The UK should not increase its contribution to IDA in the current replenishment. Instead, it should focus on achieving substantial reforms of the World Bank and IFC in key areas, including health, gender, climate and energy, and the private sector, and in radically improving the legitimacy, transparency and accountability of the institution.
Aid
Finance
Background
Towards a new development paradigm
Notes of the seminar of annual meetings 2010
Finance
News
IMF at MDG summit: Poor countries should spend less, not more
While the IMF has focussed on its mandate review and governance reform, the institution’s policy towards low-income countries has taken a backseat. Civil society groups are worried that the IMF has returned to promoting fiscal austerity and constraining the investment needed to reach goals on poverty.
Accountability
News
Gender-blindness and conditionality cast shadow over record World Bank lending
New evidence of worsening gender performance and persistent conditionality has led critics to ask if the Bank is fit for purpose.
Accountability
Analysis
Submission on the World Bank and IFC to DFID's multilateral aid review
As the UK government reviews its funding and relationships with multilateral organisations, we argue that the World Bank Group's poor performance, lack of country ownership and accountability, and tendency to 'mission creep', require a focus on institutional and policy change at the Bank, and no increase in funding.
Finance
News
Pakistan running from the IFIs
The Pakistani government is facing increased pressure from the IMF to meet the requirements of its financial stabilisation programme, agreed in 2008, including the full implementation of a value added tax (VAT) and specific foreign borrowing targets.
Accountability
News
World Bank investment lending reform: pro-poor?
In May, the Heinrich B
Accountability
Analysis
Bottom lines, better lives? Rethinking multilateral financing to the private sector in developing co
This report examines MDBs' growing but controversial investments in the private sector in developing countries. It proposes changes to ensure that these investments work for development, rather than serving the interests of foreign investors.
Land
News
US pledges to controversial World Bank agriculture fund
The US administration is seeking to allocate $1.6 billion to its global agriculture and food security initiative. Of this, $408 million has been earmarked for the global agriculture and food security programme (GAFSP), a new multi-donor trust fund, to be managed by the World Bank.
Conditionality
News
Evaluation: World Bank's PSIA contribution to country capacity 'negligible'
A recent report by the World Bank's Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) on poverty and social impact analysis (PSIA) finds implementation problems and a "negligible" impact on developing country capacity, echoing long standing civil society critiques.
Featured briefings
9 June 2025
New data reveal World Bank DPF ‘climate finance’ carries strong private sector bias, undermining a just transition
New BWP briefing finds the World Bank counted 70 per cent of energy-sector reforms in Development Policy Financing as having 'climate co-benefits' between 2018-2023 - but most of these promoted a private-led energy transition.
15 April 2025
The Bretton Woods Observer: Spring 2025
2 April 2025