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

Environment
Analysis
Gambling with the planet’s future? World Bank Development Policy Finance, ‘green’ conditionality, and the push for a private-led energy transition
BWP's review of energy sector conditionality in World Bank Development Policy Financing from fiscal years 2018 to 2023 reveals the Bank has followed a pattern of promoting neoliberal reforms in many countries' energy sectors, with climate action increasingly being viewed as the rationale for these changes.

IFI governance
Analysis
V20 communiqué analysis Annual Meetings 2023: Climate vulnerable countries demand more voice at Bretton Woods Institutions
V20 seeks confirmation of official observer status at the Bretton Woods Institutions by COP28, as IMF quota review fails to give greater voting power to climate vulnerable countries.

Finance
Analysis
Balancing ambitions and bridging divides at multilateral development banks
The success of the World Bank Evolution Roadmap will depend on developed countries' willingness to bridge the gap with developing countries by increasing Global South decision-making power and committing to a capital increase.

Environment
News
World Bank’s reliance on private capital to finance green transition in low- and middle-income countries risks falling flat
Despite lofty rhetoric, Bank’s attempts to use scarce concessional finance to build investable project pipelines to secure power sector decarbonisation faces significant hurdles.
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.
Land
News
Honduras threatens ICSID withdrawal over $11 billion ‘neo-colonial’ special economic zone claim
Compensation claim before WorldBank’s ICSID raises questions about the value of special economic zones and fairness of ISDS mechanisms for Global South states.

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"

Finance
Analysis
Against regressive taxes and austerity: IMF and World Bank must pivot tax policies to support a just and green transition
This year, 85 per cent of the world’s population lives under austerity measures, while multinational enterprises and the wealthy have benefited from privileged tax structures and regressivity, allowing inequality to widen.

Environment
News
Resilience and Sustainability Trust’s first loans promote climate PPPs, raising concerns they may create fiscal risks
Initial financing for Costa Rica, Barbados, Rwanda, Bangladesh and Jamaica tied to efforts to ‘green’ PPP frameworks.

Private Sector
News
World Bank’s financial inclusion agenda blind to growing gendered over-indebtedness
The World Bank’s financial inclusion agenda in time of cost-of-living crisis, austerity and financialisation promotes indebtedness of the poor, especially women.