The Bretton Woods Project has published a briefing providing a critical analysis of the IMF's latest work on gender equality. The briefing questions the sustainability of the Fund's new approach to gender equality and reveals that the Fund's analysis so far is limited and inconsistent with the full achievement of women's economic empowerment.
New edition of the Bretton Woods Project's biannual Climate Investment Fund (CIFs) Monitor, published to coincide with the World Bank-hosted CIFs trust fund committee meetings.
The upcoming Clean Technology Fund (CTF) resource shortfall continues to raise concerns. A proposal for “CTF 2.0” will be discussed, including two proposed modalities: CTF Green Markets and the Risk Mitigation Facility. Concerns were raised over safeguards for a geothermal energy project in Indonesia.
The Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR) has called for urgent donations to be able to finance projects pending approval. The CIF strategic directions paper proposed for a new private sector window to be set up. Concerns were raised about community consultations in Samoa and around resettlement risks related to a Haiti project.
The rationale for adding new pilot countries to the Forest Investment Program (FIP) given funding constraints has been questioned, as well as the focus on providing loans rather than grants. The CIF strategic directions paper noted challenges for the FIP, and proposed a new private sector window. Questions were raised about the consultation of ethnic minorities in relation to a Laos project.
Concerns continues over slow progress in implementing the Scaling up Renewable Energy Program in Low Income Countries (SREP) investments plans and lack of funding for new pilot countries, as well as constraints on grant resources. The CIF strategic directions paper proposed an enhanced private sector programme for energy access. Questions on consideration of indigenous peoples were raised in relation to Liberia and Tanzania projects.
Notes from a meeting at the IMF/World Bank CSO Forum at the 2016 Spring meetings discussion the socio-economic impacts of the Syrian crisis, the outgoing flow of migration and the World Bank’s model on how to tackle these issues following its new report.
Notes from a meeting at the IMF/World Bank CSO Forum at the 2016 Spring meetings, evaluating how well the World Bank and IMF have done on respecting the country ownership principle ten years after its international acceptance.
As the IMF initiates negotiations with Tunisia, concerns have been expressed that renewed reforms will not be inclusive or target deep-seated economic and social issues.
A report by the UN independent expert on foreign debt, exploring inequality, financial crises and human rights, claims that IMF programmes are associated with a worsening of income distribution.
The best books and papers on the World Bank and IMF from 2015.
BWP report finds few signs of IMF policy-change in the MENA region post 2011.
