Stephen Kidd critiques Bretton Woods Institutions' approach to targeted social protection systems, arguing the poor lose out the most.
Conditionality impacts
Conditionality
Commentary
Tunisians take to the streets over IMF-imposed austerity
Despite claiming to no longer support austerity, the IMF has imposed damaging cutbacks on the people of Tunisia as part of its loan conditionality, leading to widespread discontent on Tunisian streets.
Conditionality
News
New IMF conditionality database launched
Team of UK academics launch new, freely available IMF conditionality database.
Conditionality
News
Suriname walks away from IMF conditionalities
The government of Suriname has cancelled its loan programme with the IMF, claiming its conditionalities were too much to bear for its citizens.
Rights
Analysis
Civil society still waiting for ‘IMF Spring’ to blossom
Civil society was out in full force during annual meetings challenging the IMF’s claims that it is reducing economic and gender inequality.
Conditionality
News
IMF Ukraine programme’s impact on women’s rights criticised at Human Rights Council
WILPF submitted a statement to Human Rights Council criticising the IMF's Ukraine programme. The statement argued that the programme's harsh conditionalities hurt women in particular and called for a human rights based approach to macroeconomic policy making.
Social services
Analysis
The truth behind IMF’s claims to promote social protection in low-income countries
Newly published self-congratulatory IMF policy paper on impacts of loan programmes on social protection is self-referential and ignores available evidence.
Conditionality
Commentary
The IMF returns to Zambia: How will gender and income inequality be addressed?
The government of Zambia has approached the IMF for financial assistance, however, Zambian civil society is concerned that the required reforms will worsen gender and income inequality.
Conditionality
Background
The IMF and World Bank policies and the Arab world’s transition economies
Notes from the Civil Society Policy Forum Session at the 2017 World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings on IMF and World Bank programmes in the MENA Region.
Conditionality
News
New IMF Mongolia deal: extracting sovereignty
IMF reaches new loan agreement with Mongolia, amidst civil society concerns about impacts on Mongolian people.
Featured briefings
3 July 2024
The Bretton Woods Observer: Summer 2024
3 July 2024
Is the World Bank rolling back commitments to citizen engagement, again?
Understanding the Bank’s chequered history with public, community and civil society participation is key for understanding what is at stake and what to do next.
3 June 2024
A way out for IMF reform
New paper analyses the IMF 16th Quota Review and identifies key governance reforms feasible in the current economic and geopolitical context.