The UK Department for International Development is funding 2 social advisors to join the IMF’s Africa department to advise on the social implications of the IMF’s ESAF programmes.
International
Knowledge
News
Bank suggests hedge funds for developing country commodities
The World Bank has predicted that global commodity prices are unlikely to rise following the impacts of the world financial crisis, and is considering how developing countries could reduce harmful price fluctuation in these markets.
Knowledge
News
South Africans expose Stiglitz “illusion”
In January, some 50 South African civil society activists challenged World Bank Chief Economist Joe Stiglitz in Johannesburg, concluding that his responses “shattered the illusion that the World Bank is undergoing fundamental transformation”.
News
Surveys show tough views on Bank and Fund
Respondents to two recent surveys revealed widespread continuing mistrust of Bank and Fund approaches.
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.
IFI governance
News
World Bank outlines plans for more active European engagement
The Bank’s new Vice President for Europe, Jean-Francois Rischard aims to increase the Bank’s engagement with European NGOs and academics.
Conditionality
News
Selectivity: conditionality by any other name
Government officials met the World Bank in March to discuss new criteria for allocating its IDA (soft loan) resources among countries.
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”.
News
Bretton Woods Update
The Bretton Woods Project is just establishing a website at www.brettonwoodsproject.org.
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.
Knowledge
News
Democracy and civil society rise up Bank’s agenda
At the end of February the World Bank and the Government of Korea hosted a conference entitled Democracy, Market Economy and Development.
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.
