A leaked May 1999 draft Bank review of structural and sectoral adjustment loans severely criticises their treatment of environmental and social issues.
World Bank Group
Accountability
News
Indonesian NGOs criticise safety net, oppose new loans
In response to concerns that ruling party Golkar would misuse World Bank funds for election purposes, the Bank and IMF agreed in May to put new loans into a special Bank of Indonesia account.
Environment
News
New report on problems with forest policy reform
The World Rainforest Movement and Environmental Defense Fund have produced a briefing on the World Bank’s Forest Policy Review and Strategy Development process.
Environment
News
CASE studies start
The Bank’s Environment Department is working with its country teams to develop “best practice” on greening Country Assistance Strategies (CASs).
Knowledge
News
Absolute poverty rising: targets doubtful
New World Bank estimates suggest that 1.5bn people live in abject poverty, up from 1.
Conditionality
News
Forest conditionality explored
A new paper from the World Resources Institute examines the World Bank’s use of adjustment lending to promote policy reform for favourable environmental outcomes.
Environment
News
Bolivia-Brazil Pipeline
The details of ensuring implementation of World Bank operational policies are explored in a recent report from the Bank Information Center.
Knowledge
News
New Bank wisdom on economic crises
The Bank has identified 5 main ways in which macroeconomic crises affect the poor.
Knowledge
News
WDR to tackle trade, finance, global environment
The World Bank’s 1999/2000 World Development Report, due for release in September, will contain much material of interest to NGOs working on international policy issues.
Land
News
Indonesian farmers criticise Bank project
The Yayasan Duta Awam Foundation (YDA) has conducted a 15 month grassroots investigation of the Bank-financed Integrated Swamps Development Project.
Social services
News
Lack of commitment for Social Principles
The Social Principles, proposed last autumn by UK Chancellor Gordon Brown as the “fourth pillar” of the international architecture, are likely to prove ineffective.
Accountability
News
World Bank appoints senior policy compliance advisor
The World Bank Group has appointed the first IFC/MIGA Compliance Advisor/Ombudsperson.
