Government officials who negotiated contributions to the Bank’s IDA 12 lending window agreed with the Bank that “a clear private sector development strategy should be established for the World bank Group during the course of 1999 to guide the work of the IBRD, IDA, IFC and MIGA”.
World Bank Group
Social services
News
Indonesian safety nets condemned
The coordination, coverage and targetting of public works schemes in Indonesia, part of the Bank’s safety-net programme, has been poor, and resources have been diverted for other uses.
Accountability
News
Corporate lobbying at the Bank exposed
A recent article in the Legal Times alleges that there is significant corporate lobbying of the World Bank.
Knowledge
News
Democracy and civil society rise up Bank’s agenda
At the end of February the World Bank and the Government of Korea hosted a conference entitled Democracy, Market Economy and Development.
Environment
News
Exchange highlights continuing Bank resettlement problems in India
At the half-way mark of the Bank’s controversial Coal India Environmental and Social Mitigation project local groups have criticised aspects of resettlement implementation.
Knowledge
News
Bank/Fund growth model questioned
Both ENDS and the Bretton Woods Project co-organised a roundtable meeting in early March to discuss the World Bank and IMF’s core economic models.
Knowledge
News
Bank approach to social capital criticised
Ben Fine, Professor of Economics at SOAS, University of London, has produced a 30,000 word paper which reviews and severely critiques the World Bank’s approach to social capital.
Private Sector
News
New IFC chief expresses need for new inspiration
Peter Woicke, new Executive Vice President of IFC (the World Bank’s private finance investment arm) told IFC magazine Impact why he left J.P. Morgan Securities after 29 years.
Accountability
News
Last ditch attempt to save Inspection Panel
On March 24 the World Bank Board will hold a special consultation session about likely changes to the Bank’s Independent Inspection Panel.
Infrastructure
News
Narmada dam construction restarts
Construction has restarted on the Sardar Sarovar (Narmada) dam, Western India, after a decision by the Supreme Court.
IFI governance
News
Bank participation in carbon fund in doubt
The World Bank may have failed to secure European financial support for the Prototype Carbon Fund, one of the controversial carbon-trading schemes devised to implement the Kyoto climate change protocol.
Infrastructure
News
Dams Commission workplan nears completion
The World Commission on Dams has nearly completed its workplan and selected consultants to lead work on the thematic reviews.
Featured briefings
12 December 2024
The Bretton Woods Observer: Winter 2024
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.