Civil society event at the World Bank spring meetings 2010, 22 April
Macroeconomic policy
Finance
News
Rewriting the rules on exchange rates
The financial crisis has prompted renewed interest in reform of the international monetary system, with the role of the IMF squarely up for debate. As countries are starting to take sides for or against a comprehensive overhaul, regional initiatives may offer greater hope of change.
Finance
News
IMF changing its mantra?
After four decades of promoting policies of targeting very low inflation rates and unfettered capital flows, the global financial crisis has prompted new debate over IMF ideology.
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
News
Rethinking the IMF again
The IMF's mandate review - with a particular focus on how it can better serve large emerging markets in the areas of surveillance, crisis prevention and the international monetary system - is ignoring most developing countries and may potentially be fruitless.
Accountability
Background
Meeting between UK civil society and Alex Gibbs, UK IMF Executive Director
Minutes of a meeting between UK civil society, UK IMF Executive Director Alex Gibbs, and UK Treasury staff
Social services
News
IMF economic policies under fire
While the political agenda at the IMF is shifting back to mandate and governance reform, there are growing calls that the Fund needs to fundamentally rethink the monetary and fiscal policies it recommends if the institution is to retain legitimacy and renew its mandate.
IFI governance
Commentary
Bankspeak of the year 2009
Annual Bretton Woods Project award for the most incomprehensible or absurd use of language in a Bank or Fund document or speech.
Finance
News
IEG calls for overhaul of World Bank's lending criteria
The withholding of a critical evaluation of the World Bank’s method of allocating lending to low-income countries raises suspicions that the Bank is seeking to avoid public criticism in advance of the upcoming negotiations for replenishment of the Bank’s cheap loan arm.
Finance
News
IMF pours cold water on monetary reform
As academia and NGOs call for reform of the international financial architecture, the international monetary system is the focus of scrutiny. Support for capital controls and a financial transaction tax has met resistance from the IMF.
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.