International

Knowledge

News

Bulletin dissects Bank report on the State

The April 1998 Institute for Development Studies Bulletin critiques the Bank’s World Development Report, The State in a Changing World.

15 April 1998

IFI governance

News

Sibling rivalry: can the Fund and Bank cooperate?

UK Secretary of State for International Development Clare Short told the Financial Times in April: “We are in a very silly situation. The international institutions are meant to be complementary, but the IMF keeps charging around taking other peoples’ jobs in areas where it is not necessarily competent”.

15 April 1998

Knowledge

News

Knowledge report discussions

The Bretton Woods Project is about to be sent the yellow cover draft of the Bank’s 1998 World Development Report.

15 April 1998

IFI governance

News

Bank builds muscle to deal with crises

The Bank will spend $50m over the next two years recruiting financial sector experts for a new Special Financial Operations unit.

15 April 1998

IFI governance

News

IFC slammed by Anthropologists Association

In April Jane Hill, President of the American Anthropological Association, wrote a strong letter to Bank Group President James Wolfensohn and Carol Lee, IFC Vice President and General Counsel.

15 April 1998

Conditionality

News

ESAF review: new IMF strategy urged

More flexibility and a new approach was suggested in the external review of the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility (IMF loans to poorer countries) published in March.

15 April 1998

Environment

News

NGOs debate IDA issues

The IDA Deputies - government officials who negotiate the refinancing of the World Bank’s International Development Association concessional lending arm - have met twice to discuss the policy framework for future IDA lending.

15 April 1998

IFI governance

News

Policing the policemen

The IMF has been urged to be more transparent and accountable by a US Study Group convened by the Centre of Concern, and by the UK Chancellor.

15 April 1998

Environment

News

MIGA pressed to reform

Friends of the Earth US and other NGOs wrote to their government representatives in April to stress that the donor discussions about providing more money for MIGA should talk about reforms first and about shifting the portfolio away from mining and fossil fuel projects such as the controversial Lihir Island goldmine in Papua New Guinea.

15 April 1998

Finance

News

Preventing private sector debt crises

In addition to extending the IMF’s role, its governors have been examining measures to prevent future financial sector crises.

15 April 1998

Rights

News

IMF PR tour

The IMF is holding a meeting in late May in Ghana to explain its strategy to NGOs there.

15 April 1998

Knowledge

News

Stiglitz questions outdated “Washington consensus”

Giving the WIDER annual lecture in Helsinki the World Bank Chief Economist called for a…

15 April 1998