Bank President James Wolfensohn has announced a new initiative which aims to balance economic with non-economic analysis and enable real participation and transparency in drawing up country strategies.
International
IFI governance
News
Financial Stability Forum agreed
The G7 will establish a Financial Stability Forum (FSF) to improve the monitoring and regulation of financial markets.
News
IMF “serious” about improving NGOs relations
Useful Contacts
Conditionality
News
Selectivity: conditionality by any other name
Government officials met the World Bank in March to discuss new criteria for allocating its IDA (soft loan) resources among countries.
IFI governance
News
IMF social staff appointed
The UK Department for International Development is funding 2 social advisors to join the IMF’s Africa department to advise on the social implications of the IMF’s ESAF programmes.
News
Bretton Woods Update
The Bretton Woods Project is just establishing a website at www.brettonwoodsproject.org.
Knowledge
News
Bank suggests hedge funds for developing country commodities
The World Bank has predicted that global commodity prices are unlikely to rise following the impacts of the world financial crisis, and is considering how developing countries could reduce harmful price fluctuation in these markets.
Knowledge
News
Democracy and civil society rise up Bank’s agenda
At the end of February the World Bank and the Government of Korea hosted a conference entitled Democracy, Market Economy and Development.
Knowledge
News
South Africans expose Stiglitz “illusion”
In January, some 50 South African civil society activists challenged World Bank Chief Economist Joe Stiglitz in Johannesburg, concluding that his responses “shattered the illusion that the World Bank is undergoing fundamental transformation”.
Knowledge
News
Bank/Fund growth model questioned
Both ENDS and the Bretton Woods Project co-organised a roundtable meeting in early March to discuss the World Bank and IMF’s core economic models.
News
Surveys show tough views on Bank and Fund
Respondents to two recent surveys revealed widespread continuing mistrust of Bank and Fund approaches.
Private Sector
News
New IFC chief expresses need for new inspiration
Peter Woicke, new Executive Vice President of IFC (the World Bank’s private finance investment arm) told IFC magazine Impact why he left J.P. Morgan Securities after 29 years.
