Finance

Background

9 December 2021 | Inside the institutions

What are Special Drawing Rights (SDRs)?

This Inside the Institutions looks at the IMF’s Special Drawing Rights, including their history and usage, with a focus on the latest allocation, which accounts for 69 per cent of the SDRs ever disbursed.

Conditionality

Background

28 March 2018 | Project news

Miriam Brett joins BWP as International Development Finance Project Manager

Miriam Brett will manage BWP's work on areas relating to international development finance, with a focus on macroeconomic scrutiny of the IMF

Conditionality

Background

14 January 2021 | Recruitment

Project Officer (CLOSED)

The Bretton Woods Project is looking for a Project Officer to support the Bretton Woods Project team in monitoring the work of the IMF, supporting critical civil society communities, and advocating for transformational change.

Conditionality

Background

2 October 2020 | Minutes

Fiscal space for universal health and social protection post Covid-19 pandemic: How to prevent austerity

Notes from the Civil Society Policy Forum Session on 2 October.

Finance

Background

16 April 2019 | Minutes

Taxes, Taxes, Taxes: Shifting the IFI Narrative to Progressive Gender-just Taxation

Notes from the Civil Society Policy Forum session on 12 April on the changing international tax landscape from a feminist perspective and challenging IFIs’ role in shaping it at the World Bank and IMF's 2019 Spring Meetings.

Conditionality

Background

6 October 2016 | Minutes

Managing global financial risks in uncertain times

Notes from a side event at the IMF/World Bank 2016 annual meetings discussing how financial globalisation can allow crises to spread far more quickly and widely than ever before.

Knowledge

Background

7 October 2015 | Minutes

Lurking behind plummeting oil prices: Advancing structural adjustment

Notes from a meeting at the IMF/World Bank CSO Forum at the 2015 Annual meetings, focusing on macroeconomic challenges for the MENA region.

Conditionality

Background

16 April 2015 | Minutes

Causes and consequences of income inequality: A global perspective

Notes from a meeting on income inequality during the World Bank spring meetings.

IFI governance

Background

8 October 2014

Emerging markets in transition: growth prospects and challenges

Notes of a meeting on emerging markets in transition at the World Bank-IMF annual meetings 2014

IFI governance

Background

13 October 2013 | Minutes

Is the European recovery finally under way?

CEPR event at the 2013 civil society forum on whether a recovery is under way in Europe; held as a debate between Prakash Loungani of the IMF's research department and Mark Weisbrot, CEPR co-director.

IFI governance

Background

10 October 2013 | Minutes

IMF consultation: CSO views on fiscal transparency policy

Minutes of an IMF consultation on fiscal transparency policy

Knowledge

Background

4 October 2013 | Inside the institutions

IMF forecasting models

Forecasting models are crucial to how the Fund performs its role as lender and global economic monitor, but the assumptions underpinning these models are frequently derided as unrealistic.

Infrastructure

Background

23 April 2013 | Minutes

Colombia case study: results measurement and poverty eradication

This session examined Colombia's private sector partnerships and poverty eradication programme.

IFI governance

Background

22 April 2013 | Minutes

From the Arab revolutions to global austerity trends

This session examined issues thrown up by the Arab revolutions, including the fiscal, monetary, tax and investment policies being considered by governments facilitating, or hindering countries in the Arab and other regions in building an inclusive economy and supporting socioeconomic recovery, the impact on public expenditure for the strengthening of education, health, and other social sectors as well as the management of chronic and high unemployment and high food and fuel prices.

Social services

Background

19 April 2013 | Minutes

Leveraging private finance with public money: Positive Innovation? Corporate Welfare?

This event explored how modalities to "leverage" the private sector are beginning to appear in different ways in the World Bank and donors' agenda, and the challenges they pose.

Environment

Background

18 April 2013 | Minutes

CSO meeting with Ms. Ksenia Yudaeva, G20 sherpa, Russian Federation

This event featured a discussion between CSOs and the Russian Federation G20 sherpa covering topics including food & nutrition security, jobs and the post-2015 development agenda.

IFI governance

Background

18 April 2013 | Minutes

After recent court decisions: how can sovereign debt workouts become fair, comprehensive and account

This session examines the challenges which recent court decisions pose to sovereign debt workouts that allow for burden-sharing and take into account the social development needs of debtor countries.

Private Sector

Background

18 April 2013 | Minutes

Discussion on IMF jobs and growth policies

Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) sponsored discussion on macroeconomic policy in the Eurozone, and the challenges to restoring employment and growth.

Land

Background

11 October 2012 | Minutes

Halting the global land rush: protecting land rights and promoting food security

This event discussed how to invest in agriculture in a responsible way, including research on the scale of the global rush for land, and explored potential solutions to the problem, including the role that the World Bank can and must play.

IFI governance

Background

3 July 2012 | Inside the institutions

Revolving doors: staff turnover between IFIs and African governments

The term 'revolving doors' refers to frequent staff turnover between institutions, usually relevant when these represent different interests working on the same policy issues. This serves to foster cross-institutional networks, practices and alliances. The staff turnover between international financial institutions (IFIs) and borrowing governments works as a mechanism through which specific ideas and practices learnt and promoted in IFIs are translated into policies in borrowing countries

Conditionality

Background

23 April 2012 | Minutes

A Global Shared Societies Agenda

Minutes meeting for A Global Shared Societies Agenda

Finance

Background

20 April 2012 | Minutes

How can the IMF enhance its focus on growth and poverty reduction in LICS?

A civil society meeting held at the World Bank and the IMF hold their 2012 spring meetings in Washington DC on Friday 20th April.

IFI governance

Background

20 April 2012 | Minutes

Seminar - Time for a New Consensus: Regulating Financial Flows for Stability and Development

As the World Bank and the IMF hold their 2012 spring meetings in Washington DC this week, Latindadd and the Bretton Woods Project organised a seminar about regulating financial flows on Thursday 19 April.

Finance

Background

20 April 2012 | Minutes

Regulating Global Capital Flows for Development

Seminar at the Brookings Institution on capital flows regulations - 19 April

Accountability

Background

18 April 2012 | Minutes

UK civil society meeting UK IMF Executive Director Alex Gibbs

Notes of a meeting with UK executive director to the IMF Alex Gibbs in April 2012

Accountability

Background

12 October 2011 | Minutes

UK civil society meeting with HM Treasury and UK IMF Executive Director

Notes meeting Alex Gibbs September 2011

IFI governance

Background

13 April 2011 | Minutes

IMF triennial surveillance review

Notes of meeting, Washington DC, April 13, 2011

Finance

Background

13 April 2011 | Minutes

Meeting between the UK IMF Executive Director Alex Gibbs, HM Treasury and UK civil society organisat

Notes of the seminar of spring meetings 2011

IFI governance

Background

12 October 2010 | Minutes

Held in reserve: can a new approach to monetary policy transform the global economic outlook?

Minutes of an experts seminar held on the sidelines of the 2010 Annual Meetings of the IMF, 7 October 2010

Knowledge

Background

11 October 2010 | Minutes

Post MDG Summit

Notes of the seminar of annual meetings 2010

IFI governance

Background

11 October 2010 | Minutes

Future of the global financial and monetary system

Notes of the seminar of annual meetings 2010

IFI governance

Background

11 October 2010 | Minutes

Global economic governance

Notes of the seminar of annual meetings 2010

Conditionality

Background

8 October 2010 | Minutes

Civil Society Townhall Meeting with Robert Zoellick and Dominique Strauss-Kahn

Notes of the seminar of annual meetings 2010

Knowledge

Background

7 October 2010 | Minutes

Meeting between the UK IMF Executive Director Alex Gibbs , HM Treasury and UK civil society organisa

Notes of the seminar of annual meetings 2010

IFI governance

Background

23 April 2010 | Minutes

An IMF for the 21st century - the low-income country perspective

Civil society event at the World Bank spring meetings 2010, 22 April

Environment

Background

23 April 2010 | Minutes

Financing the response to climate change: special drawing rights (SDRs) for climate finance

Civil society event at the World Bank spring meetings 2010, 22 April

Accountability

Background

30 March 2010 | Minutes

Meeting between UK civil society and Alex Gibbs, UK IMF Executive Director

Minutes of a meeting between UK civil society, UK IMF Executive Director Alex Gibbs, and UK Treasury staff

IFI governance

Background

5 October 2009 | Minutes

The impact of financial regulation on developing countries

The impact of financial regulation on developing countries, World Bank Programme of Seminars, with Mingkang Liu, Joseph Stiglitz, and Alvir Hoffman.

Conditionality

Background

5 October 2009 | Minutes

The IMF: Change we can believe in?

The IMF: Change we can believe in? Notes of a civil society meeting in Istanbul. Speakers include Joseph Stiglitz, Andrew Kumbatira, Caroline Atkinson, and Bhumika Muchhala.

IFI governance

Background

5 October 2009 | Minutes

Future of the Global Financial System

Notes of part of a panel debate chaired by Martin Wolf of the Financial Times, Istanbul, 4 October 2009.

Finance

Background

4 October 2009 | Minutes

Report launch: Post-crisis growth in developing countries

Growth commission event in Istanbul.

IFI governance

Background

4 October 2009 | Minutes

Critical debate on the World Bank and IMF

Summary of a presentation made by Professor Anwar Shaikh, the New School for Social Research, on "Monetary Policy and the Global Crisis"

IFI governance

Background

4 October 2009 | Minutes

Global economic governance roundtable

Summary of a discussion with German government representatives, Jomo KS of the UN and civil society organisations.

IFI governance

Background

25 April 2009 | Minutes

IMF crisis response- discussion

Notes of a meeting between the IMF and civil society organisations

Conditionality

Background

24 April 2009 | Minutes

Policy Support Instrument (PSI) - seminar

Notes of discussion at World Bank Civil Society Forum, 23 April 2009

IFI governance

Background

23 April 2009 | Minutes

G20 Summit and impacts on developing countries

Summary of IMF and World Bank presentations and the discussion afterwards

IFI governance

Background

1 April 2009 | Inside the institutions

The IMF's special drawing rights (SDRs)

The special drawing right (SDR) is an international reserve asset, created by the IMF in 1969 to supplement the existing official reserves of member countries.

Conditionality

Background

11 October 2008 | Minutes

Combating tax flight: ending evasion and reducing avoidance

Norway, Germany, IMF, WOrld Bank and experts discuss tackling tax evasion and capital flight.

Environment

Background

11 April 2008 | Minutes

Macroeconomic and fiscal implications of climate change and the policies to address it

A briefing by IMF economists at the spring meetings 2008.

Conditionality

Background

11 April 2008 | Minutes

IMF consultation in advance of the PSI review

Notes of a consultation between IMF staff and NGOs in advance of the PSI review

Social services

Background

10 April 2008 | Minutes

Structural conditionalities in the IMF: A discussion between the IMF, IEO, and CSOs

An upcoming civil society report demonstrates that IMF structural conditionality did not decline in the five years after the approval of the Fund's conditionality guidelines in September 2002, which were based on the principles of ownership and criticality in its application of structural conditionality, as well as to streamlining the number of conditions. Going on seven years, it seems that these guidelines have been more honoured in principle than in practice. A recent Independent Evaluation O

Finance

Background

26 October 2007 | Minutes

Macroeconomic aspects of aid scaling up and the role of the Fund

Highlights of a 21 October discussion on the macroeconomics of aid scaling up at the World Bank-IMF annual meetings 2007.

Conditionality

Background

26 October 2007 | Minutes

The IMF's Policy Support Instrument: more flexibility or continued belt tightening

Highlights of a 21 October discussion on the IMF's Policy Support Instrument (PSI) at the World Bank-IMF annual meetings 2007.

Finance

Background

24 May 2007

Growth Commission case studies unveiled

As a key part of its remit, the Commission on Growth and Development has identified twenty areas it deems crucial 'to furthering our understanding of long-term sustainable economic growth and development'.

Conditionality

Background

27 April 2007 | Minutes

IMF macroeconomic policies and the impacts on education budgets and teacher wages

IMF civil society dialogue, spring meetings 2007 (14 April 2007)

Conditionality

Background

27 April 2007 | Minutes

IEO Evaluation of the IMF and Aid to Sub-Saharan Africa

Civil society dialogue, spring meetings 2007 (12 April 2007) on the IEO Evaluation of the IMF and Aid to Sub-Saharan Africa

Conditionality

Background

25 April 2007

Workshop on aid and the roles of the World Bank and IMF in low-income countries

To date there have been gaps in the thinking and policy lines of UK NGOs on several key questions in relation to low-income countries, multilateral institutions and development. The 1 May 2007 workshop will bring the BWI-UK and UKAN networks together to address the following four questions, with a view to coordinating policy and advocacy positions: 1. What role do/should the IMF and World Bank be playing in the evolving international aid architecture? 2. Should the IMF be providing dev

Conditionality

Background

20 April 2007 | Minutes

Fiscal space and fiscal priorities: Infrastructure, trade and poverty

This panel discussion addressed the pros and cons of fiscal space for infrastructure when infrastructure is trade-related, what they mean for current proposals by the World Bank and IMF on fiscal space, and the importance of an assessment that looks jointly at the trade and financial aspects on the grounds of poverty reduction, development and environment goals.

Conditionality

Background

19 April 2007 | Minutes

Sub-Saharan Africa: Outlook and Challenges

Sub-Saharan Africa: Outlook and Challenges; IMF-civil society dialogue, 13 April 2007