As if the debate on Special and Differential Treatment (SDT) at the WTO wasn’t heated enough, the World Bank has decided to up the temperature a little with its own, highly partisan, contribution.
Trade-finance coherence
Rights
News
NGO work on trade-finance coherence
A coalition of NGOs have drafted suggestions for the work agenda for the WTO working group on trade, debt and finance.
Trade
Background
Bank trade map
New Bretton Woods Update feature providing readers with an easy-to-understand summary of the Bank’s work on trade, relevant contacts and web information.
IFI governance
News
Bank on trade: will the real World Bank please stand up?
The Bank is divided between its role as advocate of the poorer countries in calling for increased market access and its continued hand in pushing unilateral trade liberalisation.
Trade
News
WTO rejects Africans’ request for study of SAP effects before more tariff cuts
The proposal by seven African countries that the World Trade Organisation (WTO study the impacts of trade liberalisation measures imposed by structural adjustment programmes (SAPs) before launching another round of tariff-cutting negotiations has been ignored.
Trade
News
More WTO-World Bank-IMF cooperation on trade
The draft Ministerial Declaration for the World Trade Organisation’s Doha Meeting in November calls for the WTO to cooperate more closely with the World Bank and IMF.
IFI governance
News
World Bank intensifies trade work, but cancels conference
The World Bank has pledged to “intensify its trade-related activities” by increasing its research, training and advocacy at global and country levels.
Accountability
News
World Bank, WTO Links Strengthened
Developing countries’ exports, particularly agriculture and textiles, should have comprehensive and predictable duty-and quota-free access to rich countries markets if they are to benefit from outward-oriented reforms, concluded the Development Committee.
Trade
News
IMF/WB/WTO: unholy trinity?
At the Seattle meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in late November, the World Bank confirmed that it will expand its work on trade.
Featured briefings
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.
3 June 2024
A way out for IMF reform
New paper analyses the IMF 16th Quota Review and identifies key governance reforms feasible in the current economic and geopolitical context.