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Latin America & Caribbean

Wind Farm in desert near Hurghada, Egypt. Photo: MaguedM/Shutterstock

Infrastructure

Analysis

New data reveal World Bank DPF ‘climate finance’ carries strong private sector bias, undermining a just transition

New BWP briefing finds the World Bank counted 70 per cent of energy-sector reforms in Development Policy Financing as having 'climate co-benefits' between 2018-2023 - but most of these promoted a private-led energy transition.

9 June 2025 | Briefings
Barbados finance minister Ryan Straughn chairs V20's ministerial session on 24 April, during the 2025 World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings in Washington DC. Photo: CVF/V20.

IFI governance

Analysis

V20 communiqué analysis Spring Meetings 2025: amid attacks on climate action, climate vulnerable countries once again highlight urgent need to step back from the brink

Faced with deafening silence from Bank and Fund leadership on climate issues at the Spring Meetings, climate vulnerable countries demand urgent changes to global financial architecture.

30 April 2025
Old Mulago Hospital, Kampala, Uganda. Credit: Joyce Nanjobe Kawooya/Wikimedia

Social services

Commentary

New report documents abuses at IFC-funded hospitals, further exposing consequences of the “billions to trillions” approach

Bloomberg investigation adds further evidence of negative consequences for people and governments of IFC’s for-profit healthcare model.

15 April 2025 | Guest comment
illustration of the Bretton Woods Observer winter 2024, presenting the World Bank globe sitting on a hidden pile of gold looking at the Wall Street Bull (which represents the financial sector)

Environment

Analysis

COP29 sees MDBs climate finance take centre stage, as civil society brands new climate finance goal a ‘betrayal’

Rich countries agree to provide a paltry $300 billion in public finance by 2035 including funds channelled through MDBs, as Small Island States and Least Developed Countries stage walkout.

12 December 2024

IFI governance

Analysis

G20 communiqué analysis Annual Meetings 2024: progress on tax and inequality obscures Group's wider failures

At the 25th anniversary of the Group’s Finance Track, the G20 communiqué’s robust language on the taxation of billionaires, including encouraging “constructive discussions” about the UN Tax Conference was contrasted by much more cautious language on MDB reform, climate finance, debt and Special Drawing Rights.

29 October 2024

IFI governance

Analysis

V20 communiqué analysis Annual Meetings 2024: climate vulnerable countries once again demand key changes to IMF’s approach, as world risks breaching climate tipping points

V20 members offered a searing indictment of rich countries’ failure to act on BWIs governance, debt relief, climate finance and SDRs.

29 October 2024
President of the Republic, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, during the opening of the Joint Session of the G20 Sherpa and Finance Trails, at the Itamaraty Palace. Brasília - DF.

Finance

Analysis

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.

16 October 2024 | At Issue
Santa Cruz road corridor connector along the Miraflores indigenous community territory, Bolivia. Credit: Fundacion Tierra

Accountability

News

World Bank’s lack of meaningful consultation leaves Chiquitano Indigenous Peoples in Bolivia with no recourse

World Bank fails in its commitment to accountability by disregarding communities’ participation all the way through project design, implementation and resulting remedy plans.

16 October 2024
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Other news

Trade

News

Ecuador ratifies 2008 ban on investor-state dispute settlement mechanism

Ecuador referendum reinforces the country’s decision against a mechanism criticised for being asymmetric, unjust and detrimental to citizens’ rights.

3 July 2024

Environment

News

Civil society raises concerns about Resilience and Sustainability Trust’s green conditionality as Fund conducts interim review

CSOs and experts question the suitability of ‘green' policy conditions attached to RST loans.

9 April 2024

IFI governance

Background

Agriculture, financialization, and gender: Exploring the World Bank’s response to interlinked phenomena

Notes from the Civil Society Policy Forum on 17 April 2024 titled "Agriculture, financialization, and gender: Exploring the World Bank’s response to interlinked phenomena"

17 April 2024 | Minutes

IFI governance

Background

The future of Special Drawing Rights as a development finance tool: What's next?

Notes from the Civil Society Policy Forum session on 17 April 2024, titled "The Future of Special Drawing Rights as a Development Finance Tool: What's Next?"

17 April 2024 | Minutes

Finance

News

New book addresses shortcomings of traditional approaches to debt and economics 

New book details the gendered effects of austerity and argues that the human rights of people living in debt-distressed countries must take precedence over creditors’ financial interests.

13 December 2023

Finance

News

IMF acknowledges capital controls have helped Argentine economy

IMF research acknowledges measures to restrict capital outflows introduced in 2019 contributed to Argentina meeting the performance criteria for the Fund’s Extended Fund Facility.

4 October 2023

IFI governance

Background

Voices of the Global South: Taxation and polycrisis

Notes from Civil Society Policy Forum event on April 14 2023 titled "Voices of the Global South: Taxation and polycrisis"

14 April 2023 | Minutes

Finance

News

IMF continues to disregard UN Human Rights Commission concerns about its surcharge policy

IMF managing director continues to refuse to answer letter from UN Human Rights Council concerning the negative impact of IMF surcharges as world celebrates 75th anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

5 April 2023
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