Analysis

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).

17 January 2002 | Briefings

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) .

1 January 2002 | Briefings

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).

2 November 2001 | Briefings

IFI governance

Analysis

A Tower of Babel on the internet?

Critical report on the World Bank’s major new internet initiative, the Development Gateway.

18 June 2001 | Briefings

Conditionality

Analysis

Comments on the IMF staff’s review of conditionality

Bretton Woods Project comments on the IMF’s conditionality review

5 April 2001 | Briefings

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.

5 April 2001 | Briefings

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.

5 April 2001 | Reports

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

5 April 2001 | Briefings

Conditionality

Analysis

Carrots and Sticks: a quick fix for IMF conditionality?

A short questions and answers briefing on the IMF’s approach to conditionality

5 April 2001 | Briefings

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.

5 April 2001 | Briefings

Knowledge

Analysis

Overstretched and Underloved: World Bank faces strategy decisions

Argues that the Bank has become involved in too many issue areas and initiatives. There are significant tensions in trying to be a Bank, a social development agency, a Knowledge Bank and a Global Issues Bank all at the same time. Includes comments from Bank staff, parliamentarians and NGOs on how to resolve this (February 2001).

15 February 2001 | Briefings

WB/IMF roles

Analysis

IMF Governance Update

Information on processes and opportunities for influencing the IMF’s governance structures.

15 February 2001 | Briefings