The Bretton Woods Project will run an electronic conference to discuss the first draft of the World Bank’s Poverty World Development Report.
World Bank Group
Conditionality
News
WB-IMF orthodoxy rivalled by Asian Development Bank
The Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI), led by its new head Masaru Yoshitomi, has mounted an attack on the IMF’s use of conventional policies for dealing with the crisis in Asia and plans to hold meetings and seminars to challenge the IMF’s approach at the Bank/Fund annual meetings.
IFI governance
News
Access to Bank documents under review
The Bank is about to start a review of information disclosure.
Knowledge
News
Bank learns European ABCDE
The World Bank held its first Annual Bank Conference on Development Economics - Europe this June in Paris.
Conditionality
News
PNG Government avoids conditionality
Relations between the Bank and the government of Papua New Guinea were strained in July by the government’s decision to issue bonds to raise money from the private sector.
IFI governance
News
CDF country pilots show wide differences in approach
Wolfensohn’s Comprehensive Development Framework, which aims to make the World Bank more responsive to different policy proposals, and encourage long-term, integrated decision-making, is now being piloted in 12 countries.
Rights
News
Bank/NGO communications strategy assessed
The Bank’s NGO Unit has commissioned a needs assessment of communications strategies between the World Bank and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).
WB/IMF roles
News
Bank to convene new public policy fora
The World Bank is considering setting up new fora to discuss issues of global importance which are not being effectively handled by existing national or international mechanisms.
Rights
News
Annual meetings Prague 2000
NGO preparations are already underway for the World Bank’s 2000 annual meetings.
Conditionality
News
Bank support for social sector in Brazil an illusion
Last year the World Bank lent billions of dollars to Brazil, claiming that they would support social safety-nets during the financial crisis.
IFI governance
News
Forest policy review delay, IFC scrutinised
The regional consultations that will inform the World Bank’s forest policy review have had to be delayed; they will not start until February or March 2000.
News
UK ISP still AWOL
Over a year after it was due to come out and after initial consultations were held with NGOs, the Department for International Development (DFID) has still not published its Institutional Strategy Paper on the World Bank Group.
