Social services

Commentary

The role of World Bank and IMF post-tsunami in Indonesia

The Paris Club communiqu

26 January 2005 | Guest comment

Social services

News

World Bank tsunami response

World Bank's response to the tsunami in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and the Maldives

3 February 2005

IFI governance

News

Recommended resources 2004

selected resources published in 2004

2 February 2005

IFI governance

News

Evaluation of Bank global programmes: “poorly-defined” and excluding the poor

The World Bank’s evaluation department has released a scathing report on the Bank’s approach to global programmes, finding the approach “poorly defined” and the voices of developing countries “inadequately represented”.

2 February 2005

Land

News

Bank on agricultural trade: export strategy “impoverishing”

The latest World Bank publication on agricultural trade finds that a "development strategy based on agricultural commodity exports is likely to be impoverishing in the current policy environment".

2 February 2005

Rights

News

Cautious dialogue as conflict over water continues

The deep freeze on communications between the World Bank’s water unit and civil society groups thawed a little at a recent dialogue. A revolt against private sector participation in Bolivia shows just how far there is to go.

2 February 2005

Rights

News

Draft indigenous peoples policy riddled with loopholes

The previous draft policy on indigenous peoples failed to meet expectations of indigenous peoples and NGOs involved in the process. It was scrapped in 2002. The current revised draft has improved in terms of integrating some previous recommendations made by indigenous peoples but it remains riddled with legal loopholes and ambiguous definitions

2 February 2005

Rights

News

IFC-backed mine violates Guatemalan law

One person was killed and ten were injured when the Guatemalan police and military took action to disperse protesters blocking a convoy of mining equipment destined for an IFC-funded gold mine.

2 February 2005

Conditionality

News

Bank review of the use of loan conditions takes shape

The scope of a year-long review of the conditions that the Bank attaches to its lending is becoming clearer, but differences with the Fund remain.

2 February 2005

Environment

Background

IMF and World Bank emergency response

The role of the IMF and World Bank in responding to emergencies and coordinating with relief efforts.

26 January 2005 | Inside the institutions

IFI governance

News

The end of the Wolfensohn era

Bank president James Wolfensohn has said he will retire on 31 May after 10 years in the post.

26 January 2005

Land

News

IFC funds Amazon deforestation, undermines safeguard policies

Brazilian and international NGOs charge that IFC-funded soy and cattle projects in the Amazon further deforestation, ignore social and environmental risks and contradict World Bank policy.

26 January 2005

Environment

News

Consultation extended for IFC safeguard review: doubts remain

World Bank environmental and social safeguard policies have long been a subject of contention. The Bank has now begun to shift from "explicit, mandatory policies, to which it can be held accountable, to flexible principles or national standards, permitting the investor and/or the borrowing government to determine the project's social and environmental requirements". This is illustrated most clearly by the on-going reviews of the IFC's Safeguard Policies and World Bank's Country Systems.

2 January 2005