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.
Analysis
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).
Conditionality
Analysis
Bank and Fund watchers must watch WTO
As the World Bank and the IMF inch closer towards streamlining their policies with those of the WTO, and vice-versa, a Bretton Woods Briefing discusses why Bank and Fund watchers should keep a close eye on the WTO negotiations (November 2001) .
Private Sector
Analysis
At whose disposal? Institutionalising the market
The latest World Development Report (WDR) places the market at the centre of any institutional framework for development and confirms the Bank’s neoliberal approach to development (October 2001).
IFI governance
Analysis
A Tower of Babel on the internet?
Critical report on the World Bank’s major new internet initiative, the Development Gateway.
Conditionality
Analysis
Carrots and Sticks: a quick fix for IMF conditionality?
A short questions and answers briefing on the IMF’s approach to conditionality
Social services
Analysis
The World Bank’s global public goods agenda: good for whom?
Prepared for the World Bank-IMF Spring meetings 2001, a short analysis of the World Bank’s understanding of the global public goods and which areas it plans to concentrate on.
Conditionality
Analysis
Comments on the IMF staff’s review of conditionality
Bretton Woods Project comments on the IMF’s conditionality review
Social services
Analysis
New World Bank/WHO trust fund for health: risks of misuse
Washington, DC, 26 April, 2001 - Italy and UK are taking the lead among G7 partners to set up a global trust fund of $1 billion to provide cheaper drugs for poor countries.
Finance
Analysis
Go with the Flows? Capital Account Liberalisation and Poverty
April 2001 report from the Bretton Woods Project and Oxfam. Examines the links between capital account liberalisation (CAL) and poverty reduction, including how CAL affects government spending, the delivery of social services, access to credit for small businesses and households, and general opportunities for sustainable livelihoods.
IFI governance
Analysis
Success or failure? Wolfensohn’s reforms at the World Bank
The World Bank is again trumpeting the changes it has made during Wolfensohn’s Presidency. But recent Bank documents reveal that many problems remain. These include a failure to institute a system for monitoring staff contributions to results in alleviating poverty, taking on too many global issues, and failing to balance global goals and national programmes. In a recent survey only 33% of developing country government officials said they thought the Bank was “effective” in hel
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