IFI governance

Analysis

World Bank Group strategy: who benefits?

3 October 2013

A new World Bank Group strategy will be signed off at the 2013 annual meetings. It prioritises greater use of the private sector and “transformational engagements”, but criticisms continue over the Bank’s desire to tell countries what to do.

Environment

Analysis

Foreclosing the future

Drawing on case studies, reports and evaluations, Bruce Rich paints a picture of a Bank still inflicting suffering on vulnerable populations, and calls on Bank president Jim Yong Kim to show real leadership so that the Bank can learn from experience rather than flee from it.

3 October 2013 | At Issue
No Alto Maipo

Infrastructure

Commentary

Alto Maipo endangers Santiago water supply

Chilean civil society groups demand that a controversial hydroelectric project, which is projected to have a negative impact on environment and Santiago's supply of drinking water, be reconsidered.

24 September 2013 | Guest comment

Finance

Analysis

First ever real-terms drop in IDA agreed

As the negotiations on the 17th replenishment of the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA) pass the half way mark, a real-terms drop in IDA and stingier terms for borrowers have been agreed. The discussion has focussed largely on the private sector and fragile states.

18 September 2013

Knowledge

Background

IMF forecasting models

Forecasting models are crucial to how the Fund performs its role as lender and global economic monitor, but the assumptions underpinning these models are frequently derided as unrealistic.

4 October 2013 | Inside the institutions

Conditionality

Analysis

IMF & Troika: a big, fat Greek divorce?

The IMF's involvement in the Troika is again being questioned due to Greek loan unsustainability and lack of consensus amongst the Troika members, while citizens continue to challenge the conditionality of the programme.

4 October 2013

Infrastructure

Analysis

World Bank energy directions: going for gas

The World Bank launched a new energy directions paper in July but continues to focus funding on fossil fuels such as natural gas

3 October 2013

Finance

Analysis

IMF gets emerging markets wrong, again

The Fund has had to conduct another embarrassing “U-turn” to warn of the growing risks to the stability of developing countries, while cautiously accepting the need for capital controls in principle, but not necessarily in practice.

4 October 2013

Infrastructure

News

World Bank to “lead the way” on infrastructure investment

World Bank president Jim Yong Kim reiterated the Bank’s intentions to develop a global infrastructure facility, while the G20 process on infrastructure continued to focus on PPPs. The G20 accountability report noted failure to address environmental safeguards, and criticism on privatisation in the energy sector was raised by PSIRU.

4 October 2013

Land

News

World Bank push for agribusiness in Africa

A World Bank report on land governance has been criticised by NGOs. Meanwhile the Bank pushed ahead with the Benchmarking the Business of Agriculture initiative despite civil society concerns.

4 October 2013

Conditionality

News

Inequality: IMF fails to listen to itself

While NGO Oxfam criticised the IMF for failing to learn lessons of the past in its approach to European austerity, IMF research on inequality produced findings opposite to IMF programme demands for borrowers.

3 October 2013

Private Sector

News

A bad business: Bank divisions on Doing Business revealed

Newly emerged internal documents from the World Banks’ own legal unit reveal strong criticism of the controversial Doing Business rankings following the independent review panel’s critical final report in June.

2 October 2013 | Update