The World Bank is planning a controversial major overhaul of its ten social and environmental policies.
Briefings
Trade
Analysis
Harmonisation and coherence: White knights or Trojan horses?
In recent months, the World Bank has been leading the charge to increase the harmonisation of donor policies and further coherence between the Bank, the IMF and the WTO.
IFI governance
Analysis
G-7, civil society press for IMF, World Bank transparency reforms
The World Bank and the IMF have responded to complaints about their lack of transparency by issuing mountains of documentation and offering innumerable meetings and consultations. But critics are still not satisfied, pointing to the difficulty for people to find and interpret many of the documents produced, and to the opacity of the institutions’ key decision-making bodies.
Conditionality
Analysis
Comments on ‘IMF Staff Note on Macroeconomic Programming for Poverty Reduction’
Civil society commentary on the 'IMF Staff Note on Macroeconomic Programming for Poverty Reduction'
Conditionality
Analysis
Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs): A Rough Guide
The aim of this short briefing is to provide information to a non-specialist audience on some key aspects of PRSPs.
Rights
Analysis
The World Bank, the IMF and “results”: increasing dominance in development policy lending
The World Bank and IMF are making an audacious grab to consolidate their roles as judge and jury of countries’ policies with a plan to conduct “regular reporting on the implementation of the policies and actions for achieving the MDGs and related development outcomes”.
Conditionality
Analysis
Indispensable or unworkable? The IMF’s new approach to conditionality
The IMF says that streamlining will make conditionality more efficient, effective and focused. Careful scrutiny suggests there is still plenty to question in the new approach.
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.
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)
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.
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).
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).
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The Bretton Woods Observer: Winter 2024
16 October 2024
The Bretton Woods Observer: Autumn 2024
16 October 2024
The lost call for international financial architecture reform in the G20
At the 80th anniversary of the World Bank and IMF, global civil society must maintain pressure on the Brazilian and South African G20 presidencies to ensure the forth Financing for Development Conference in 2025 results in urgently required international financial architecture reform.