CSO concerns have been raised over the Bank’s Global Partnership for Oceans initiative, due to the strong emphasis on promoting aquaculture and the push for privatisation of access to fish resources.
Multinationals
Private Sector
News
Shopping mall Shangri-La: IFC’s lending for luxury
IFC investments in luxury hotels and shopping malls highlight projects with weak development outcomes.
Land
News
Complaint filed against IFC funded Lafarge mining operation
Khasi indigenous people in Indian state of Meghalaya have filed a complaint with the CAO over illegal land infringement by French multinational Lafarge's Bangladeshi cement plant.
Finance
Analysis
The IFIs in 2013: year in review
The Bretton Woods Project review of the most important developments at the World Bank and IMF in 2013.
Rights
Commentary
CSO response to the CAO investigation into IFC investment in Corporación Dinant, Honduras
An international statement, signed by 70 organisations, in response to the publication in mid January of a CAO audit and the IFC response and action plan related to IFC investment in Corporación Dinant, Honduras.
Private Sector
Analysis
ICSID and Latin America
Latin American states are actively exploring alternative mechanisms to the ICSID state-investor dispute mechanism which they claim has investor bias.
Environment
Analysis
A mine of controversy: World Bank push for large scale extractives
New concerns have been raised on the World Bank’s involvement in the Simandou mine in Guinea, including on the use of biodiversity offsets, while civil society has repeated unaddressed concerns on the Mongolia Oyu Tolgoi mine. Further concerns have been raised on mines in Dominican Republic, Peru and South Africa.
Accountability
Commentary
Year 2 of the Tunisian revolution: Private profit vs public interest
In October 2012, the Tunisian government submitted a draft bill to the Constituent Assembly to shape a legal and institutional framework favourable to public-private partnerships (PPP).
Accountability
News
5-star development
Controversial IFC investments in tourism and infrastructure projects continue to cause friction with local communities, prompting a new complaint to the Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman.
IFI governance
Analysis
Memorandum to the International Development Committee
In written evidence submitted to the UK parliament's International Development Committee, we argue that further reform of the World Bank is needed.
Featured briefings
12 December 2024
The Bretton Woods Observer: Winter 2024
12 December 2024
Missing in action: accountability is noticeably absent from the World Bank Group’s new Corporate Scorecard
The Corporate Scorecard’s accountability gap is symptomatic of a broader failure on the part of the WBG to fully internalise, integrate and learn from the work of its accountability mechanisms.
16 October 2024