International

IFI governance

News

Distilling lessons from the ESAF Reviews

Many NGOs have fed in comments to the IMF about its staff report Distilling the Lessons of the ESAF Reviews.

15 September 1998

IFI governance

News

East Asia Crisis group examines NGO roles

The World Bank has established an East Asia Crisis working group to tackle some of the social aspects of the financial crisis.

15 September 1998

IFI governance

News

New analysis of how to change the Bank

MIT Press has just published a fascinating analysis of efforts to change the World Bank.

15 September 1998

IFI governance

News

Senior Bank environment post kept after NGO letter

A joint NGO letter recently helped prevent a plan by World Bank Managing Directors to axe the Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development Vice Presidency (ESSD).

15 September 1998

IFI governance

News

Oxfam Guide examines participation

An Oxfam publication by Tricia Feeney provides a very useful analysis of approaches to participation in development projects.

15 September 1998

Rights

News

Mining conference

A World Bank conference this July in Padang, Papua New Guinea, discussed “mining and the community in South-East Asia” but many NGOs known to represent mine-affected people were not invited.

15 September 1998

Knowledge

News

London seminars to assess Stiglitz “consensus”

The Centre for Economic Policy for Southern Africa (CEPSA) at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London is in October launching a lecture series “Addressing the Post-Washington Consensus”.

15 September 1998

IFI governance

News

“New” IFC strategy fails to address key issues

In 1997 the IFC commissioned a welcome review of its objectives following pressure from NGOs and some Executive Directors who argued that it emphasised deal-making in response to the private sector at the expense of any clear focus on poverty alleviation or environmental protection.

15 September 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

News

WTO protests grow

The Second Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva was marked by protests in many countries.

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

Rights

News

NGO approach debated

In March the Bank Board discussed the Bank’s approach to NGOs.

15 April 1998