In 2023, BWP continued its work as a watchdog of the World Bank and the IMF, supporting and amplifying the voices of critical civil society groups to capitalise on calls for substantive change, with a focus on four advocacy areas: Gender equality and macroeconomics, the environment, governance reform and accountability, and financialisation and human rights.
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
IFI governance
News
Civil society calls for a meaningful Quota Reform that accurately reflects the changes in the global economy to ensure a fair representation of all member countries
Civil society calls upon the IMF to implement a meaningful quota reform by June 2025 and prioritise realignment of shares to reflect more accurately the changes in the global economy and address representation issues
Knowledge
Background
Recommended Resources on the World Bank and the IMF 2023
As every year, BWP published its collection of reports, briefings, CSO letters and other resources with a critical angle published in the past year on the World Bank and the IMF.
Gender
Background
(CLOSED) Gender Equality and Macroeconomics (GEM) Project Lead
BWP is seeking a Gender Equality and Macroeconomics (GEM) Project Lead to manage BWP’s ongoing GEM Project and lead BWP’s work on gender equality and women’s rights.
Finance
Analysis
Decolonising the global economic architecture: The prerequisite for a just transition
Global South faces severe structural deficiencies that weaken its economic sovereignty and put it at the mercy of a neo-colonial global financial architecture.
Conditionality
Analysis
World Bank and IMF promoting private finance and fiscal consolidation despite mounting evidence of harmful impacts
Civil society research documents clear harms from privatisation and fiscal consolidation on public services and human rights, as Bank and Fund push for their deepening.
Finance
Analysis
UN Secretary General's New Agenda for Peace calls for urgent financial architecture and policy reform
UN Secretary General’s New Agenda for Peace report identifies growing threats to global peace and stability, and proposes urgent reforms to the unjust economic system. World Bank and IMF resist policy and governance reform.
Environment
News
Morocco and IMF Resilience and Sustainability Trust: Balancing debt, privatisation and neocolonial dynamics
Morocco's $1.32 billion Resilience and Sustainability Trust loan comes with 'green conditions' which may facilitate neocolonial resource-grabbing and a European-led rush for ‘green’ hydrogen.
Other news
Environment
Background
Laure-Alizée Le Lannou joins the Bretton Woods Project as new Environment Project Officer
Laure-Alizée Le Lannou will support the Project’s work on environmental and climate advocacy targeting the World Bank as well as research on IMF Special Drawing Rights.
Finance
News
New book addresses shortcomings of traditional approaches to debt and economics
New book details the gendered effects of austerity and argues that the human rights of people living in debt-distressed countries must take precedence over creditors’ financial interests.
IFI governance
Background
African perspectives on the reforms of the international financial architecture
Notes from the Civil Society Policy Forum Session 'African perspectives on the reforms of the international financial architecture' on 11 October 2023.
IFI governance
Background
Transformative policy pathways: Lessons from feminist economics programming for the IMF
Notes from the Civil Society Policy Forum on 10 October 2023 titled "Transformative policy pathways: Lessons from feminist economics programming for the IMF."
Social services
News
Sri Lankan trade unions call out IMF and World Bank's dismantling of country’s social protection system in favour of ineffective targeting schemes
Sri Lankan trade unions call out IMF and World Bank's dismantling of country’s social protection system in favor of ineffective targeting schemes.
Finance
News
Biden administration signals additional funding for World Bank and IMF
New financing for the IMF and World Bank proposed by the US will not fix the flawed private sector development paradigm that burdens Global South economies with debt.
Finance
News
IMF acknowledges capital controls have helped Argentine economy
IMF research acknowledges measures to restrict capital outflows introduced in 2019 contributed to Argentina meeting the performance criteria for the Fund’s Extended Fund Facility.
Finance
News
African finance ministers join growing calls for more equitable SDR allocations
New calls for SDR reform reveal acute need of financing for low- and middle-income countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.