International

Private Sector

News

Confusion about WB private sector review

Government officials who negotiated contributions to the Bank’s IDA 12 lending window agreed with the Bank that “a clear private sector development strategy should be established for the World bank Group during the course of 1999 to guide the work of the IBRD, IDA, IFC and MIGA”.

15 March 1999

Infrastructure

News

Dams Commission workplan nears completion

The World Commission on Dams has nearly completed its workplan and selected consultants to lead work on the thematic reviews.

15 March 1999

Accountability

News

Corporate lobbying at the Bank exposed

A recent article in the Legal Times alleges that there is significant corporate lobbying of the World Bank.

15 March 1999

News

Thanks for support

The Bretton Woods Project thanks the CS Mott Foundation and Christian Aid for their continued support.

15 March 1999

Knowledge

News

Bank approach to social capital criticised

Ben Fine, Professor of Economics at SOAS, University of London, has produced a 30,000 word paper which reviews and severely critiques the World Bank’s approach to social capital.

15 March 1999

Rights

News

Post-crisis social code diluted to weak Bank principles

There is danger that the aims and scope of the social principles (formerly the Social Code), which was proposed by Gordon Brown as a fourth pillar of the new international architecure, will be watered down to become simply a framework for the Bank’s social policy.

15 March 1999

Accountability

News

Last ditch attempt to save Inspection Panel

On March 24 the World Bank Board will hold a special consultation session about likely changes to the Bank’s Independent Inspection Panel.

15 March 1999

Finance

News

New credit line means more IMF conditionality

The G7 proposal to establish a Contingency Credit Facility has met with opposition from some European and developing countries.

15 March 1999

IFI governance

News

Bank participation in carbon fund in doubt

The World Bank may have failed to secure European financial support for the Prototype Carbon Fund, one of the controversial carbon-trading schemes devised to implement the Kyoto climate change protocol.

15 March 1999

IFI governance

News

Bank seeks balanced development strategies

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.

15 March 1999

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.

15 March 1999

News

IMF “serious” about improving NGOs relations

Useful Contacts

15 March 1999