The 50 Years is Enough alliance of NGOs took to Washington’s streets in January to protest about US funding for the IMF and its bailout of the Asian economies.
International
IFI governance
News
Shaping your country’s future
Bread for the World Institute has produced a guide to advise NGOs and civil society groups on how to influence the World Bank’s Country Assistance Strategies (CASs).
Finance
News
IMF creates new loans to help with financial crises
The IMF has established the Supplemental Reserve Facility (SRF) to provide extra resources to countries with balance of payments problems caused by rapid capital outflows such as those experienced in South East Asia.
Social services
News
New Education Strategy
The Human Development Department of the World bank is preparing an Education Sector Strategy Paper (ESSP).
Conditionality
News
Bank Gender Performance Criticised
The NGO network Women’s Eyes on the World Bank has produced a report examining the Bank’s efforts to bring its lending practices into line with the steps agreed at the 1995 World Conference on Women.
IFI governance
News
Good Governance for BWIs
The IMF and World Bank should reform their constitutional rules and decision-making procedures and practices if they are to achieve the standard of good governance they themselves have defined for borrowing members.
Knowledge
News
Measuring Knowledge
The 1998 World Development Report (WDR) will address issues of “Knowledge and Information for Development”.
Rights
News
G24 should build bridges with Southern NGOs
A recent paper argues that Southern governments should foster and expand democratic dialogue with NGOs in their countries.
Rights
News
Regulating or Freeing NGOs?
The Bank-commissioned Handbook on Good Practices for Laws Relating to Non-Governmental Organisations has been criticised in a report by the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights.
Rights
News
Sydney Workers’ Rights Push
World Bank officials at a conference in Sydney last November were pressed by AID/WATCH and trade union officials to introduce mandatory labour standards.
IFI governance
News
Dams Commission Nears Agreement
The World Commission on Dams, looks likely to start operations this Spring.
Rights
News
Bankcheck RIP
The magazine Bankcheck, jointly produced by the International Rivers Network and the Development Group for Alternative Policies, has ceased production after 7 years of informative critical analysis of the World Bank and IMF.
Featured briefings
12 December 2024
The Bretton Woods Observer: Winter 2024
16 October 2024
The Bretton Woods Observer: Autumn 2024
16 October 2024
The lost call for international financial architecture reform in the G20
At the 80th anniversary of the World Bank and IMF, global civil society must maintain pressure on the Brazilian and South African G20 presidencies to ensure the forth Financing for Development Conference in 2025 results in urgently required international financial architecture reform.