Bretton Woods
Update 8
US NGOs battle to stop quota funds
The 50 Years is Enough alliance of NGOs took to Washington’s streets in January to protest about US funding for the IMF and its bailout of the Asian economies.
GEF: Gift Horse or Force for Change?
A critical study prepared for a meeting to discuss replenishing the Global Environment Facility, an international fund for environmental, criticises the World Bank’s use of the resources.
World Bank Plans Profitable CO2 Trading
The Kyoto climate change meeting in December brought together ministers from 160 countries to agree binding restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions.
IMF criticism grows as S. E. Asia Crisis Worsens
Doubts about the IMF’s capacity to deal with international currency problems are mounting as the South East Asian crisis worsens despite the IMF’s bail-out efforts.
Shaping your country’s future
Bread for the World Institute has produced a guide to advise NGOs and civil society groups on how to influence the World Bank’s Country Assistance Strategies (CASs).
Aiding banks or people?
The IMF’s interventions have again raised discussions of who bears the burden of financial crises.
O’Donnell Returns
Gus O’Donnell, the UK Executive Director to the Bank and Fund, will return to London…
New Education Strategy
The Human Development Department of the World bank is preparing an Education Sector Strategy Paper (ESSP).
NT 2 Campaign Packet
The Nam Theun 2 (NT2) Hydroelectric Project is the largest prospective hydropower project in Lao PDR.
Nicaraguan civil society fears delay in debt process
Nicaraguan civil society organisations (CSOs) fear Nicaragua will not qualify for the HIPC Debt Initiative before the population has suffered further.
IMF creates new loans to help with financial crises
The IMF has established the Supplemental Reserve Facility (SRF) to provide extra resources to countries with balance of payments problems caused by rapid capital outflows such as those experienced in South East Asia.
NGOWG Restructuring
The NGO World Bank Working Group is in the process of restructuring to become more regional and more representative.
Inspecting the Inspectors
In February the World Bank Board will again review the functioning of the Bank’s Inspection Panel, subject of two new NGO reports.
Good Governance for BWIs
The IMF and World Bank should reform their constitutional rules and decision-making procedures and practices if they are to achieve the standard of good governance they themselves have defined for borrowing members.
Bank Gender Performance Criticised
The NGO network Women’s Eyes on the World Bank has produced a report examining the Bank’s efforts to bring its lending practices into line with the steps agreed at the 1995 World Conference on Women.
Further IMF Review Delay
The external ESAF review has been delayed again for the consultants to finalise their report.
Chad Cameroon Indecision
Following NGO scrutiny of the World Bank’s plans to support the Chad-Cameroon oil pipeline scheme the Bank appears to be reconsidering its use of IDA (soft loan) money for the project.
G24 should build bridges with Southern NGOs
A recent paper argues that Southern governments should foster and expand democratic dialogue with NGOs in their countries.
Measuring Knowledge
The 1998 World Development Report (WDR) will address issues of “Knowledge and Information for Development”.
Counter Summit Plans
The world’s richest countries’ annual summit will take place in Birmingham, UK, this year from 15-17 May.
Regulating or Freeing NGOs?
The Bank-commissioned Handbook on Good Practices for Laws Relating to Non-Governmental Organisations has been criticised in a report by the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights.
Are the 2015 poverty targets realistic?
A draft World Bank report examines poverty trends and assesses whether economic growth will be sufficient to reduce poverty to the 2015 targets agreed by donor governments in the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee.
Panel Finds Serious Singrauli Problems
The Inspection Panel investigation into the Singrauli power project in India has found major problems with the Bank’s approach to the project.
“Include poor in poverty solutions”: new Bank Report
In an annually repeated ritual the World Bank has “reaffirmed the central importance of poverty…
IFC reviews roll off the production line
Largely due to the persistent efforts of NGOs and some Executive Directors, the International Finance Corporation (IFC-a private sector support arm of the World Bank Group) has unveiled a series of reviews and new initiatives.
Sydney Workers’ Rights Push
World Bank officials at a conference in Sydney last November were pressed by AID/WATCH and trade union officials to introduce mandatory labour standards.
UK White Paper Suggestions
The UK Government’s White Paper on International Development, launched in November, made excellent statements about focussing more firmly on poverty and the environment but lacked detail on specific policy targets for the World Bank and IMF.
IDA Discussions Start
Paula Donovan, the World Bank staff member in charge of raising funds for the Bank’s soft loan arm the International Development Association (IDA), has undertaken a series of meetings designed to reassure parliamentarians and NGOs.
Dams Commission Nears Agreement
The World Commission on Dams, looks likely to start operations this Spring.
Mozambican groups criticise CAS consultation
Civil society organisations in Mozambique have reacted angrily to the lack of civil society participation in the preparation of the Bank’s latest Country Assistance Strategy (CAS).
Forest Policy Reviews
The World Bank has agreed to carry out a forest policy implementation review followed by a Forest Sector Strategy review over the next few months.
Bankcheck RIP
The magazine Bankcheck, jointly produced by the International Rivers Network and the Development Group for Alternative Policies, has ceased production after 7 years of informative critical analysis of the World Bank and IMF.
Trigger conditions explained
A country assistance strategy (CAS) identifies “high”, “base” and “low” case lending scenarios – which one a country initially receives depends on its economic prospects.
Social aspects of WB analysis under scrutiny
A lead article in Development Anthropologist contains a fascinating account of the World Bank’s approach to social issues.