Highlights of meeting between Tom Scholar and UK NGOS
Conditionality impacts
Accountability
News
G8 cancellation of World Bank, IMF debt: "step forward"
Finance ministers of the world's richest countries agreed to write off $40 to $55 billion of debts owed to the World Bank, IMF and African Development Bank. Statements on aid effectiveness and trade in the final communiqu
Land
News
Setbacks to privatisations across Africa
The collapse of a flagship water privatisation in Tanzania, and opposition to both a planned privatisation of the state cotton board and the completed privatisation of the state railway in Mali, highlight the continuing struggle over pressure from the Bretton Woods institutions to privatise in Africa.
Land
News
Aid, death and dogma
A report released in May by UK NGO Christian Aid, documents case studies in India, Ghana and Jamaica where imposed liberalisation has ravaged local industry with devastating social impacts.
Conditionality
News
Parliamentarians go to Washington to demand greater oversight
Parliamentarians from eight countries travelled to Washington for the Bank-Fund spring meetings to present the…
Environment
Background
UK NGO meeting with executive director Tom Scholar: uncorrected highlights 4 April 2005
Minutes of Spring meeting with Tom Scholar and UK NGOs in London
Conditionality
News
IMF and World Bank use of conditions under the microscope
Responding to stinging criticism from civil society and the Commission for Africa, the IMF and the Bank are under pressure for a fundamental rethinking of the use of conditionality. The results of a series of ongoing evaluations will be critical.
Trade
News
IFIs on trade: “enormous investment” but to what end?
The World Bank's international trade unit presented a progress report to the board in early March describing an enormous increase in investment in trade-related analysis which it is now looking to translate in to new lending - a serious concern for analysts who feel the Bank and Fund have got it wrong on trade.
Rights
News
Cautious dialogue as conflict over water continues
The deep freeze on communications between the World Bank’s water unit and civil society groups thawed a little at a recent dialogue. A revolt against private sector participation in Bolivia shows just how far there is to go.
Conditionality
News
Bank review of the use of loan conditions takes shape
The scope of a year-long review of the conditions that the Bank attaches to its lending is becoming clearer, but differences with the Fund remain.
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.