EU countries’ backing of Kristalina Georgieva for a second term as IMF Managing Director will likely set in motion the next steps towards her reappointment, representing another lost opportunity to reform IMF governance.
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Finance
Commentary
Better ways to reduce the pain of debt crises for developing countries?
Amid challenging global conditions, proposals to address liquidity issues must be urgently matched by a reformed, development-focused international financial architecture.
Finance
News
Sri Lanka’s continued debt crisis highlights urgent need for wider reform
Sri Lanka’s inability to avoid its 17th IMF programme, and its catastrophic human rights consequences, adds to evidence of IMF and international system's failure to adequately respond to the worsening debt crisis and urgent need for debt cancellation and systemic reform.
Private Sector
Analysis
Financialisation, human rights and the Bretton Woods Institutions: An introduction for civil society organisations
New BWP's report examines the role of the BWIs in driving financialisation in the Global South and perpetuating neocolonial global imbalances of wealth and power, paying particular attention to its gendered consequences.
Environment
News
Civil society raises concerns about Resilience and Sustainability Trust’s green conditionality as Fund conducts interim review
CSOs and experts question the suitability of ‘green' policy conditions attached to RST loans.
IFI governance
News
Civil society calls for an end to the 'gentleman's agreement' and a merit-based, open and transparent MD selection process
Civil society calls for the IMF to ensure the next MD selection process is undertaken in accordance with a merit-based, open and transparent process, underpinned by criteria involving a demonstrated commitment to international human rights, feminist principles, green and equitable development, as well as publicly available shareholder votes.
Knowledge
Background
Bretton Woods Project Annual Report 2023
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.
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.
Featured briefings
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.
1 October 2024