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Bretton Woods Update 8

  • Mar 1998
  • Past Issues

IFI governance

News

GEF: Gift Horse or Force for Change?

15 January 1998

A critical study prepared for a meeting to discuss replenishing the Global Environment Facility, an international fund for environmental, criticises the World Bank’s use of the resources.

IFI governance

News

World Bank Plans Profitable CO2 Trading

The Kyoto climate change meeting in December brought together ministers from 160 countries to agree binding restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions.

15 January 1998

Finance

News

IMF criticism grows as S. E. Asia Crisis Worsens

Doubts about the IMF’s capacity to deal with international currency problems are mounting as the South East Asian crisis worsens despite the IMF’s bail-out efforts.

15 January 1998

Finance

News

US NGOs battle to stop quota funds

The 50 Years is Enough alliance of NGOs took to Washington’s streets in January to protest about US funding for the IMF and its bailout of the Asian economies.

15 January 1998

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World Bank & IMF in the news

Accountability

News

15 January 1998

Inspecting the Inspectors

In February the World Bank Board will again review the functioning of the Bank’s Inspection Panel, subject of two new NGO reports.

Infrastructure

News

15 January 1998

Chad Cameroon Indecision

Following NGO scrutiny of the World Bank’s plans to support the Chad-Cameroon oil pipeline scheme the Bank appears to be reconsidering its use of IDA (soft loan) money for the project.

IFI governance

News

15 January 1998

IFC reviews roll off the production line

Largely due to the persistent efforts of NGOs and some Executive Directors, the International Finance Corporation (IFC-a private sector support arm of the World Bank Group) has unveiled a series of reviews and new initiatives.

Finance

News

15 January 1998

IDA Discussions Start

Paula Donovan, the World Bank staff member in charge of raising funds for the Bank’s soft loan arm the International Development Association (IDA), has undertaken a series of meetings designed to reassure parliamentarians and NGOs.

IFI governance

News

15 January 1998

Forest Policy Reviews

The World Bank has agreed to carry out a forest policy implementation review followed by a Forest Sector Strategy review over the next few months.

Finance

News

15 January 1998

Aiding banks or people?

The IMF’s interventions have again raised discussions of who bears the burden of financial crises.

Finance

News

15 January 1998

IMF creates new loans to help with financial crises

The IMF has established the Supplemental Reserve Facility (SRF) to provide extra resources to countries with balance of payments problems caused by rapid capital outflows such as those experienced in South East Asia.

Conditionality

News

15 January 1998

Bank Gender Performance Criticised

The NGO network Women’s Eyes on the World Bank has produced a report examining the Bank’s efforts to bring its lending practices into line with the steps agreed at the 1995 World Conference on Women.

Knowledge

News

15 January 1998

Measuring Knowledge

The 1998 World Development Report (WDR) will address issues of “Knowledge and Information for Development”.

Rights

News

15 January 1998

Regulating or Freeing NGOs?

The Bank-commissioned Handbook on Good Practices for Laws Relating to Non-Governmental Organisations has been criticised in a report by the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights.

Accountability

News

15 January 1998

Panel Finds Serious Singrauli Problems

The Inspection Panel investigation into the Singrauli power project in India has found major problems with the Bank’s approach to the project.

Rights

News

15 January 1998

Sydney Workers’ Rights Push

World Bank officials at a conference in Sydney last November were pressed by AID/WATCH and trade union officials to introduce mandatory labour standards.

IFI governance

News

15 January 1998

Dams Commission Nears Agreement

The World Commission on Dams, looks likely to start operations this Spring.

Rights

News

15 January 1998

Bankcheck RIP

The magazine Bankcheck, jointly produced by the International Rivers Network and the Development Group for Alternative Policies, has ceased production after 7 years of informative critical analysis of the World Bank and IMF.

Rights

News

15 January 1998

Social aspects of WB analysis under scrutiny

A lead article in Development Anthropologist contains a fascinating account of the World Bank’s approach to social issues.

Environment

News

15 January 1998

O’Donnell Returns

Infrastructure

News

15 January 1998

NT 2 Campaign Packet

The Nam Theun 2 (NT2) Hydroelectric Project is the largest prospective hydropower project in Lao PDR.

IFI governance

News

15 January 1998

NGOWG Restructuring

The NGO World Bank Working Group is in the process of restructuring to become more regional and more representative.

IFI governance

News

15 January 1998

Further IMF Review Delay

The external ESAF review has been delayed again for the consultants to finalise their report.

IFI governance

News

15 January 1998

Counter Summit Plans

The world’s richest countries’ annual summit will take place in Birmingham, UK, this year from 15-17 May.

News

15 January 1998

Official Contacts

Official Contacts

Knowledge

News

15 January 1998

Are the 2015 poverty targets realistic?

A draft World Bank report examines poverty trends and assesses whether economic growth will be sufficient to reduce poverty to the 2015 targets agreed by donor governments in the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee.

Knowledge

News

15 January 1998

“Include poor in poverty solutions”: new Bank Report

IFI governance

News

15 January 1998

UK White Paper Suggestions

The UK Government’s White Paper on International Development, launched in November, made excellent statements about focussing more firmly on poverty and the environment but lacked detail on specific policy targets for the World Bank and IMF.

Social services

News

15 January 1998

Mozambican groups criticise CAS consultation

Civil society organisations in Mozambique have reacted angrily to the lack of civil society participation in the preparation of the Bank’s latest Country Assistance Strategy (CAS).

Conditionality

News

15 January 1998

Trigger conditions explained

A country assistance strategy (CAS) identifies “high”, “base” and “low” case lending scenarios - which one a country initially receives depends on its economic prospects.

IFI governance

News

15 January 1998

Shaping your country’s future

Bread for the World Institute has produced a guide to advise NGOs and civil society groups on how to influence the World Bank’s Country Assistance Strategies (CASs).

Social services

News

15 January 1998

New Education Strategy

The Human Development Department of the World bank is preparing an Education Sector Strategy Paper (ESSP).

Finance

News

15 January 1998

Nicaraguan civil society fears delay in debt process

Nicaraguan civil society organisations (CSOs) fear Nicaragua will not qualify for the HIPC Debt Initiative before the population has suffered further.

IFI governance

News

15 January 1998

Good Governance for BWIs

The IMF and World Bank should reform their constitutional rules and decision-making procedures and practices if they are to achieve the standard of good governance they themselves have defined for borrowing members.

Rights

News

15 January 1998

G24 should build bridges with Southern NGOs

A recent paper argues that Southern governments should foster and expand democratic dialogue with NGOs in their countries.

More news

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