US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicates US will stay in the Bank and Fund, claiming “America First does not mean America alone,” as tariffs and rising debt vulnerabilities prompt gloomy forecast.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicates US will stay in the Bank and Fund, claiming “America First does not mean America alone,” as tariffs and rising debt vulnerabilities prompt gloomy forecast.
The South African G20 Presidency failed to issue a communiqué and opted not to issue a Chair’s statement at the IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings as the US administration’s explicit hostility to multilateralism significantly decreases the potential for consensus across all multilateral fora.
At this year’s Spring Meetings, the G24 communiqué failed to present strategic solutions for multilateralism’s future, offering no real path to address the multiple crises facing the world.
Faced with deafening silence from Bank and Fund leadership on climate issues at the Spring Meetings, climate vulnerable countries demand urgent changes to global financial architecture.
The Development Committee met on 24 April, with the chair issuing a statement, instead of a communiqué, reflecting the views of the majority of the group and providing clarity on priorities and moments of consensus within the chaos.
As the World Bank and IMF prepare for the 2025 Spring Meetings, the US executive order reviewing its participation in global institutions has heightened long-standing concerns about the direction of the Bretton Woods system – with civil society turning to FfD4 to reimagine the future of multilateralism.
The role of Bretton Woods Institutions remains a key point of contention, amidst their stark governance deficits.
Bloomberg investigation adds further evidence of negative consequences for people and governments of IFC’s for-profit healthcare model.
The ‘aid trap’ continues in light of significant ODA cuts amidst political change in donor countries, as the BWIs continue to facilitate the financialisation of essential services like healthcare.
Anti-gender rhetoric, furthered by the new US administration, brings fresh questions over the approach of the World Bank and IMF to gender equality, given their controversial track record.
This Inside the Institutions explores the World Bank’s revised Country Partnership Framework, which aims to boost the impact of its country programmes through focus and efficiency.
While IFC’s withdrawal is welcome, civil society urges the Bank to stop funding WTE projects and move towards zero-waste solutions instead.