In June, the World Bank announced record levels of lending with much of the funding for infrastructure projects, where the Bank's record has been particularly controversial.
IDA
Accountability
Analysis
Bretton Woods Project submission on the DFID White Paper
In a submission the the DFID white paper consultation, we set out the significant change needed at the World Bank and IMF to bring them into line both with international norms and with UK policy, in order to improve their contribution to sustainable development. In this submission we outline changes needed in: IFI governance; IFI conditionality policies; IFI policies related to aid effectiveness; IFI policy on climate change; private-sector finance; and the financial sector's impact on devel
IFI governance
News
World Bank-IMF spring meetings 2009
This page will be updated regularly with the latest news from the 2009 World Bank and IMF spring meetings
Finance
Background
Who pays for the Fund and the Bank?
The IMF and the World Bank derive their income mainly from their lending operations, charging borrowing countries, and from their investments in financial markets.
IFI governance
News
World Bank's planned lending splurge: Do the numbers stack up?
The first signs of a promised dramatic increase in World Bank lending are emerging, but critics continue to attack the Bank’s lending practices, including its controversial use of conditionality.
IFI governance
News
World Bank-IMF annual meetings 2008
At this year's annual meetings, the focus will of course be on the financial crisis gripping the rich countries of the world. Questions remain as to whether important issues around the World Banks role in climate change and its even governance structure will get the attention they deserve.
Accountability
Commentary
European NGO statement on Bank governance reform
European governments, who hold eight chairs and have over 30% of the vote at the Bank, have a special responsibility to push for reform. We, the undersigned organisations, call upon our European governments to back a progressive proposal for transformation of the World Bank that includes the key reforms below.
IFI governance
Background
UK NGO meeting with the Secretary of State for International Development, on the World Bank
Summary of meeting: the main agenda items were (1) World Bank governance; and (2) Climate change.
IFI governance
News
Who should control the Bank?
Proposed reforms to the way the World Bank is governed tinker at the edges, promising only marginal improvements for developing countries; critics are stepping up the pressure for a fundamental rethink. The World Bank board will discuss a package of reforms to the way the Bank is governed at its annual meetings in October, hoping to agree a concrete set of actions by next spring. Despite calls from developing countries, civil society and others for root and branch change to address the Bank's g
Accountability
News
Bank failing on environment: IEG finds lack of coherence
In July the World Bank's internal watchdog, the independent evaluation group (IEG), released an assessment of the Bank's record on environment between1990-2007. Delicate wording aside, the evaluation finds that the Bank has performed poorly when it comes to a coherent integration of environmental goals into its country strategies and investment portfolios.
Infrastructure
Background
The World Bank and transport
Given that the World Bank's primary activity in its first decades of operation was financing infrastructure projects, the fact that the transport sector is the single largest sector for Bank lending should come as no surprise. However with the prevalence of concerns about underinvestment in social sectors, transport lending was on the decline in the late 90s and early part of this century. Now the pendulum is swinging back and transport sector lending is on the rise in both the public and privat
IFI governance
News
World Bank-IMF spring meetings 2008
At this year's spring meetings, the World Bank faced increasing opposition to its plans to tackle climate change, while the IMF was forced to admit that the lack of democracy in its governance is probably why it missed the boat on the credit crisis.
