North America

IFI governance

News

US Congressional legislation threatens IMF and World Bank plans

US legislature’s spending bill blocks IMF governance reform, insists the World Bank pay reparations to communities that suffer human rights abuses, and bans US support for large dams or extractive projects in tropical forests.

23 January 2014

Finance

Analysis

The IMF’s debt restructuring dilemma

Burgeoning debt levels, and problems in Jordan and Philippines, indicate that debt crises are not behind us. While the IMF considers policy changes, an influential group of scholars has proposed a new Fund facility for handling sovereign debt restructuring.

3 December 2013

Finance

News

IDA 17 record size, but down in real terms

The World Bank’s December 2013 claim of a record IDA replenishment was undermined by lumping donor loans in with grants and a decline in real terms, while India secured transitional support.

23 January 2014

Accountability

News

Gonzalo Castro de la Mata appointed new Inspection Panel member

Gonzalo Castro de la Mata was appointed as a new member of the World Bank's Inspection Panel in December 2013.

23 January 2014

IFI governance

Commentary

Bankspeak of the year 2013

The Bretton Woods Project awards the most comical use of words by members of staff at the World Bank and IMF in 2013.

23 January 2014 | Humour

Finance

Analysis

The IFIs in 2013: year in review

The Bretton Woods Project review of the most important developments at the World Bank and IMF in 2013.

8 January 2014 | Review

Private Sector

News

IFC's Kaldany to lead Caisse emerging markets investments

Rashad Kaldany, the International Finance Corporation's chief operating officer, is appointed to lead Caisse emerging markets investments.

12 November 2013

Finance

Analysis

IMF gets emerging markets wrong, again

The Fund has had to conduct another embarrassing “U-turn” to warn of the growing risks to the stability of developing countries, while cautiously accepting the need for capital controls in principle, but not necessarily in practice.

4 October 2013

IFI governance

News

Annual Meetings coverage

Keep up to date on the Bank/IMF annual meetings (7-13 October) with the Bretton Woods Project's dedicated web page which will contain information and analysis on the key issues and events.

3 October 2013 | Update

IFI governance

News

IMF reform still stuck in US Congress

As developing countries continue to complain about the US failing to approve IMF governance reforms, the US Treasury formally resubmitted a request for the approval to US Congress.

26 June 2013

Trade

News

IMF research on "fiscal profligacy" criticised

A January IMF working paper has accused the US of "fiscal profligacy".

13 February 2013

IFI governance

News

IMF's debt restructuring

In August, the IMF published data on sovereign debt restructuring cases between 1950 and 2010, detailing pitfalls in the process including creditor holdouts and litigation, communication amongst stakeholders and the scope of debt relief in past restructurings.

3 October 2012