In August the IMF produced a “question and answer” paper on its Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility.
International
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”.
IFI governance
News
Access to Bank documents under review
The Bank is about to start a review of information disclosure.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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”.
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.
