Despite the public pressure it faced, the World Bank tried to use the Prague annual meetings to extend its remit to new issue areas.
Spring/Annual meetings
Rights
News
Prague plans
The annual meetings of the World Bank and IMF will be the occasion for high-level official decision-making about the future of the institutions as well as protests and alternative discussions among civil society groups.
IFI governance
News
Private Sector Strategy Debated
Leaflets with sharply contrasting views about the International Finance Corporation (IFC) were distributed at the Spring meetings.
Rights
News
Peaceful Protests Raise Awareness
In April, thousands of protesters gathered in Washington DC to close down the World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings.
IFI governance
News
Stiglitz “Appalled” At IMF Policy
Joseph Stiglitz, former World Bank chief economist, took the opportunity of the extensive media interest in the planned protests against the Bank and IMF at their Spring Meetings to launch an attack on IMF policy advice and practices.
Rights
News
Washington focus for globalisation protests
Activists from across the US will converge in Washington to protest at the IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings.
Conditionality
News
IMF takes on poverty mandate
Important changes to the IMF’s remit in the poorest countries were announced at the IMF-WB Annual Meetings in September.
Rights
News
Annual meetings Prague 2000
NGO preparations are already underway for the World Bank’s 2000 annual meetings.
IFI governance
News
Sibling rivalry: can the Fund and Bank cooperate?
UK Secretary of State for International Development Clare Short told the Financial Times in April: “We are in a very silly situation. The international institutions are meant to be complementary, but the IMF keeps charging around taking other peoples’ jobs in areas where it is not necessarily competent”.
Featured briefings
16 October 2024
The Bretton Woods Observer: Autumn 2024
16 October 2024
The lost call for international financial architecture reform in the G20
At the 80th anniversary of the World Bank and IMF, global civil society must maintain pressure on the Brazilian and South African G20 presidencies to ensure the forth Financing for Development Conference in 2025 results in urgently required international financial architecture reform.
16 October 2024
Sustainable development requires sustainable finance: why local currency financing is part of the solution
Multilateral development banks can reduce their dependence on hard currency lending and make local currency financing a central element of their developmental mandate.