The seventh annual conference of the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank was held in Cape Town in March.
Social services
Social services
Analysis
The elusive quest for ‘fiscal space’
For the last several years the World Bank and IMF have squared off against governments, NGOs, UN agencies and even each other over the concept of ‘fiscal space’. This often nebulous and ill-defined term has caused much confusion. Nancy Alexander finds that at the heart of the matter is a difference of opinion over how and when governments should be allowed to invest in both infrastructure and basic services.
Accountability
News
Third researchers’ conference on the World Bank
The 2007 Annual Bank Conference on Development Economics (ABCDE) will take place 17-18 May in Bled, Slovenia. The third researchers' conference on the World Bank will be held in parallel.
Conditionality
News
IMF wants tax on mosquito nets in Zambia
The IMF provoked public ire in Zambia by asking the government to remove value added tax exemptions on a range of goods, including mosquito nets used to fight malaria.
Gender
Commentary
Huge gaps in the World Bank's Gender Action Plan
The World Bank's new Gender Action Plan (GAP), aptly named Gender equality as smart economics, is tightly framed in the Bank's economic policy framework.
Social services
Background
The World Bank and disability
The Bank’s formal commitment to disability work began in June 2002 with the founding of the disability and development team within the social protection unit of the human development vice-presidency. The team’s primary focus is on cooperating at the international level on including the disabled in development.
Social services
News
Split highlights growing call to rethink conditionality
Differences of opinion over conditionality blew up into an embarrassing spat between the Bank and the UK at the annual meetings in Singapore, forcing the Bank into a second review of its use of conditionality.
Accountability
News
German firm debarred over Lesotho fraud
In November, the Bank debarred German engineering firm Lahmeyer International over bribery convictions in the Lesotho Highlands Water project.
IFI governance
Background
Highlights of Hilary Benn meeting with UK NGOs
Highlights of semi-annual meeting between UK Secretary of State for International Development and UK NGOs. Topics covered include CSO access to annual meetings, conditionality, anti-corruption, odious debt, clean energy, education in LICUS, bank internal governance, IFC safeguards
Knowledge
News
World Bank youth report carries familiar prescriptions
Despite bringing much needed attention to the issue of youth and development, NGOs working on children, labour and education have found many familiar World Bank prescriptions in the latest World Development Report published in September.
