Presentations Dr Juan Almendares, Madre Tierra We must compare reason and reality; reason might be…
South Asia
Accountability
Background
CSOs - Inspection Panel meeting and discussion
Q: How do you train the board? Organise orientation of new Board members, are often…
Infrastructure
Background
Energy sector trends
Sponsors: Bretton Woods Project, Mott Foundation, Heinrich Boell Foundation-North America, Latindadd, Pacific Environment, International Rivers,…
IFI governance
Background
CSO roundtable with World Bank Group executive directors
Sponsor: World Bank Group Panelists: Merza Hassan (Executive Director for Kuwait, and Dean of the…
Environment
Analysis
World Bank’s climate change crusade: rhetoric or reality?
The World Bank is focussing significant time and resources into promoting itself as an agent for tackling climate change, but is still funds dirty energy through coal and gas projects, most recently in China.
Infrastructure
Commentary
Disempowered development
World Bank support for a Nepal power line has been criticised for violating indigenous peoples’ rights and the use of armed forces, yet an Inspection Panel investigation has been delayed.
Private Sector
Analysis
IFC funding to financial intermediaries: unfit for purpose
An IFC investment in ANZ Royal Bank has been criticised after the bank was implicated in a “massive land grab” in Cambodia. Further cases from Guatemala and Honduras reinforce calls for IFC to rethink its investments in financial intermediaries.
Private Sector
News
Response letter to the head of IFC Jin-Yong Cai re: IFC investment in the financial sector
This letter was written to respond to an IFC 6 January 2014 reply to a November 2013 civil society letter about the International Finance Corporation’s action plan to reform lending to the financial sector. The 26 groups signed on to the letter believe the IFC’s action plan is inadequate and urge the head of the IFC to do more to address the audit’s findings.
Accountability
Commentary
World Bank accountability mechanisms: Any lessons learned yet?
The effectiveness of the Bank's accountability mechanisms relies on the extent their findings are accepted by Bank management. In three recent cases the Bank president has not responded seriously to their findings. The mechanisms must be made powerful and independent enough to hold the Bank to account.
Infrastructure
Analysis
World Bank’s thirst for hydropower
The World Bank and IFC continue push for controversial hydropower, with projects in Guatemala, Democratic Republic of Congo, East Africa, Niger, Pakistan and Macedonia. The Bank warned on long term viability of hydropower, as Uruguay’s state hydro company agreed insurance with the Bank.
Finance
Analysis
BRICS Bank: New bottle, how’s the wine?
Last year BRICS' leaders agreed to launch a BRICS development bank. Whether this is considered positive depends in part what questions are being asked. Sameer Dossani of ActionAid International highlights the flaws in the World Bank and IMF, analyses whether a BRICS Bank could be different from these institutions and proposes what it should do and what it should look like.
Rights
Analysis
IFC's bitter tea
As the CAO publishes its assessment report of its investigation into allegations of human rights violations by IFC-funded APPL, Tata Tea's parent company in Assam new evidence emerges of the IFC's failings.
