Tunisians demonstrate for peace, freedom of speech and for a secular state ahead of elections for a Constituent Assembly on 23 October 2011, following the Tunisian Revolution. Credit: European Parliament

Finance

Analysis

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 address the scale of the crisis the world is facing, especially, given their record.

4 October 2023 | At Issue
BRICS leaders’ official photo at the XV BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, August 2023.

IFI governance

Analysis

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.

4 October 2023

Finance

Analysis

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 countries by increasing Global South decision-making power and committing to a capital increase.

4 October 2023
Crops field in Ukraine

Land

Commentary

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 farms and ensure local development, environmentally sustainable investments and a transparent land market.

4 October 2023 | Guest comment

Finance

News

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.

4 October 2023

Environment

News

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.

4 October 2023
Leaders of the African Union proposed that the International Monetary Fund consider issuing $650 billion in SDRs to combat the climate crisis. Africa Climate Summit 2023, 5 September 2023.

Finance

News

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.

4 October 2023
International Human Rights Day protest Manila, 10 December 2020.

Finance

Analysis

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.

4 October 2023