A World Bank infrastructure strategy update, developed because of a G20 push for more infrastructure investment, reaffirms the Bank's commitment to large-scale projects and scaled up private finance through public-private partnerships (PPPs, see Update 77), despite questions about bloated costs and development impact.
Aid
IFI governance
News
DFID's multilateral funding questioned
The UK parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has questioned the government's rationale for increasing funds to multilateral agencies, such as the World Bank.
IFI governance
News
New World Bank corporate scorecard: adding value?
After discussions with the executive board and staff, but no public consultation, the Bank released a "corporate scorecard" in September, aiming to provide "a snapshot of the Bank's overall performance" to help "strategic dialogue between management and the board on progress made and areas that need attention."
Finance
Background
Real Aid
Notes of a panel discussion, Washington DC, 21 September 2011
Rights
Analysis
Navigating complex dilemmas
The World Development Report 2011: Conflict, Security and Development is shifting the language of international policy on supporting peace and development in fragile and conflict-affected countries. Monica Stephen of International Alert examines how the World Bank's operations need to adjust to support peace and development.
Finance
News
Bank upgrade of Zambia fails to impress
The World Bank's reclassification of Zambia from low-income country to lower middle-income country has been hailed as an economic achievement by Zambia's president Rupiah Banda, but is less celebrated in other quarters.
Finance
News
UK announces priorities for World Bank
In August the UK released its priorities for reform of the World Bank.
Accountability
News
Programmed for Results?
In August, the Bank released a policy paper and draft operational policy for its controversial new Program For Results (P4R) lending instrument, aiming to rush through its approval by the end of the year, despite significant concerns.
Finance
News
IEG slams World Bank trust funds
IEG report slams Bank trust funds for contributing to ineffective aid.
Accountability
News
IEG annual report slates World Bank's education work
The Bank's Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) released its annual report at end August, again finding shortfalls and uneven results across the World Bank Group. While the Bank's leadership has steered the institution towards more private sector work, outcomes in the education sector and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have dropped substantially.
Featured briefings
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.
16 October 2024
Sustainable development requires sustainable finance: why local currency financing is part of the solution
Multilateral development banks can reduce their dependence on hard currency lending and make local currency financing a central element of their developmental mandate.