Bretton Woods Observer
Throwing evidence to the wind? The World Bank continues pushing PPPs
The World Bank continues its strong marketing push for PPPs, despite concerns raised by IMF, IEG, civil society and the Bank’s own publications.
World Bank support for Haitian mining: far from a gold standard
World Bank support for a draft mining law in Haiti is criticised for lack of stakeholder engagement, as civil society…
Corporate bias at the World Bank Group
This briefing finds significant bias in favour of corporations and commercial interests in the main venue for settlement of legal…
Lagos public water advocates call for democracy, not World Bank-supported “enlightenment”
Shayda Naficy argues that water infrastructure and distribution should be financed and managed by public entities rather than through privatisation.
UN vote supports calls for independent debt crisis response mechanism outside the IMF
UN votes in favour of accepting new principles to guide sovereign debt restructuring, as CSO report warns of risk of new crises linked to aid and multilateral lending.
Gender progress? The World Bank’s approach to new gender strategy criticised
As the World Bank consultation on its new gender strategy closes, NGOs shareholders criticise the Bank’s approach.
Conflicting views on direction of World Bank’s safeguards review
The World Bank faced further criticism as it launched its third consultation phase on its proposed environmental and social framework.
Developing countries seek to bypass stalled IMF and World Bank reform, risking US veto
Reforms to World Bank and IMF voting shares continue to stall, leaving developing countries with no greater say in how they are run.
Greece: IMF fails to learn own “lesson on the economic impact of austerity”
IMF has been criticised for undermining negotiations between Greece and other creditors and ignoring the results of a democratic referendum.
Climate of controversy
Despite efforts to boost its influence within climate finance circles and a call to “decarbonise development”, the World Bank continues to support fossil fuels.
World Bank global practices and cross-cutting solution areas
This Inside the Institutions looks at the World Bank’s new global practices and cross-cutting solutions areas that were established to improve how staff share knowledge internally and externally.
2015 Annual Meetings coverage
From 9 to 11 October Peru is hosting this year’s World Bank and IMF annual meetings, where their governors will gather in Lima.
CAO opens new Marikana case
CAO finds complaints from Marikana community eligible for further assessment.
IMF updates CSO guidelines
In mid-September the IMF concluded a consultation on its 2015 guidelines on the IMF staff engagement with civil society organisations.
Nepal denied IMF disaster debt relief
The IMF in June denied Nepal support under its Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust, following the earthquake in April.
World Bank back to Cambodia?
Civil society organisations have called on the World Bank to support the needs of evicted Boeung Kak families before resuming new lending to Cambodia.
World Bank to release forest action plan
The World Bank’s delayed forest action plan is expected to be open for stakeholder comments for two weeks during the autumn.
