The Corporate Scorecard’s accountability gap is symptomatic of a broader failure on the part of the WBG to fully internalise, integrate and learn from the work of its accountability mechanisms.
Analysis
Conditionality
Analysis
Who’s afraid of the grassroots? IMF policymaking in the era of social discontent
IMF proposes a grassroots communication strategy to convince the public of the need for further austerity measures as publications reveal fear that social unrest will make reforms ‘unimplementable’.
IFI governance
Analysis
Annual Meetings 2024 Wrap-up - Don’t look back: BWIs plough down path of reforms lacking evidence and willingness to engage with broader UN-led reform processes
The 2024 World Bank and IMF Annual Meetings, taking place in the context of the institutions’ 80th anniversary, offered little substantive reform despite multiple ongoing organisational processes and reviews.
IFI governance
Analysis
Development Committee chair’s statement analysis Annual Meetings 2024: compounding crises expose the World Bank’s role in structural failures but limit scope for reform
Despite Development Committee’s call for increased development impact amidst compounding crises, persistent geopolitical fragmentation constrains the critical reforms needed to address structural failures.
IFI governance
Analysis
G20 communiqué analysis Annual Meetings 2024: progress on tax and inequality obscures Group's wider failures
At the 25th anniversary of the Group’s Finance Track, the G20 communiqué’s robust language on the taxation of billionaires, including encouraging “constructive discussions” about the UN Tax Conference was contrasted by much more cautious language on MDB reform, climate finance, debt and Special Drawing Rights.
IFI governance
Analysis
G24 communiqué analysis Annual Meetings 2024: calls for robust multilateral response to mounting risk and global crises
G24 calls for robust multilateral response to debt, development and climate crises, arguing the IMF and World Bank must continue reform in order to maintain legitimacy and fulfil their mandate.
IFI governance
Analysis
IMFC chair’s statement analysis Annual Meetings 2024: a fiscal consolidation “pivot” as IMF struggles to get its house in order
Chair’s statement calls for a ‘pivot’ to fiscal consolidation and announces possible approaches to guide further quota realignment by June 2025. In contrast, China’s statement calls for work to begin on alignment even without resolution of 16th quota review.
IFI governance
Analysis
V20 communiqué analysis Annual Meetings 2024: climate vulnerable countries once again demand key changes to IMF’s approach, as world risks breaching climate tipping points
V20 members offered a searing indictment of rich countries’ failure to act on BWIs governance, debt relief, climate finance and SDRs.
IFI governance
Analysis
Annual Meetings 2024 Preamble: BWIs’ management and key shareholders stand in the way of transformative governance reforms despite ‘evolution’ rhetoric
Unconvincing World Bank Evolution Roadmap reforms and IMF’s struggle to mainstream climate and gender symptomatic of wider malaise.
IFI governance
Analysis
New World Bank Corporate Scorecard: overlooking client priorities and ignoring development impact
The World Bank’s new Corporate Scorecard misses the forest for the trees as it lacks an indicator to measure the Bank’s contribution to economic transformation, a cornerstone of its development mandate.
Conditionality
Analysis
Kenya's growing youth movement for fiscal justice rejects IMF-mandated austerity
Youth-led led protests lead to withdrawal of controversial finance bill by President William Ruto.
Finance
Analysis
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.
Featured briefings
9 June 2025
New data reveal World Bank DPF ‘climate finance’ carries strong private sector bias, undermining a just transition
New BWP briefing finds the World Bank counted 70 per cent of energy-sector reforms in Development Policy Financing as having 'climate co-benefits' between 2018-2023 - but most of these promoted a private-led energy transition.
15 April 2025
The Bretton Woods Observer: Spring 2025
2 April 2025