Detailed analysis of the communiqués from the 2014 World Bank and IMF spring meetings.
Analysis
Private Sector
Analysis
Follow the money
New Bretton Woods Project report reveals World Bank Group channelling crucial development resources to banks instead of directly investing in pro-poor projects.
Infrastructure
Analysis
Costly dams criticised
In March the Bank approved funding related to the controversial Inga 3 dam project in the Democratic Republic of Congo, while an academic study finds large dams often are neither cost efficient nor carbon neutral.
Environment
Analysis
World Bank’s climate change crusade: rhetoric or reality?
The World Bank is focussing significant time and resources into promoting itself as an agent for tackling climate change, but is still funds dirty energy through coal and gas projects, most recently in China.
Knowledge
Analysis
Let them eat cake! IMF the equality champion?
The IMF released papers accepting the case against inequality, however it shows no indication of changing its demands upon borrowing countries.
Environment
Analysis
Global Partnership for Oceans: World Bank fishing in troubled waters?
CSO concerns have been raised over the Bank’s Global Partnership for Oceans initiative, due to the strong emphasis on promoting aquaculture and the push for privatisation of access to fish resources.
Private Sector
Analysis
IFC funding to financial intermediaries: unfit for purpose
An IFC investment in ANZ Royal Bank has been criticised after the bank was implicated in a “massive land grab” in Cambodia. Further cases from Guatemala and Honduras reinforce calls for IFC to rethink its investments in financial intermediaries.
IFI governance
Analysis
The future of global economic governance and the IMF
In December 2013, the German Development Institute, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and Bretton Woods Project, in collaboration with the G-24, hosted a high-level workshop in Berlin to foster an open exchange on the profound changes in the global economy and the implications for global economic governance and its constituent institutions and members.
Conditionality
Analysis
IMF blames the victims as markets thow another taper tantrum
As emerging markets suffer renewed bout of financial volatility, risk of worse to come as IMF struggles to provide even-handed global policy coordination.
Infrastructure
Analysis
World Bank’s thirst for hydropower
The World Bank and IFC continue push for controversial hydropower, with projects in Guatemala, Democratic Republic of Congo, East Africa, Niger, Pakistan and Macedonia. The Bank warned on long term viability of hydropower, as Uruguay’s state hydro company agreed insurance with the Bank.
Finance
Analysis
BRICS Bank: New bottle, how’s the wine?
Last year BRICS' leaders agreed to launch a BRICS development bank. Whether this is considered positive depends in part what questions are being asked. Sameer Dossani of ActionAid International highlights the flaws in the World Bank and IMF, analyses whether a BRICS Bank could be different from these institutions and proposes what it should do and what it should look like.
Rights
Analysis
IFC's bitter tea
As the CAO publishes its assessment report of its investigation into allegations of human rights violations by IFC-funded APPL, Tata Tea's parent company in Assam new evidence emerges of the IFC's failings.
Featured briefings
6 April 2022
The Bretton Woods Observer: Spring 2022
8 December 2021
The Bretton Woods Observer: Winter 2021
8 November 2021
IMF surveillance and climate change transition risks
New briefing by ActionAid USA and the Bretton Woods Project highlights research showing that IMF policy advice has undermined a just energy transition since the Paris Agreement was signed.