IFIs in the Middle East and North Africa

Issue #3: Announcing our new Arabic website

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Dear colleagues,

Welcome to the third edition of "The IFIs and the Middle East & North Africa" newsletter from the Bank Information Center.

You can view the full Arabic version of this newsletter, which is available here.

We wish you a happy 2009! We are very pleased to announce a fully functional Arabic version of our website! Visit the exclusively Arabic-language content at www.bicusa.org/arabic.

Please feel free to forward this newsletter to any colleagues you think might be interested. They can subscribe to the newsletter by sending a request to mena@bicusa.org.

What's new on our website?

In the past weeks, the MENA Program has produced a large amount of web content in Arabic for the new Arabic website. Some highlights include:

• Issue pages. Newly translated pages on issues at the IFIs include: transparency, accountability, environmental and social policies, infrastructure, trade, and the extractive industries.
• Institution pages. Some new and updated pages on a number of institutions, including: the World Bank, International Finance Corporation, European Investment Bank, International Monetary Fund, African Development Bank, and Islamic Development Bank.
• A new "problem project" page on the West Delta Irrigation Project in Egypt, available in both English and Arabic.
• A list of active and proposed IFI projects in Yemen, available in both English and Arabic.
• Did You Know? sheets. Arabic versions are now available for these short pieces on the IFIs involvement in the water and energy sectors.

Updates

Stakeholders convened in Cairo to debate contentious issues surrounding the West Delta project

16 December 2008

Concerned parties threaten to file a court case against the Egyptian government if they do not receive satisfactory answers. Read more.

As Yemen suffers from water crisis, Bank support for water sector hinges on private sector solutions

8 December 2008

A recent meeting between the World Bank and the Yemeni Planning Minister focused on preliminary negotiations on a proposed water sector project. However, the central question remains whether the Bank is ensuring water access for the poor. Read more.

IFC convenes conference to encourage greater mining investment in the MENA region

19 December 2008

Meanwhile, the IFC’s advisory services in revising the region's mining policies reinforce concerns over the lack of transparency of these types of operations. Read more.

As WB Group committments in MENA region surpassed $3bn in 2008, questions about effectiveness remain

3 November 2008

The World Bank Group is adhering to its pledge for greater engagement in the Middle East and North Africa. However, data on the development impacts on the poor are lacking, while other data suggest that many Bank projects in the region are at risk. Read more.

New irrigation project in Egypt’s West Delta raises critical questions about the World Bank’s priorities in reducing poverty

2 October 2008

The project will divert water from the Nile to the reclaimed lands in the West Delta region, while the introduction of the private sector for the first time in Egypt could leave small farmers behind. Read more.

Did You Know...

The World Bank, through both its project and policy lending, has encouraged greater private sector involvement in the provision of water services in the MENA region?

In Yemen, for example, the World Bank is currently financing a $130 million project to support “the creation of opportunities for increased private sector participation” in urban water services. Private sector participation in the water sector through privatization and public-private partnerships (PPP) has proven a highly contentious issue in many countries, as it has often led to higher prices and reduced access for the poor.

Note: The text of this newsletter may be freely used providing the source is credited.

The Bank Information Center (BIC) partners with civil society in developing and transition countries to influence the World Bank and other international financial institutions (IFIs) to promote social and economic justice and ecological sustainability. BIC is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization that advocates for the protection of rights, participation, transparency, and public accountability in the governance and operations of the World Bank, regional development banks, and IMF.

BIC is supported by private foundations and organizations that work in the fields of environment and development. BIC is not affiliated with any of the Multilateral Development Banks, nor does it receive any funding from them.