Knowledge Centre : Economy : International Financial Institutions : World Bank : Page 3
Links
- GUYANA: Experience of Economic Reform under World Bank and Economic Direction
-
This Social Justice Committee paper examines recent reforms of the economic structures of Guyana, a country with a mixed record of compliance with restructuring under IMF and World Bank direction, and the roles of main actors influencing economic policy. This paper reviews these reforms, starting with efforts to develop and implement a national program of poverty reduction guided by the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP). It then considers reforms in sugar, bauxite mining and water services. In each of the sections the paper describes the overall context and then assesses the roles, motivations and impacts of the main actors: the state, the international financial institutions (IFIs),especially the IMF and World Bank, the private sector and civil society.
http://www.s-j-c.net/media/pdf/GuyanaEconomicReform.pdf
(Added: Mon Nov 14 2005 Modified: Fri Feb 09 2007 Hits: 268)
- Halving Poverty by Doubling Aid: How Well Founded is the Optimism of the World Bank? (PDF)
-
By Rolf J. Langhammer, Kiel Institute for World Economics, Duesternbrooker Weg 120 D-24105 Kiel (Germany), Kiel Working Paper No. 1116 (July 2002). The article criticizes the World Bank as overy optimistic concerning its ability to raise the effectiveness of aid by concentrating aid on countries with "good" policies. It is shown that aid flows to the main recipient regions yielded the highest correlation to growth when their magnitudes shrank. It is argued that more aid can impair the quality of domestic policies in the recipients (endogeneity problem). The paper instead pleads for a shift of aid policies from country-oriented to issue-oriented aid. An international endowment fund under supranational law should help to finance such issues.
http://www.uni-kiel.de/ifw/pub/kap/2002/kap1116.pdf
(Added: Mon Oct 21 2002 Modified: Wed Aug 30 2006 Hits: 409)
- How the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Undermine Democracy and Erode Human Rights: Five Case Studies
-
September 2001, published by Global Exchange. Also available as a PDF document (PDF 3.9mb). "The policies of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have systematically undermined democratic principles and eroded human rights protections in dozens of countries around the globe."
http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/wbimf/imfwbReport2001.html
(Added: Mon Jul 21 2003 Modified: Tue Aug 15 2006 Hits: 442)
- How the World Bank's energy framework sells the climate and poor people
-
The April 2006 version of World Bank's clean energy investment framework is based on scenarios for global greenhouse gas emissions at levels that would allow "dangerous climate change" as defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The framework also promotes additional funding for energy technologies that have negative social and environmental impacts, and that will in many cases further contribute to climate change. The framework does not catalyze the necessary massive shift to renewable energy technologies that could create the double dividend of environmental benefits and poverty reduction. The framework's "business as usual" approach will not adequately address climate change, and will continue to keep more than one billion poor people in the dark. (FOE et al, September 2006)
http://www.foe.org/camps/intl/EnergyReportDraft091406.pdf
(Added: Fri Sep 22 2006 Modified: Fri Sep 29 2006 Hits: 74)
- How to fit 27 elephants in a single chair -
-
60 years after the Bretton Woods agreement, do the shares of European governments at the WB and the IMF no longer correspond to their real weight in the world's economy; or do Europeans sit in too many chairs at the WB and IMF Boards - while the whole African continent is squeezed in two little seats. The reality of global economic governance has been dominated by lots of talking translated into little action, so far. European governments are aware of the unfairness of the situation; but, at the end of the day, who will dare to give up the chair first? (Eurodad, May 2007)
(Added: Wed Aug 29 2007 Hits: 133)
- Implementing MDRI debt relief
-
This document describes the modalities of how the the African Development Fund (ADF), the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), are to deliver Multinational Debt Relief Initiative. (HIPC Debt Strategy and Analysis Capacity Building Programme, Carribean Development Bank, 18 May 2006)
http://www.hipc-cbp.org/files/en/open/News/MDRI_Aug_2006_En.pdf
(Added: Wed Jun 28 2006 Modified: Thu Sep 21 2006 Hits: 129)
- Impoverishing a Continent: The World Bank and the IMF in Africa [PDF]
-
This report provides an overview of the World Bank, the IMF and structural adjustment and looks at the effects of conditions imposed by the World Bank and the IMF's SAPs, on Africa generally and on three African countries, Zimbabwe, Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire, in particular. (Asad Ismi, July 2004)
(Added: Wed Sep 21 2005 Modified: Fri Sep 15 2006 Hits: 149)
- Integrating gender into the World Bank's work: a strategy for action
-
In the strategy described in this paper, the World Bank will work with governments and civil society in client countries, and with other donors, to diagnose the gender-related barriers to and opportunities for poverty reduction and sustainable. world Bank, 2002. development; and will then identify and support appropriate actions to reduce these barriers and capitalize on the opportunities.
http://www.worldbank.org/gender/overview/ssp/file3.pdf
(Added: Mon Mar 15 2004 Modified: Wed Jun 15 2005 Hits: 257)
- International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID)
-
The ICSID to facilitates the settlement of investment disputes between governments and foreign investors. ICSID is an autonomous international organization. However, it has close links with the World Bank.
http://www.worldbank.org/icsid/
(Added: Thu Dec 08 2005 Hits: 73)
- International Development Association
-
The International Development Association (IDA) is the part of the World Bank that helps the earth's poorest countries reduce poverty by providing interest-free loans and some grants for programs aimed at boosting economic growth and improving living conditions. IDA funds help these countries deal with the complex challenges they face in striving to meet the Millennium Development Goals. They must, for example, respond to the competitive pressures as well as the opportunities of globalization; arrest the spread of HIV/AIDS; and prevent conflict or deal with its aftermath.
(Added: Thu Dec 08 2005 Hits: 114)
- IRN Response to Sebastian Mallaby's Attacks on NGOs
-
Sebastian Mallaby, a Washington Post journalist, has published a book and several articles attacking IRN and other NGOs critical of the World Bank's record in funding infrastructure projects. Mallaby seems to have done little if any detailed analysis of the projects he describes and his assertions are riddled with errors and mischaracterizations.
http://www.irn.org/programs/finance/sebastianmallaby/index.html
(Added: Thu Oct 14 2004 Modified: Wed Oct 11 2006 Hits: 220)
- Islamic Republic of Afghanistan: Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper-
-
This World Bank and IMF joint strategy report explores processes for poverty reduction in Afghanistan and reviews the Afghanistan National Development Strategy.
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/scr/2008/cr08193.pdf
(Added: Mon Jun 23 2008 Hits: 12)
- Kicking down the door : how upcoming WTO talks threaten farmers in poor countries (PDF)
-
Oxfam International, 2005. May farmers in developing countries cannot earn a living because of cheap, often dumped, food imports. The world's most important basic food, rice, shows the seriousness of the problem. Rich countries have long used the IMF and World Bank, and aggressive bilateral trade deals, to push open the door of poor countries' markets to a flood of cheap rice, including heavily subsidised rice from the US. Now rich countries plan to use the binding rules of the WTO to kick that door down altogether. Any new WTO deal must ensure that poor countries can regulate trade to promote food security and rural livelihoods.
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/what_we_do/issues/trade/downloads/bp72_rice.pdf
(Added: Thu Oct 20 2005 Hits: 61)
- Knowledge Bank-rupted: Evaluation says key World Bank research 'not remotely reliable'
-
An evaluation by a panel of self-described 'academic superstars' has cast doubt over the independence and reliability of World Bank research. However, in failing to address fundamental problems in the Bank's role in development research, the report misses an opportunity to provide a clear signal for donors to shift support to developing country research institutions. (Bretton Woods Project, January 2007)
http://www.brettonwoodsproject.org/art.shtml?x=549070
(Added: Wed May 23 2007 Hits: 102)
- Mainstreaming or undermining sustainability? The merger of the World Bank's environment and infrastucture networks (pdf 199KB)
-
While mainstreaming environmental and social sustainability into Bank operations has been a longstanding goal of internal reformers and external critics for the past 20 years, certain criteria have to be met before the latest development is celebrated. The World Bank plan to merge its environmental and social development units with the department that oversees large infrastructure investment could end up leaving the "wolf guarding the henhouse". The new "Sustainable Development Network" will have to be monitored closely to ensure that the Bank does not wrongly promote oil and gas projects, frequently the target of criticism about negative environmental and social impacts, as "development" or "anti-poverty" projects. (Bruce Jenkins, Bank Information Center, 31 July 2006)
http://www.bicusa.org/bicusa/issues/Mainstreaming_or_undermining_sustainability.pdf
(Added: Fri Aug 18 2006 Hits: 73)
- Meeting of G8 Finance Ministers
-
The G8 Communique issued from Russia in February 2006 calls for the World Bank to fully implement the commitments made on the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (G8 deal) and challenges the Bank to work with low-income countries to develop country-specific energy strategies to help them achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
http://www.g8finance.ru/fs_eng_110206.htm
(Added: Thu Feb 16 2006 Modified: Mon Jul 02 2007 Hits: 104)
- Money talks: How aid conditions continue to drive utility privatisation in poor countries
-
In this report ActionAid reveals that the World Bank and IMF are still blackmailing poor countries with aid money, loans and debt relief that are contingent on governments accepting highly specific economic reforms, such as the privatisation of water, electricity and other utility services. The report examines the impacts of utility privatisation in a number of countries and argues that it has not produced positive outcomes for the poor. It suggests that greater public sector accountability would better support services to the poor.
http://www.actionaid.org.uk/wps/content/documents/money_talks.pdf
(Added: Fri Oct 14 2005 Hits: 77)
- Monitoring MDBs IN South Asia: Issues, Challenges, Opportunities
-
The purpose of the Scoping Report exercise was to take stock of civil society initiatives in South Asia aimed at monitoring the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank investments, both at the policy and project levels. The report looks at India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal. (Bank Information Center, August 2006) 5. Sri Lanka 5. Sri Lanka
http://www.bicusa.org/bicusa/issues/SA_Scoping_Report_2006.pdf
(Added: Fri Aug 18 2006 Hits: 70)
- MOZAMBIQUE: World Bank urged to pay for its "mistake"
-
JOHANNESBURG, 2 Oct 2002 (IRIN) - The organisation representing members of Mozambique's ailing cashew nut processing industry wants the World Bank to help it out of difficulties it claims were caused by the Bank's liberalisation policy. On the advice of the Bank, in 1995 Mozambique liberalised its cashew processing industry and lifted a ban on the export of unprocessed cashew nuts. Removing the hard outer shell of the nut had been one of Mozambiques specialities, and a major revenue earner for the country. "At the time Mozambique needed over US $400 million in support from the World Bank for our economy and the Bank would only release the funds if trade in cashew nuts was liberalised," Kekobad Patel, head of the Mozambican Cashew Industry Association told IRIN.
(Added: Mon Oct 21 2002 Modified: Wed Jun 15 2005 Hits: 148)
- Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA)
-
As a member of the World Bank Group, MIGA's mission is to promote foreign direct investment (FDI) into developing countries to help support economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve people's lives.
(Added: Thu Dec 08 2005 Hits: 72)
- NGO Concerns on the Use of National Safeguard Systems in World Bank Projects
-
A Critique of the World Bank Paper, Issues in Using Country Systems in Bank Operations, August 23, 2004. By Peter Bosshard. The World Bank has discussed using national safeguard, procurement and fiduciary systems rather than the Bank's own policies and procedures in Bank projects since 2002. A new paper that proposes the use of country systems was discussed by the Board of Directors on September 14, 2004. This paper summarizes concerns of International Rivers Network (IRN) regarding the new proposal. It covers only the proposed changes regarding social and environmental safeguard policies, and not procurement and fiduciary policies.
(Added: Tue Sep 21 2004 Modified: Wed Oct 11 2006 Hits: 115)
- No Additionality, New Conditionality: A Critique of the World Bank's Proposed Climate Investment Funds [pdf]
-
The World Bank is planning to establish a portfolio of climate investment funds (CIFs) to provide financing for climate-related activities.This briefing paper examines the modalities for the proposed climate investment funds and considers the impact these funds will have on existing global measures to tackle the causes and effects of climate change (Third World Network, 31 March 2008).
http://www.choike.org/documentos/wb_climate_change_celinetan.pdf
(Added: Tue Apr 15 2008 Hits: 19)
- Open on impact? Slow progress in World Bank and IMF poverty analysis
-
'Open on impact? Slow progress in World Bank and IMF poverty analysis' is a new report by Eurodad, Christian Aid, Save the Children and Trocaire. It focuses on poverty and social impact assessment (PSIA), a tool to clarify the potential outcomes of different policy choices on different groups in society, especially those who are poor and vulnerable. The resulting analysis should enable more open and informed decision-making that is driven and controlled by national policy-makers, rather than donors.
http://www.christian-aid.org.uk/indepth/510openimpact/index.htm
(Added: Tue Oct 25 2005 Hits: 70)
- Opposition swells to appointment of Wolfowitz to head World Bank
-
16th March 2005, Bretton Woods Project. President Bush confirmed in a press briefing at the White House 16 March that he had nominated Paul Wolfowitz for World Bank President. Bush said that Wolfowitz is a "compassionate decent man, commited to development, and a skilled diplomat". Prior to his current post as deputy secretary of defense, Wolfowitz has held positions with various academic institutions and the US state department. According to an informal agreement struck at the founding of the Bretton Woods Institutions, the post of World Bank president is in the hands of the US administration, while the IMF Managing Director is traditionally a European. The stitch-up has been widely criticised by governments, civil society, academics and the staff of the institutions themselves.
http://www.brettonwoodsproject.org/article.shtml?cmd[126]=x-126-155498
(Added: Thu Mar 17 2005 Modified: Wed Jun 15 2005 Hits: 212)
- Out of time: The case for replacing the World Bank and IMF
-
There seems no end in sight to the cycle of debt, and the free market policies imposed on poor countries continue, albeit with new names. Increasingly obvious is the need not just for debt write-offs and changes to Bank and Fund conditionality but for a more fundamental change to the role, remit and functioning of the international financial institutions (IFIs). In this 64-page report, a brief history of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund is followed by a detailed critique explaining the overwhelming case for change, followed finally by WDM's suggested agenda for scrapping the World Bank and IMF and creating very different international financial institutions (IFIs). (World Development Movement, September 2006)
http://www.wdm.org.uk/resources/briefings/debt/outoftimereport.pdf
(Added: Thu Sep 21 2006 Hits: 258)
