A Eurodad report 'Is the International Finance Corporation supporting tax evading companies?' released in December 2009 reports that the IFC, the Bank's private sector lending arm, provides financial support to companies and banks using tax havens.
Transparency-WB/IMF
Accountability
Analysis
Don't bank on it! Challenging the World Bank's role in future climate finance
Despite a superficial 'climate makeover', UK civil society organisations conclude that the World Bank is still a long way from operating in transparent, participatory and accountable ways, or lending upon a truly green portfolio, and therefore should not be trusted with the world's climate funds. Furthermore, the form and functions of a climate finance institution should first be defined and criteria should be established for United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) partie
IFI governance
News
Expert panel calls for sweeping Bank governance reform
Official ambitions for reform of World Bank governance remain limited, while the Zedillo Commission calls for far-reaching change. At the IMF, aside from small shifts in voting share, details of further quota reform are notably absent.
IFI governance
News
Progress on Bank transparency?
The World Bank's draft disclosure policy, published in October, marks a significant step forward in Bank transparency but has been criticised for excluding key information from public access.
Environment
Background
CSO Townhall meeting
Notes from the CSO townhall meeting with Dominique Strauss-Kahn and Robert Zoellick
Accountability
Background
IMF governance - CSO meeting with the IMF managing director
Minutes of a meeting between civil society organisations, IMF managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn and IMF deputy managing director John Lipsky
Environment
News
Contract transparency missing as IFC expands oil investments in Africa
As the World Bank's private lending arm, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), expands its role in the African oil and gas sector, civil society groups are insisting that it adopt a requirement for full contract transparency in all of the extractive industries projects that it finances.
IFI governance
Commentary
The Byzantine governance of the IFIs
On August 28, in Bariloche, Argentina, the presidents of twelve South American countries met to discuss a life-or-death issue for their newly created Union of South American Nations (Unasur): the Colombian-US agreement allowing for extra-regional military to set up a chain of bases very close to the heart of the Amazon.
Accountability
News
The DFID white paper and the World Bank: Missing the point?
The latest DFID white paper strengthens the UK's target setting for the World Bank, but fails to adequately tackle the crucial questions of governance, conditionality, human rights accountability, and climate finance. A recent Tory Party policy paper leaves it unclear whether they would do any better.
Accountability
News
World Bank loses legal battle in Bangladesh
For the fourth time an appeal by the World Bank has been rejected by the Supreme Court in Dhaka.
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.