G7 finance ministers in July reiterated their commitment to enforce their agenda without a commitment to address the needs of the poorest countries.
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Rights
News
Argentine anti-IMF protests
Argentine church leaders joined labour groups in late May to demonstrate against IMF economic policies.
Conditionality
News
Will Meltzer Sink Or Swim?
The debate on the roles of the Bank and Fund looks set to accelerate.
WB/IMF roles
Analysis
Policing the Policemen - the case for an independent evaluation mechanism for the IMF
Briefing outlining the case for an independent evaluation unit for the IMF and setting out the outlines the principles on which it should function (1998).
Finance
News
IMF “Lending Into Arrears” In Ecuador
The new IMF policy of “lending into arrears”, that is lending to countries in financial crisis with debts owing to the private sector, has been applied to Ecuador.
IFI governance
News
Back To Basics For IMF
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) should scrap its long-term lending programmes to poor countries because it lacks competence on issues such as reducing poverty, according to a new report, The Future Role of the IMF in Development: An ODC Task Force Report, by the Overseas Development Council (ODC).
Rights
News
Contesting Global Governance: Multilateral Economic Institutions And Global Social Movements
The first full-length study of relations between social movements and the IMF, the World Bank and the WTO has just been published.
WB/IMF roles
News
Asian Monetary Fund Shelved
In March, finance ministers from the South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN) postponed plans to create an Asian Monetary Fund after pressure from the IMF and the US government.
IFI governance
News
Summmers Calls For Transparent Selection
US Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers has suggested that the Fund and Bank should set up outside advisory committees which would choose new heads for the institutions from a panel of candidates.
Rights
News
Peaceful Protests Raise Awareness
In April, thousands of protesters gathered in Washington DC to close down the World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings.
Social services
News
Police break up anti-IMF protests in Zambia
In April protesters outside a Lusaka hotel where IMF and Zambian officials were meeting were dispersed by armed riot police in Zambia.
Rights
News
Ministers Support Protesters
Leaders attending the G77 meeting of developing countries in Cuba in April, also lent their support to the protests in Washington against the IMF and World Bank.
Featured briefings
12 December 2024
The Bretton Woods Observer: Winter 2024
16 October 2024
The Bretton Woods Observer: Autumn 2024
16 October 2024
The lost call for international financial architecture reform in the G20
At the 80th anniversary of the World Bank and IMF, global civil society must maintain pressure on the Brazilian and South African G20 presidencies to ensure the forth Financing for Development Conference in 2025 results in urgently required international financial architecture reform.