An estimated 70,000 people demonstrated in Birmingham to call on G8 leaders to cancel poor countries’ unpayable debts.
International
Finance
News
Private flows slowdown
Private capital flows fell sharply in the latter half of 1997 after having risen in the beginning of the year, as short-term capital flowed out of emerging markets in the wake of the Asian crisis.
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.
Knowledge
News
CAS analysis improves, but still limited
The quality of Bank country assistance strategies (CASs) has improved in the last two years, concludes a recent Bank review.
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.
IFI governance
News
Adjusting the SPA
Donor procedures and aid coordination have improved and resource flows to Sub-Saharan African countries increased under the Special Programme of Assistance for Africa (SPA), according to a recent report.
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.
Knowledge
News
Are the 2015 targets realistic?
A new World Bank paper asks whether and how the international development targets (formerly known as “DAC targets”) for reducing poverty and improving social and environmental indicators might be achieved.
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.
Private Sector
News
Bank "Business Partnerships" scheme launched
The World Bank has committed $3 million to a “Business Partners for Development” initiative to undertake studies and pilot projects involving companies, NGOs and governments.
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.
News
International Finance Guide
A Citizen’s Guide to the Globalisation of Finance outlines current trends, and examines the recent financial crash in Southeast Asia and the potential for a similar crisis in India.
Featured briefings
12 December 2024
The Bretton Woods Observer: Winter 2024
12 December 2024
Missing in action: accountability is noticeably absent from the World Bank Group’s new Corporate Scorecard
The Corporate Scorecard’s accountability gap is symptomatic of a broader failure on the part of the WBG to fully internalise, integrate and learn from the work of its accountability mechanisms.
16 October 2024