Bretton Woods Observer
World Bank gender strategy risks undermining new human rights language with continued private sector bias
World Bank’s gender draft strategy for 2024-2030 steps up to name gender a human rights issue but fails to address barriers perpetuated by Bank’s macroeconomic model, while civil society warns of need to move away from Bank’s Maximising Finance for Development model as austerity sweeps the globe.
The IMF and World Bank talk good governance, but walk with state- capturers
From South Africa to Tunisia, Libya and Egypt, the Bank and Fund have demonstrated they are not appropriate allies to…
Balancing ambitions and bridging divides at multilateral development banks
The success of the World Bank Evolution Roadmap will depend on developed countries’ willingness to bridge the gap with developing…
Ukraine’s post-war agricultural recovery: Returning to the way things were is not enough
World Bank and other international financial institutions need to ensure Ukraine’s agriculture sector reforms lead to increased liquidity for smaller…
Clock is ticking: Will IMF’s 16th Quota Review mean a further loss of legitimacy for the Fund?
The recent BRICS enlargement creates additional pressure for IMF governance reform.
The IMF in Kenya: Regressive taxation as the new face of austerity
Kenyans take to the streets as IMF-imposed regressive tax regime aggravates cost of living crisis and undermines productivity.
World Bank’s reliance on private capital to finance green transition in low- and middle-income countries risks falling flat
Despite lofty rhetoric, Bank’s attempts to use scarce concessional finance to build investable project pipelines to secure power sector decarbonisation faces significant hurdles.
The 2021 SDR allocation was beneficial for the global economy, but was it sufficient to address the scale of the crisis?
IMF’s new report looking at the impact of the $650 billion SDR allocation in 2021 talks about the benefits of the allocation for the global economy but fails to address the scale of the polycrisis.
Debt sustainability assessment reform essential to address retrogression of international human rights
Recent reports outlining the extensive negative human rights impacts of debt and austerity further evidence the urgency of the need for the IMF and World Bank to go beyond financial sustainability in debt sustainability analysis.
Sri Lankan trade unions call out IMF and World Bank’s dismantling of country’s social protection system in favour of ineffective targeting schemes
Sri Lankan trade unions call out IMF and World Bank’s dismantling of country’s social protection system in favor of ineffective targeting schemes.
Civil society raises concerns of widespread IFC noncompliance with its own Performance Standards on greenhouse gas emissions
New analysis by Bank Climate Advocates of 300 projects found IFC failed to follow its own guidelines on ‘emissions quantification, alternatives analysis, mitigation, disclosure and affected communities impact assessment’.
Biden administration signals additional funding for World Bank and IMF
New financing for the IMF and World Bank proposed by the US will not fix the flawed private sector development paradigm that burdens Global South economies with debt.
MIGA’s new insurance for voluntary carbon offsets risks propping up junk assets, say campaigners
World Bank’s political insurance arm to provide risk cover to existing offsets if they are affected by governments efforts to better regulate problem-plagued offset schemes.
IMF acknowledges capital controls have helped Argentine economy
IMF research acknowledges measures to restrict capital outflows introduced in 2019 contributed to Argentina meeting the performance criteria for the Fund’s Extended Fund Facility.
