Middle East & North Africa

IFI governance

News

World Bank and IMF delay Morocco’s hosting of Annual Meetings until October 2022

Marrakesh was due to host 2021 meetings prior to announcement.

10 December 2020

Finance

News

Failure to lend to Venezuela and Iran once again raises questions around IMF’s political neutrality

IMF fails to respond to loan requests from Iran and Venezula as they struggle to respond to increasing Covid-19 cases and deaths.

16 July 2020

Rights

Analysis

Repairing harm caused: What could a reparations approach mean for the IMF and World Bank?

It is time for the IMF and World Bank to understand their own responsibility and decolonise their approach.

6 October 2020 | At Issue

Conditionality

Commentary

An IMF bailout for Lebanon can make things worse

Amidst multiple financial and economic crises, a classic IMF intervention in Lebanon could exacerbate inequalities and social tensions.

6 October 2020 | Guest comment

Conditionality

News

Civil society raises alarm about IMF’s continued backing of austerity amidst pandemic

Egypt, Ukraine, South Africa and Ecuador have recently signed IMF loan programmes that involve severe austerity measures.

6 October 2020

Knowledge

News

As World Bank pauses Doing Business Report, pressure mounts for it to be permanently scrapped

Civil society, trade unions and academics call for permanent end of Doing Business Report as World Bank suspends its publication due to data irregularities.

6 October 2020

Gender

Background

Building a feminist recovery for all: Gender transformative policies are more urgent than ever

Notes from the Civil Society Policy Forum session on 1 October.

1 October 2020

Finance

Analysis

The IMF and World Bank-led Covid-19 recovery: ‘Building back better’ or locking in broken policies?

Early evidence suggests IMF programmes are maintaining long-term fiscal consolidation targets, while World Bank further continues Maximizing Finance for Development narrative amidst Covid-19 crisis.

16 July 2020

Conditionality

News

Uprising and discontent: Global protests erupt against IMF-backed policies

From Latin America to North Africa and the Middle East, governments experience backlash against IMF loan programmes and policy recommendations.

12 December 2019

Gender

Background

Cutting to the core: Rethinking the IMF’s way of doing business to tackle gender inequalities

Notes from the Civil Society Policy Forum panel event on 17 October on the IMF’s approach to gender.

28 October 2019 | Minutes

Rights

News

Tunisia Commission seeks reparations for human rights violations from IMF and World Bank

Bretton Woods Institutions found to share responsibility for social unrest leading to serious human rights violations.

3 October 2019

Finance

Background

Taxes, Taxes, Taxes: Shifting the IFI Narrative to Progressive Gender-just Taxation

Notes from the Civil Society Policy Forum session on 12 April on the changing international tax landscape from a feminist perspective and challenging IFIs’ role in shaping it at the World Bank and IMF's 2019 Spring Meetings.

16 April 2019 | Minutes