Rich countries need to agree to an ambitious IDA21 replenishment to address compounding economic and liquidity crises, causing high levels of debt distress in low-income countries.
Global architecture
Finance
News
Civil society urges governments to agree on a UN tax body as a high priority
African Group’s proposal for a UN Tax Convention moves forward as CSOs keep pressure on rich countries not to block it.
IFI governance
Analysis
G20 communiqué analysis Annual Meetings 2023: Nothing new under the sun
The Group of 20 (G20) communiqué was published on 13 October. It focused on the consequences of the evolving debt situation, reaffirmed support for the much-criticised Common Framework and was silent on debt relief. The section on MDB reform meanwhile stressed ‘bigger’ rather than ‘better’ banks.
IFI governance
Analysis
Development Committee chair’s statement analysis Annual Meetings 2023: Geopolitical fragmentation limits the ambition for reform
The Development Committee met on 12 October, with the chair issuing a statement, instead of a communiqué, reflecting the views of the majority of shareholders on the measures needed to tackle the development challenges that “have upended decades of hard-won development progress, and the development.”
IFI governance
Analysis
Annual Meetings 2023 Preamble: Lack of governance reform and economic transformation front and centre as World Bank and IMF meet in Africa for first time in 50 years
As the World Bank moves toward finalising its ‘Evolution Roadmap’, and IMF shareholders struggle to agree on an outcome to the 16th Review of Quotas, the stakes in Morocco are high.
Finance
Analysis
The IMF and World Bank talk good governance, but walk with state- capturers
From South Africa to Tunisia, Libya and Egypt, the Bank and Fund have demonstrated they are not appropriate allies to address the scale of the crisis the world is facing, especially, given their record.
IFI governance
Analysis
Clock is ticking: Will IMF’s 16th Quota Review mean a further loss of legitimacy for the Fund?
The recent BRICS enlargement creates additional pressure for IMF governance reform.
Finance
Analysis
Balancing ambitions and bridging divides at multilateral development banks
The success of the World Bank Evolution Roadmap will depend on developed countries' willingness to bridge the gap with developing countries by increasing Global South decision-making power and committing to a capital increase.
Finance
News
The 2021 SDR allocation was beneficial for the global economy, but was it sufficient to address the scale of the crisis?
IMF’s new report looking at the impact of the $650 billion SDR allocation in 2021 talks about the benefits of the allocation for the global economy but fails to address the scale of the polycrisis.
Finance
Analysis
Assessing the Bretton Woods Institutions’ legacy
New collection of critical essays by authors from MENA and Sub-Saharan Africa do a retrospective of the BWIs involvement in the region, and the legacy of BWIs-supported unjust and extractionist world economic order.
Featured briefings
1 October 2024
Year one of World Bank Paris Agreement alignment in the energy sector: ‘green conditionality’ dwarfs green investments
New BWP research finds the Word Bank's approach to Paris alignment is being used to a significant extent to impose ‘green conditionalities' on borrowing countries, especially in the Global South.
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.