Finance

Commentary

Financial liberalisation, capital controls and development in Africa: The case of Uganda

Financial liberation has had a significant effect on Uganda’s economy opening the door for significant foreign ownership while facilitating the ongoing extraction of wealth.

19 July 2023 | Guest comment

Finance

Analysis

UN Financing for Development: The best chance to democratise global economic governance?

As Bretton Woods Institutions fail to deliver transformative, systematic reform of deeply unequal global architecture, countries should embrace a more democratic space: the United Nations Financing for Development process

19 July 2023 | Guest analysis

Finance

Analysis

World Bank Group Evolution: Technical fixes or urgently needed reform?

World Bank Evolution Roadmap’s proposed superficial technical patches favouring the ‘logic’ of the market will likely fail to deliver the structural changes needed to support borrowing countries amidst global crises.

19 July 2023 | At Issue

Land

News

Honduras threatens ICSID withdrawal over $11 billion ‘neo-colonial’ special economic zone claim

Compensation claim before WorldBank’s ICSID raises questions about the value of special economic zones and fairness of ISDS mechanisms for Global South states.

19 July 2023

Accountability

News

UDHR and IPN anniversaries underscore urgent need for Human Rights policy at all IFIs

World Bank and IMF shareholders must use the anniversaries of the Inspection Panel and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights respectively to demand both establish human rights policies and meet their international obligation to provide remedy

19 July 2023

Environment

News

As World Bank launches Paris alignment approach, unclear guidelines raise greenwashing concerns

Bank’s approach relies on countries' national climate plans, which are not currently collectively aligned with 1.5°C temperature goal.

19 July 2023

Environment

News

IFC continues extractive investments under cover of biodiversity offsets

World Bank and IFC continue promoting false solutions to climate and environmental emergency, helping extractive companies greenwash their environmental impacts.

19 July 2023

Gender

News

Gender progress at risk as new World Bank president enters pushing private-sector focus

New report by ActionAid UK highlights critical importance of public services that are gender responsive, while new Bank President Ajay Banaga’s private sector push signals concern for gender equality.

19 July 2023

IFI governance

News

Banga's arrival raises concerns about deepening of World Bank's private sector bias

Banga takes office as civil society urges him to invert the Cascade and ensure the Bank’s development model is fit for purpose.

19 July 2023

Rights

Background

The World Bank's approach to human rights

This Inside the Institutions explores how the World Bank approaches human rights in the context of the international human rights obligations of international financial and development institutions.

19 July 2023 | Inside the institutions