics. Includes contributions from Bank and IMF staff past and present.
Philip Alston and Mary Robinson (eds.), Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199284628
Human rights obligations of non-state actors
Balanced and in-depth examination of the expanding scope of international law, it extends human rights obligations equally to non-state actors. Sections on the UN, IFIs, corporate actors and the WTO.
Andrew Clapham, Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198298153
Helping people to help themselves: From the World Bank to an alternative philosophy of development assistance
Advisor to former chief economist Joseph Stiglitz, Ellerman argues for a radical re-orientation of World Bank research and operations.
David Ellerman, University of Michigan Press
ISBN: 0472031422
The new development economics: After the Washington Consensus
A high-powered academic rejection of the Bretton Woods institutions’ approaches to growth, trade and governance, marking the continued rise of pluralist economics.
Jomo K.S. & Ben Fine (eds.), Zed Books
ISBN: 1 84277 643 6
Turkey and the IMF: Macroeconomic policy, patterns of growth and persistent fragilities
Turkey’s position as the largest IMF debtor and a potential EU member make this review of economic programming and the influence of the Bank and Fund, written by authentic dissenting voices within Turkey, an insightful read.
Independent Social Scientists’ Alliance of Turkey, Third World Network
ISBN: 983-2729-54-8
Papers
Assessing the impact of the PRGF on social services in selected African countries, Afrodad
Looks at the real impact of IMF lending on poverty reduction in Ethiopia, Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia. Despite some evidence of economic improvement, the PRGF had very mixed effects on service provision and human welfare.
Click to access PRGF%20Synthesis.pdf
Boom time blues: Big oil’s gender impacts in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Sakhalin, CEE Bankwatch Network, Gender Action
An investigation of the gender impacts of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Sakhalin II oil and gas project, and the inadequacy of Bank lending safeguards to ensure the rights of women.
Click to access boomtimeblues.pdf
An evaluation of World Bank research, 1998 – 2005, Deaton et al.
Research, knowledge and the art of “paradigm maintenance”, Robin Broad, Review of International Political Economy 13:3 (August 2006): 387-419.
Two of the most comprehensive assessments of the World Bank’s self-defined role as ‘knowledge bank’ in a decade. Not happy reading for the Bank.
Research evaluation: http://tinyurl.com/yck7wc
Robin Broad’s article: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals, a shorter version of this piece is available from the Bretton Woods Project: web version, pdf version
Shrink it or sink it, Focus on the Global South
A consensus statement, written by Focus director Walden Bello, but endorsed by dozens of organisations globally that sets out the civil society agenda for a radical change in the operations of the IMF.
http://www.focusweb.org/content/view/985/27/
Behind closed doors: Secrecy in international financial institutions, Global Transparency Initiative
Using rigorous cross-country methodology, this study finds gaping holes and inconsistencies in IFI disclosure policies.
Click to access behindcloseddoors_secrecyinifis.pdf
Beyond the IMF, Richard Webb and Davesh Kapur, CGD Working Paper 99
From renowned IFI scholars, this paper explores the regional and market-based alternatives on offer to countries given the failure of the IMF to fulfil its mission of insuring countries against financial crisis.
www.cgdev.org/files/10246_file_WP99.pdf
Electronic resources
End oil aid
New website by a diverse coalition of NGOs working together to end oil aid by addressing the intersection of oil dependence, climate change, and international debt.
http://www.endoilaid.org/
Third World Network finance listserv
New information service provided by TWN on finance and development issues. Features news and analysis on debt, conditionality, financial crises, capital flows, exchange rates, the IFIs, and UN processes (such as Financing for Development).
To subscribe email: twnet@po.jaring.my
http://www.twnside.org.sg/fndarchives.htm
