STWR - Share The World's Resources

For the first time in a quarter century, the World Bank's flagship annual report - the World Development Report 2008 - on development puts agriculture and the productivity of small farmers at the heart of a global agenda to reduce poverty. Three-quarters of the world’s poor still live in the countryside.

Despite the long-stated policy of the World Bank and IMF to monitor the impact of their advice on poor people, this Eurodad joint-NGO report argues that these institutions consistently fail to ensure that there is a proper assessment of the likely consequences of different policy actions.

The World Bank receives more from developing countries than what it disburses to them says a new report released Tuesday as finance ministers endorsed a controversial new Bank plan to tackle corruption in developing countries.

This report shows how the EU and US continue to claim they are acting in the interests of poor countries in the ‘development’ round of trade negotiations, and how the reality was very different - with key proposals for the reform of multinational power within the WTO.

This paper argues that there is no sound rationale for the Fund to be involved in development matters, including long-term lending. A genuine reform of the Fund requires a redirection of its activities, and improvements in its policies and operational modalities.