Analysis

Protest at COP27, celebrated in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt in November 2022. Credit: Oliver Kornblihtt / Mídia NINJA

Finance

Analysis

Assessing the Bretton Woods Institutions’ legacy

New collection of critical essays by authors from MENA and Sub-Saharan Africa do a retrospective of the BWIs involvement in the region, and the legacy of BWIs-supported unjust and extractionist world economic order.

3 October 2023 | Briefings

Finance

Analysis

Reconceptualising Special Drawing Rights as a tool for development finance

Briefing examines the shortcomings of the current SDRs allocation system and calls to reform SDRs to ensure their targeted, needs-based and equitable distribution. 

2 October 2023 | Briefings
Anti IMF loan protest in downtown, Cairo, 2012. Credit: Gigi Ibrahim / Flickr

Private Sector

Analysis

Financialisation and human rights in the Middle East and North Africa

This briefing explains how the IMF and World Bank have driven the financialisation of MENA states, and the pervasive negative effects this has had on the region’s societies and economies.

27 September 2023 | Briefings
Cartoon representing the World Bank choosing the path towards an unsustainable future

IFI governance

Analysis

Civil society calls for World Bank to reroute ‘Evolution Roadmap’ away from Cascade

Civil society questions the proposed expansion of the Cascade approach, which has failed to deliver the ‘trillions’ promised.

19 July 2023

Finance

Analysis

UN Financing for Development: The best chance to democratise global economic governance?

As Bretton Woods Institutions fail to deliver transformative, systematic reform of deeply unequal global architecture, countries should embrace a more democratic space: the United Nations Financing for Development process

19 July 2023 | Guest analysis

Finance

Analysis

World Bank Group Evolution: Technical fixes or urgently needed reform?

World Bank Evolution Roadmap’s proposed superficial technical patches favouring the ‘logic’ of the market will likely fail to deliver the structural changes needed to support borrowing countries amidst global crises.

19 July 2023 | At Issue

Finance

Analysis

Civil Society calls for rethink of World Bank’s ‘evolution roadmap’ as part of wider reforms to highly unequal global financial architecture

Joint civil society briefing paper highlights concerns with the World Bank’s Evolution Roadmap, and provides a series of recommendations for a Roadmap that prioritises people, participation and the planet over profit and economic growth.

3 July 2023 | Briefings

IFI governance

Analysis

G24 communiqué analysis Spring Meetings 2023: In a world in crisis, BWIs need bold reform

The G24 communiqué of the 2023 Spring Meetings left no doubt about the gravity of the state of global affairs, including rising extreme poverty, food insecurity, migration and forced displacement.

19 April 2023

IFI governance

Analysis

Development Committee chair’s statement analysis Spring Meetings 2023: Division among Bank’s shareholders leaves ‘evolution roadmap’ at a cross-roads

Lack of consensus over Ukraine conflict meant Development Committee once again failed to agree a communiqué, with split also emerging over sources of funding for Bank’s expanded mission.

19 April 2023

IFI governance

Analysis

G20 press briefing analysis Spring Meetings 2023: Deep divisions and limited ambitions hinder response to the polycrisis

Despite pressing global issues, including a mounting debt crisis in low- and middle-income countries, the G20 failed to release a communique following the meeting of its finance ministers on 13 April at the World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings.

19 April 2023

IFI governance

Analysis

IMFC chair's statement analysis Spring Meetings 2023: Optimism and complacency at odds with growing desperation of Global South stakeholders

The IMFC again did not issue a communiqué as it could not agree on language on the war in Ukraine. A chair’s statement was issued in lieu of the communiqué and emphasised the resilience of the global safety net system, better than projected conditions and concerns about significant challenges.

19 April 2023

IFI governance

Analysis

V20 communiqué analysis Spring Meetings 2023: Climate vulnerable countries call for global financial architecture fit to tackle climate and debt emergencies

V20 called for substantive debt relief and increased concessional financing to help break vicious cycle of debt and Loss and Damage, and spur ‘climate-positive development’.

19 April 2023