In mid April, after long delays, the IMF board approved the disbursement of Iceland's third loan instalment, amounting to $159 million, in mid April. The delays were caused by a dispute between Iceland and the UK and the Netherlands over compensation to British and Dutch account depositors in the collapsed of the Icelandic bank Icesave.
Conditionality impacts
Environment
Commentary
Eskom loan blackens the World Bank's name
The World Bank, Business Unity South Africa and the African National Congress got their way with a major loan for Eskom, the national power authority, despite broad based opposition from local people, the poor, community organisations, the churches, unions, and environmental and social justice NGOs locally and globally.
Finance
News
IDA: World Bank fundraising drive begins
As officials opened discussions on donor contributions to the sixteenth replenishment of the International Development Association (IDA, the World Bank arm for low-income countries), civil society groups urged major reforms to the Bank's structure and approach.
IFI governance
News
DFID annual report on World Bank spots weaknesses
In March, the UK Department for International Development (DFID) released its second annual report reviewing its work with the Bank and setting priorities for 2010.
Conditionality
News
Haiti to receive Bank finance and debt relief
In late March the World Bank announced a three-year programme of financial support for Haiti totalling $479 million, which includes total cancellation of its $39 million debt to the Bank.
Conditionality
News
Nordic contributions to IMF trust fund
The Norwegian government has taken to parliament a proposal for a $450 million contribution to the IMF's poverty reduction and growth trust PRGT. The trust fund holds resources for subsidising IMF lending facilities for low-income countries.
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.
Conditionality
News
IMF loans: still pinching vulnerable countries where it hurts most
Recent papers by academics and civil society reveal that the IMF's claims of reform on conditionality do not stand up to close scrutiny.
Finance
Analysis
Funding the World Bank - The sixteenth IDA replenishment: Major reform must be the price of UK suppo
Joint paper by ten UK development NGOs calling for the government to use IDA's 16th replenishment to push the World Bank to make significant reforms, without which the UK should not increase its cash allocation and instead consider alternative channels for aid.
Accountability
Background
Meeting between UK civil society and Susanna Moorehead, UK Executive Director to the World Bank
Minutes of a meeting between UK civil society, UK World Bank Executive Director Susanna Moorehead, and DFID staff
Featured briefings
6 April 2022
The Bretton Woods Observer: Spring 2022
8 December 2021
The Bretton Woods Observer: Winter 2021
8 November 2021
IMF surveillance and climate change transition risks
New briefing by ActionAid USA and the Bretton Woods Project highlights research showing that IMF policy advice has undermined a just energy transition since the Paris Agreement was signed.