International

Conditionality

News

The IMF’s ESAF: is it working?

In August the IMF produced a “question and answer” paper on its Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility.

15 September 1999

IFI governance

News

New Bank environment review

The World Bank’s Operations Evaluation Department is carrying out a review of “Promoting Environmental Sustainability in Development”.

15 September 1999

IFI governance

News

Access to Bank documents under review

The Bank is about to start a review of information disclosure.

15 September 1999

Finance

News

Bank to guarantee economic policy reforms

The World Bank Board recently agreed that the Bank can extend its partial credit guarantee instrument to cover structural and social policy reforms.

15 September 1999

Rights

News

Bank/NGO communications strategy assessed

The Bank’s NGO Unit has commissioned a needs assessment of communications strategies between the World Bank and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).

15 September 1999

Private Sector

News

Int. Chamber of Commerce Partners with Bank

In June the World Bank agreed to step up cooperation with the International Chamber of Commerce to boost the private sector, trade and investment in the Bank’s member countries.

15 September 1999

IFI governance

News

Forest policy review delay, IFC scrutinised

The regional consultations that will inform the World Bank’s forest policy review have had to be delayed; they will not start until February or March 2000.

15 September 1999

Conditionality

News

WB-IMF orthodoxy rivalled by Asian Development Bank

The Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI), led by its new head Masaru Yoshitomi, has mounted an attack on the IMF’s use of conventional policies for dealing with the crisis in Asia and plans to hold meetings and seminars to challenge the IMF’s approach at the Bank/Fund annual meetings.

15 September 1999

Knowledge

News

Globalization, urbanization, environment assessed

The Bank’s World Development Report 1999-2000, due out in mid-September, will examine globalization, localization, urbanization, and environmental change, presenting their implications for institutions and for policy.

15 September 1999

IFI governance

News

CDF country pilots show wide differences in approach

Wolfensohn’s Comprehensive Development Framework, which aims to make the World Bank more responsive to different policy proposals, and encourage long-term, integrated decision-making, is now being piloted in 12 countries.

15 September 1999

Knowledge

News

“Knowledge Bank” claims queried

The Bretton Woods Project has received copies of draft papers by two academics critically querying the World Bank’s claims to have become a “knowledge bank”.

15 September 1999

Finance

News

Africans to challenge Washington Consensus

African NGOs met in Nairobi in August to discuss and formulate an Africa Consensus on economic and social development to challenge the Washington Consensus.

15 September 1999