As an independent panel begun its review of the World Bank’s controversial Doing Business rankings, India’s public criticism of the rankings added weight to global governmental and civil society opposition.
Agriculture
Land
News
Growing Africa?
The Bank's continued enthusiasm for agribusiness was evident in its March report, Growing Africa, which highlighted the potential of the African agriculture sector, currently valued at $313 billion a year, to triple if governments and business leaders engage in radical policy reform and generate public private partnerships.
Accountability
News
Call for freeze on World Bank 'land grabs'
As Oxfam called on the World Bank to freeze large scale land acquisitions, the Bank's new agriculture strategy remained under wrap. Concerns have also been raised about ongoing initiatives on 'climate-smart agriculture' and the development of Doing Business in Agriculture.
Land
Background
Halting the global land rush: protecting land rights and promoting food security
This event discussed how to invest in agriculture in a responsible way, including research on the scale of the global rush for land, and explored potential solutions to the problem, including the role that the World Bank can and must play.
Infrastructure
Background
Water privatisation management issues
This session featured a discussion on the implications of current water policy reforms that have increasingly privatised and commodified water.
Accountability
News
IFC failed to act on "forced evictions"?
In August, the Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman (CAO), the accountability mechanism of the International Finance Corporation (IFC, the World Bank's private sector arm), launched an audit into its $30 million investment in palm oil and food company Corporaci
Land
News
No carbon pay for Indian farmers?
The Bank's compliance body, the Inspection Panel (IP), has received a request for inspection from farmers who reforested land in India as part of a Bank carbon sequestration project
Land
Background
Notes of meeting between UK Executive Director to World Bank Susanna Moorehead and UK civil society
Civil society organisations met UK Executive Director to the World Bank Susanna Moorehead and staff from the Department for International Development to discuss IDA, education finance, infrastructure finance, fragile states, agriculture and land, Doing Business rankings, Oyu Tolgoi project in Mongolia.
Land
News
IFC supporting food speculation?
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Bank's private sector arm, has attracted criticism for its purchase of a 6 per cent stake in Armajaro Trading, a London-based commodity trading house founded by controversial hedge fund trader, Anthony Ward.
Accountability
News
New claims of rights abuses in World Bank-funded 'land grabs'
As the World Bank held its Annual Conference on Land and Poverty in April, campaigners accused it once again of facilitating and legitimising 'land grabs' that harm local communities.
Featured briefings
5 October 2023
World Bank and IMF Annual Meetings 2023
4 October 2023
The Bretton Woods Observer: Autumn 2023
4 October 2023
The IMF and World Bank talk good governance, but walk with state- capturers
From South Africa to Tunisia, Libya and Egypt, the Bank and Fund have demonstrated they are not appropriate allies to address the scale of the crisis the world is facing, especially, given their record.