The World Bank is set to reappoint president Jim Yong Kim for another five year term, despite persistent concerns from Bank staff and renewed calls for a merit-based process based on principles of transparency and diversity.
Transparency-WB/IMF
Rights
Analysis
World Bank turns its back on pastoralist communities in Africa
The World Bank has granted a waiver of its indigenous peoples policy for a project in Tanzania, raising concerns about impact on indigenous communities and lack of consultation.
IFI governance
Background
UK civil society meeting with UK World Bank Executive Director Melanie Robinson
Notes of a meeting with UK World Bank Executive Director Melanie Robinson 21 July 2016.
IFI governance
News
Spring meetings coverage
The World Bank and the IMF will be meeting in Washington DC for the spring meetings 15-17 April 2016.
Rights
News
Renewed warnings over World Bank safeguards “dilution”
Further concerns have been raised over dilutions of the World Bank’s proposed new safeguards framework, as controversy arose over a Bank waiver of the indigenous peoples policy for a Tanzania project.
IFI governance
Background
World Bank EDs and CSOs roundtable
Notes from a meeting at the IMF/World Bank CSO Forum at the 2016 spring meetings between World Bank executive directors and CSOs.
Rights
News
World Bank’s proposed standards “gravely weaken” investment safeguards
As the World Bank closed the third and final round of public consultations on its new draft social and environmental standards, further concerns have been raised about problematic and weak language.
Accountability
Analysis
Where’s the remedy? Development banks must do more to remedy harm caused by the activities they finance
A report assessing the effectiveness of 11 development bank’s accountability systems found that they are not effective at consistently providing remedy to those harmed.
IFI governance
News
World Bank’s risk rating record for policy lending slammed by internal evaluator
A report by the World Bank’s Independent Evaluation Group has criticised the Bank’s track record in rating the risks of development policy loans.
Conditionality
News
New BWP report on the IMF in MENA region
BWP report finds few signs of IMF policy-change in the MENA region post 2011.
Featured briefings
1 October 2024
Year one of World Bank Paris Agreement alignment in the energy sector: ‘green conditionality’ dwarfs green investments
New BWP research finds the Word Bank's approach to Paris alignment is being used to a significant extent to impose ‘green conditionalities' on borrowing countries, especially in the Global South.
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.