International

Finance

News

Scaffolding for global architecture

In late October the G7 took limited steps to strengthen the international financial architecture, after the World Bank-IMF annual meetings ended with a plethora of proposals but no substantive agreement.

15 December 1998

Accountability

News

New Bank fraud hotline

The World Bank Group has set up a telephone hotline to provide a central point for reporting allegations of fraud and corruption.

15 December 1998

Knowledge

News

Major new Bank report on aid

A major new Policy Research Report by the Bank argues that it is pointless to provide aid money to countries unless they have certain economic policies and a good institutional environment.

15 December 1998

Knowledge

News

New Bank paradigm: Stiglitz and Fine approaches clash

In October World Bank Chief Economist Joe Stiglitz made another major speech going “beyond the well-documented failures of the Washington consensus to begin providing the foundations of an alternative paradigm”.

15 December 1998

IFI governance

News

IMF looks to hire PR firm

The IMF has decided to hire a new public relations firm to bolster its battered image.

15 December 1998

IFI governance

News

The future of NGO World Bank strategy discussed

In October the Bank Information Center held a strategy meeting for 80 people from NGOs and foundations concerned about the World Bank.

15 December 1998

News

IMF forecasts in doubt again

Just two weeks after it published its “World Economic Outlook” in September the Fund admitted some of its figures were out of date and would have to be revised downward.

15 December 1998

Land

News

Mexico project reveals Bank planning, supervision failings

A detailed paper by Trasparencia traces the history and execution of the Mexican Rainfed Areas Development Project.

15 December 1998

Accountability

News

IFC new ombudsman, consultation document

The IFC is appointing an environmental and social compliance ombudsman to monitor implementation of environmental and social policies.

15 December 1998

Finance

News

IMF Articles change on hold

Action to change the IMF’s Articles of Agreement to extend the Fund’s purview to cover capital account liberalisation has been put on hold since the financial crisis.

15 December 1998

Conditionality

News

ESAF reviews latest

NGOs’ comments on the findings and recommendations of the ESAF reviews will be published and discussed by the Board soon.

15 December 1998

Rights

News

IFC policies confirmed

The International Finance Corporation has finalised its rewording of the Bank’s social and environmental policies to fit its clientele and business cycle, and many of the policies are about to be signed off by the Board.

15 December 1998