The first phase of the Bank's safeguard review has been extended to mid-April with global consultations planned, including on seven emerging areas.
Human rights
Accountability
News
IFC investments "rarely touch the poor"
Criticism of the International Finance Corporation's lack of poverty focus has again caught the spotlight, as the IFC continues to fund projects that stretch the interpretation of development.
Accountability
News
Call for freeze on World Bank 'land grabs'
As Oxfam called on the World Bank to freeze large scale land acquisitions, the Bank's new agriculture strategy remained under wrap. Concerns have also been raised about ongoing initiatives on 'climate-smart agriculture' and the development of Doing Business in Agriculture.
Rights
News
Safe in Bank hands? World Bank safeguards review launched
The World Bank finally launched the two-year review of its environmental and social safeguard policies in October.
IFI governance
News
World Bank accused of racial discrimination
An online petition launched by an international group of current and former Bank staffers, justice for blacks, calls upon Human Rights Watch, the Bank’s governing board and the US government to investigate the Bank’s flagrant inability to uphold its policy of “zero-tolerance policy for discrimination”.
IFI governance
News
World Bank-IMF annual meetings 2012
Analysis, news, and about the events inside and around the World Bank/IMF annual meetings 2012. This page is being updated regularly.
Land
Background
Halting the global land rush: protecting land rights and promoting food security
This event discussed how to invest in agriculture in a responsible way, including research on the scale of the global rush for land, and explored potential solutions to the problem, including the role that the World Bank can and must play.
IFI governance
Background
Making global governance accountable: civil society experiences with 13 Institutions
This session discussed the conclusions reached on the global governance role of civil society by the Civil Society and Accountable Global Governance project.
Infrastructure
Background
Water privatisation management issues
This session featured a discussion on the implications of current water policy reforms that have increasingly privatised and commodified water.
Environment
Background
CSO Roundtable with World Bank executive directors
This was a roundtable discussion between IMF and WBG Executive Directors (EDs) with accredited civil society representatives to promote an exchange of views and discussion on key issues of the 2012 Annual Meeting agenda: global economy, disaster resilience, social and environmental safeguards, and global health.
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.