A quarterly critical review of developments at the World Bank and IMF

Winter 2024
PDF
Text
Past Issues

Environment

Analysis

COP29 sees MDBs climate finance take centre stage, as civil society brands new climate finance goal a ‘betrayal’

12 December 2024

illustration of the Bretton Woods Observer winter 2024, presenting the World Bank globe sitting on a hidden pile of gold looking at the Wall Street Bull (which represents the financial sector)

Rich countries agree to provide a paltry $300 billion in public finance by 2035 including funds channelled through MDBs, as Small Island States and Least Developed Countries stage walkout.

Private Sector

Commentary

The B-Ready index: the World Bank’s bluewashing of labour rights

World Bank’s new Business-Ready (B-Ready) index offers new measures but reductionist approach, ultimately rewarding countries driving down labour rights in favour of business.

Accountability

Analysis

Missing in action: accountability is noticeably absent from the World Bank Group’s new Corporate Scorecard

The Corporate Scorecard’s accountability gap is symptomatic of a broader failure on the part of the WBG to fully internalise, integrate and learn from the work of its accountability mechanisms.

Conditionality

Analysis

Who’s afraid of the grassroots? IMF policymaking in the era of social discontent

IMF proposes a grassroots communication strategy to convince the public of the need for further austerity measures as publications reveal fear that social unrest will make reforms ‘unimplementable’.

Land

News

World Bank goes full steam ahead on agribusiness, but new CAFOD report highlights gendered harms of Bank's approach

Under President Banga, the World Bank is going full steam ahead on agribusiness financing with a $9 billion annual commitment by 2030, but a CAFOD report highlights harmful gendered impacts of current approach to commercialising farming.

Environment

News

MIGA’s new guarantee for voluntary carbon markets risks shielding big polluters

CSOs warn MIGA's proposal at COP29 to de-risk carbon markets for private investors could shield polluters from accountability, leaving local communities to bear the costs.

IFI governance

News

New report debunks claims that inadequate MDB transparency results from private sector concerns

Amid underwhelming private capital mobilisation, new report underscores poor state of transparency and disclosure of private sector finance by multilateral development banks and development finance institutions.

Finance

News

IMF’s PRGT review places the burden of financing the program on low-income countries

As the IMF increases cost of lending for LICs by introducing a tiered interest mechanism to the PRGT, CSOs and V20 Group call instead for an SDR interest rate cap to reduce the cost of lending and for sale of gold reserves to address the funding gap.

Infrastructure

News

World Bank’s Mission 300: a path to power, for whom?

Bank's focus on attracting private investment through energy privatisation raises concerns, as it puts private profits over sustainable energy systems, burdening governments with debt and making electricity less affordable for citizens.

A quarterly critical review of developments at the World Bank and IMF

Environment

Analysis

COP29 sees MDBs climate finance take centre stage, as civil society brands new climate finance goal a ‘betrayal’

Subscribe

Share

Advocacy Programs

World Bank & IMF in the news

Featured briefings

Donate

Twitter