Bretton Woods
Update 31
Real impact of new poverty analysis uncertain
NGOs have expressed concern that their objectives of opening up debates about different social and economic policy options are not being met through current approaches.
No pain, no gain: WDR 2004 on services
Participants in a consultation meeting analyse the draft outline of the Bank’s World Development Report for 2004, “Making Services Work for the Poor”.
Bank on trade: will the real World Bank please stand up?
The Bank is divided between its role as advocate of the poorer countries in calling for increased market access and its continued hand in pushing unilateral trade liberalisation.
Short gives evidence on World Bank to UK parliamentarians
MPs on the International Development Select Committee questioned Clare Short on: debt, PRSPs, PSIA, Bank governance, social and environmental policies, privatisation of services, education and trade capacity building.
UK ministers urged to clarify position on Baku-Ceyhan pipeline
Following a visit to the UK by activists from Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey UK groups have sent relevant UK ministers a memorandum outlining 10 sets of issues, including assessment, consultation and compensation as well as corruption, debt and legal issues. They are demanding a response before the IFC takes a decision to move the project…
Bankspeak of the Year competition
Readers may have noticed some of the new terminology emanating from the Bank.
Conditionality through the back door?
’Streamlining’ of IMF conditionality failing expectations; cross-conditionality remains and the Fund has failed to debate the macro-economic framework.
IFC pulls out of goldmine, considers pipeline
In early October the International Finance Corporation (IFC) announced that it would not back the Rosia Montana goldmine in Romania.
Lesotho corruption verdict
Following a seven month trial, Canadian company Acres International was convicted on two counts of bribing an official to secure contracts for the Lesotho Highland Water Project, which received financing from the World Bank.
New claim on Chad-Cameroon project
Communities in Cameroon affected by the World Bank financed Chad-Cameroon oil pipeline have filed a new claim with the Bank’s Inspection Panel.
Process for agriculture assessment clarified
At a meeting in Dublin in early November the World Bank discussed the process for its new global assessment of agricultural science and technology.
IMF office releases first evaluation, considers next ones
The first report of the IMF’s Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) was released in September.
World Bank rejects controversial gold mine project
On October 10th, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank’s private lending arm, announced that it would not financially support the controversial Rosia Montana gold mine project in Romania’s Apuseni mountains.
IMF evaluation office: too technocratic ?
Correspondence between the IEO and the Bretton Woods Project following the publication of its first report
Indigenous groups angered by Bank policy decisions
Indigenous peoples and NGOs supporting them have released angry statements about the World Bank’s indigenous peoples and forests policies.
Letter to IMF evaluation office on its work programme 2003/2004
Letter to IMF evaluation office on its work programme 2003/2004
Human rights: little progress
The Bank is taking a softly-softly approach to human rights despite announcements earlier in the year that it wanted to clarify its position.
Ghana water privatisation disputed by independent analysts
An international fact-finding mission on plans to reform the water sector in Ghana made its conclusions public before the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and the IMF.
Zen and the art of hand maintenance
The World Bank-Netherlands Water Partnership has launched the “handwashing initiative”, a public-private partnership to promote the use of soap to reduce the incidence of diarrhoeal diseases in poor communities.
Bank trade map
New Bretton Woods Update feature providing readers with an easy-to-understand summary of the Bank’s work on trade, relevant contacts and web information.
Bolivia water latest
Bolivia provides further lessons from Bank-backed water privatisation.
Changes to the Update, website
Responding to readers’ comments in our recent Update survey, this issue incorporates two changes.
World Bank: free press is good for you!
The World Association of Newspapers and the World Bank released a book evaluating the media’s role in either helping or hindering development.
Spas, malls and five star hotels
As part of the World Bank Group, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), a publicly funded, political-risk insurance provider, is supposed to share the Bank’s overarching goal of poverty alleviation and environmentally sustainable development.
IFI watchnet calendar and webring
Organizations monitoring the international financial institutions (IFIs) worldwide have created a collaborative calendar of events at www.ifiwatchnet.org.
Guyana sued over nationalisation debt
A British company has taken a case to the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) seeking
Job opening with IFI watchnet
IFI watchnet is made up of organisations which monitor the international financial institutions.
Argentina default pressures Krueger
After a record-breaking eleven months of failed talks with the IMF Argentina has, for the first time, defaulted on a payment to the World Bank.