Accountability

News

G8 cancellation of World Bank, IMF debt: "step forward"

13 June 2005

Finance ministers of the world's richest countries agreed to write off $40 to $55 billion of debts owed to the World Bank, IMF and African Development Bank. Statements on aid effectiveness and trade in the final communiqu

IFI governance

News

Which way the World Bank?

A report from the Bank's evaluation department assessing its contribution to growth and poverty reduction has provoked renewed debates over what development means and what the Bank's role in it should be. As Paul Wolfowitz begins his presidency, a dividing line is being drawn between advocates of economic growth driven by big infrastructure and those defending re-distribution through the provision of social services.

13 June 2005

Conditionality

News

Fund legitimacy under question

A summary of IMF gold sale deadlock. A summary of the new Turkish loan agreement and Krueger's comments on a flexible labour market. Re-emergence of the idea of an Asian Monetary Fund

13 June 2005

Rights

News

From bad to worse: IFC safeguards

The serious inadequacies of the IFC's environmental and social safeguards in light of a number of IFC-supported projects

13 June 2005

Land

News

Setbacks to privatisations across Africa

The collapse of a flagship water privatisation in Tanzania, and opposition to both a planned privatisation of the state cotton board and the completed privatisation of the state railway in Mali, highlight the continuing struggle over pressure from the Bretton Woods institutions to privatise in Africa.

13 June 2005

Rights

Commentary

World Bank and civil society engagement: a new direction?

A civil society perspective on the World Bank global civil society forum and the future of civil society and World Bank engagement, by Moreblessings Chidaushe, Afrodad

13 June 2005 | Guest comment

Rights

News

IFIwatchnet moves to Montevideo

IFIwatchnet - formerly based at the Bretton Woods Project in London - has moved to the Instituto del Tercer Mundo (ITeM), in Uruguay, as part of a strategic plan to strengthen southern networks of IFIwatchers.

13 June 2005

Social services

Analysis

Secretive World Bank tribunal confronts calls to open up

Civil society groups are backing official calls for reform of the World Bank's International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes - however, the future of the reforms looks uncertain due to resistance from developing countries.

13 June 2005 | Briefings

Environment

News

World Bank breaks promises on forests

The Bank has failed to comply with its own operational policy on forests. An inspectional panel request was authorised by the Bank regarding a forest project in Cambodia. NGOs are disappointed at the Bank's draft principles for a code of conduct for mangrove management

13 June 2005

IFI governance

Background

The executive boards of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (archive)

contribution from Tom Scholar, UK executive director to the World Bank and IMF

13 June 2005 | Inside the institutions

Conditionality

News

Parliamentarians go to Washington to demand greater oversight

Parliamentarians from eight countries travelled to Washington for the Bank-Fund spring meetings to present the…

13 June 2005

Environment

News

Slow progress on World Bank’s oil, gas and mining commitments

Update on the World Bank Group’s progress on the management response to the Extractive Industries Review. Problems relating to the BTC pipeline on its inauguration. Summary of the book The risks we run, on political risk insurance and the mining industry.

13 June 2005