http://bicusa.org/en/Region.18.aspx The latest news on Middle East and North Africa from the Bank Information Center 10 http://www.infodev.org/images/infodev.gif http://bicusa.org/en/Region.18.aspx Find out what the World Bank's strategy is in your country. In some instances, there is a Country Assistance Strategy (CAS), and in others, the Bank has used a more collaborative approach in designing and defining the pillars of their development program, to design a Country Partnership Strategy (CPS). http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11805.aspx Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:50:26 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11805.aspx A mining law which the International Financial Corporation has been helping the Yemeni government to draft has recently been completed and will be submitted to Parliament. According to this article, one of the main hindrances for potential investment in Yemen's mining sector is the security issue, leaving us with a few questions: Is the IFC willing and planning to invest? Would the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency provide insurance for investors? http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11798.aspx Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:35:18 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11798.aspx Habi Center for Environmental Rights continues to engage the World Bank and the Egyptian government on the West Delta project. Egyptian CSOs have been urging the Bank to consider an alternative irrigation project which would help poor farmers as well. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11796.aspx Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:49:57 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11796.aspx The proposed capital increases for the World Bank and IFC would expand their size without expanding the scope of their reform. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11785.aspx Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11785.aspx Amy Ekdawi and Nadia Daar of BIC's Middle East and North Africa Program participate in four training sessions for the World Bank's MENA staff on engaging civil society in the region. This training is part of the Bank's Enhanced Action Plan for the MENA region which includes improved consultations, increased translation, and more engagement with civil society. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11787.aspx Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:50:36 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11787.aspx On January 13th, nine executive directors representing China, India, and other countries in the Global South wrote a letter protesting the recently announced guidelines from the U.S. for what coal projects it could support. The directors objected to the United States declaring it wouldn't support coal projects while maintaining its own reliance on coal power. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11758.aspx Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:35:26 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11758.aspx On January 27, 2010, BIC's MENA Program Manager, Amy Ekdawi spoke at a workshop organized by the Lebanese Physical Handicapped Union's Lebanon Budget Project (LBP) which was geared towards educating Lebanese civil society groups on the World Bank's involvement in Lebanon and how to participate in the Bank's decision making process. This workshop was part of LBP's broader mandate to encourage citizen participation in the design of the Lebanese budget. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11751.aspx Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:47:13 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11751.aspx What was at first a seemingly simple and non-provocative Inspection Panel case, has now led the Bank to re-evaluate its relationship with civil society across the MENA region and develop an action plan for engagement. Nadia Daar of BIC's MENA program examines the importance of this development. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11727.aspx Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:02:51 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11727.aspx In December 2009, the World Bank held two consultative meetings on the Social Welfare Fund Institutional Support Project with Yemeni civil society. These meetings come in the context of the Bank's MENA Management's Enhanced Action Plan. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11722.aspx Tue, 12 Jan 2010 17:20:14 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11722.aspx In 2009, Development Policy Operations increased dramatically as a percentage of overall World Bank lending, from an average of about 33% to over 50%. Dogged by concerns that stem from a lack of a strong set of safeguard policies or clear results, this shift to greater dependence on DPLs/DPOs raises concerns about arbitrage by Bank clients to soften or avoid transparency and accountability commitments. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11612.aspx Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:24:27 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11612.aspx The World Bank is quietly preparing the first capital increase in nearly 20 years to replenish the coffers after unprecedented lending in 2008 and the coming two years. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11608.aspx Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:13:29 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11608.aspx A workshop co-organized by the Bank Information Center (BIC), the World Bank’s Inspection Panel, and the IFC and MIGA’s Office of the Compliance/Ombudsman (CAO) was held in Marrakech, Morocco in late July 2009, and lasted three fruitful days. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11605.aspx Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11605.aspx Egyptian NGO, Land Center for Human Rights, has filed an appeal on behalf of farmers in the Egyptian Delta, citing that the joint World Bank and Egyptian government 'West Delta project' violates the Egyptian constitution that should protect the rights of farmers, and not just the interests of wealthy investors. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11503.aspx Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:55:04 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11503.aspx The Inspection Panel is to defer its recommendation to investigate into case of the World Bank's "Institutional Reform Development Policy Grant" to Yemen, until after the implementation of Bank Management's enhanced action plan, which seeks to address concerns raised by the Yemen Observatory for Human Rights in their Request to the Inspection Panel in April 2009. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11488.aspx Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:51:56 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11488.aspx Egyptian civil society groups suggest an alternative water route for the West Delta Irrigation Project, that could serve poor farmers as well as rich investors, but the World Bank refuses to consider it. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11441.aspx Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:45:44 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11441.aspx After meeting with World Bank President, Robert Zoellick, Israel’s Deputy Prime Minister of Regional Development, Silvan Shalom, stated that the World Bank had agreed to fund the Red-Sea-Dead Sea Water Conveyance Program that involves Jordan, Palestine and Israel. However, Bank officials say that they have made no promises and that the project is still in the feasibility study phase. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11420.aspx Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:05:04 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11420.aspx For the first time in Inspection Panel history, an Eligibility Report is being held for board discussion. With little information, we are left wondering what is happening with the investigation into the Yemeni DPL case. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11415.aspx Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:32:51 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11415.aspx Will the new crisis in the Nile affect the implementation of the West Delta project? http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11300.aspx Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11300.aspx Read a BIC opinion piece from the FP blog, The Argument, explaining why the World Bank must reconsider its current policies on translation and information disclosure in order to promote substantive civil society engagement. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11281.aspx Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:38:35 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11281.aspx BIC highlights the work of Yahya Saleh Mohsen of the Yemen Observatory for Human Rights. Yahya played an instrumental role in bringing a case to the World Bank Inspection Panel involving the Bank's translation policies in Yemen and beyond. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11280.aspx Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:43:56 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11280.aspx The World Bank approves loans for renewable energy in southern countries while making sure Europe meets its energy goals. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11279.aspx Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:42:26 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11279.aspx Joint Israeli-Jordanian-Palestinian venture to see 112-mile pipeline built between Read Sea, Dead Sea. Project meant to explore desalination possibilities, raising Dead Sea declining water levels. Minister Shalom: Project staple of financial peace http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11277.aspx Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:43:31 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11277.aspx The Egyptian government's engagement in the West Delta project raises many questions regarding the repayment of the World Bank's loan. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11268.aspx Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:52:59 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11268.aspx The meeting took place during the Inspection Panel's trip to Sana'a to determine the eligibility of a complaint about Yemeni civil society's inability to access a translation of a key Bank document. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11257.aspx Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:20:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11257.aspx 1.5 years after the Yemen Observatory for Human Rights first requested a translation of the World Bank's 2008 Development Policy Loan for Yemen, the Bank has finally made this translation available. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11253.aspx Fri, 12 Jun 2009 17:16:27 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11253.aspx Palestinians losing out in access to vital shared aquifer in the occupied territories http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11221.aspx Fri, 29 May 2009 11:17:11 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11221.aspx Yemeni group files complaint with the World Bank's Inspection Panel and now change might already be in the air? http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11188.aspx Wed, 20 May 2009 17:29:35 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11188.aspx The World Bank continues to commission feasibility studies for the proposed Red/Dead Sea Canal, but environmental and political issues remain major issues. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11124.aspx Thu, 19 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11124.aspx Trends in the relationship between World Bank and IFC technical assistance policies and the IFC’s investment portfolio raise questions over possible conflicts of interest. Disclosure at the IFC remains opaque, making details of projects and policies hard to come by. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11117.aspx Wed, 22 Apr 2009 12:06:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11117.aspx Yemeni civil society group take their complaint regarding the World Bank's refusal to translate a key program document, to the Inspection Panel http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11116.aspx Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:21:14 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11116.aspx This update provides an analysis of the World Bank's Approach Paper entitled "Toward Greater Transparency: Rethinking the World Bank's Disclosure Policy", which was recently released. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11095.aspx Thu, 09 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11095.aspx The workshop discussed the World Bank’s Disclosure Policy Review, and introduced the World Bank’s Inspection Panel to our regional partners. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11093.aspx Wed, 08 Apr 2009 12:30:04 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11093.aspx Read highlights from the 2nd Participants Committee Meeting of the FCPF, at which BIC served as an NGO observer. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11092.aspx Mon, 06 Apr 2009 11:18:32 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11092.aspx The World Bank launched the review of its information disclosure policy on Friday, March 13th with the public release of an Approach Paper. BIC and partners argue the case for greater transparency in Bank procedures. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11071.aspx Tue, 17 Mar 2009 11:07:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11071.aspx On March 11 and March 14 2009, the World Bank will be consulting with civil society in Yemen to discuss their new Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) 2010-2013. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11063.aspx Mon, 09 Mar 2009 12:07:25 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11063.aspx As the World Bank launches a review of its policy on access to information, the Global Transparency Initiative will track the review process and provide analytical support to civil society groups concerned with transparency standards at the Bank. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11062.aspx Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11062.aspx Now available in both English and Arabic! http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11061.aspx Fri, 06 Mar 2009 12:18:10 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11061.aspx BIC to serve as NGO observer at the next meeting of the Committee of Participants for the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) that will take place on March 11-13 in Panama, Central America. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11055.aspx Fri, 27 Feb 2009 12:17:26 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11055.aspx The new country study provides background on the Bank's involvement in Palestine since the Oslo Accords, including recent trends and analyses of its aid coordination role. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11039.aspx Tue, 10 Feb 2009 14:30:44 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11039.aspx Bank engages Syria on reforms to its transportation sector, while its technical assistance activities - and its overall strategy for the country - remain unavailable. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11031.aspx Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:41:44 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.11031.aspx 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. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.10991.aspx Fri, 19 Dec 2008 11:36:49 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.10991.aspx Concerned parties threaten to file a court case against the Egyptian government if they do not receive satisfactory answers. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.10985.aspx Tue, 16 Dec 2008 12:30:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.10985.aspx 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. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.10967.aspx Mon, 08 Dec 2008 13:22:04 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.10967.aspx A newly released joint report between Bank Information Center (BIC) and Global Witness critically assesses the World Bank Group's and the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) success in increasing transparency in extractive industries in resource-rich countries. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3933.aspx Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3933.aspx 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. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3936.aspx Mon, 03 Nov 2008 13:27:01 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3936.aspx A coalition of 630 organizations from 104 countries have issued a statement demanding a truly global response to the global crisis and laying out a set of principles for doing so. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3930.aspx Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:07:27 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3930.aspx In the wake of the global financial crisis, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is experiencing a resurgence as the world’s "financial crisis firefighter." The upcoming G20 financial summit has placed the IMF as the central institution in charge of “crisis management” and reform of the international financial architecture. While there is much talk of “overhauling” the IMF through fundamental reforms, the same leaders who say this are also talking about broadening the scope of the IMF’s power and influence. Undoubtedly empowered by the contagion of financial meltdown in middle-income countries, the IMF is now scurrying around the globe signing new multi-billion dollar loan deals with a spate of new countries, most notably the Eastern European “Baltic tiger” countries. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3929.aspx Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:31:02 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3929.aspx Sign-on to the civil society letter, BY OCTOBER 28, supporting the fundamental and far-reaching transformation of the international financial and economic system. The letter supports the major international conference convened by the UN to review the international financial and monetary architecture, its institutions and its governance. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3923.aspx Fri, 24 Oct 2008 11:34:35 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3923.aspx 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. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3897.aspx Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3897.aspx The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3889.aspx Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3889.aspx The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3886.aspx Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3886.aspx The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3880.aspx Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3880.aspx The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3872.aspx Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3872.aspx New Arabic pages include institution pages and fact sheets on the IFIs in the MENA region. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3868.aspx Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:05:46 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3868.aspx The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3866.aspx Fri, 08 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3866.aspx The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3863.aspx Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3863.aspx The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3856.aspx Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3856.aspx The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3848.aspx Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3848.aspx The World Bank has agreed to additional financing for electricity and water projects in the West Bank and Gaza. But the reach of the assistance to the most needy, and the effects on curbing high utility bills are still questionable. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3843.aspx Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3843.aspx The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3841.aspx Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3841.aspx As the World Bank prepares to launch two new climate investment funds at the upcoming G8 summit, and positions itself as the "climate bank," new statistics developed by the Bank Information Center show that the World Bank's private sector arm, the International Financial Corporation (IFC), increased its lending for fossil fuel projects by a staggering 165% in FY2008. Taken as a whole, the World Bank Group increased its fossil-fuel lending by 60% in the same period. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3840.aspx Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3840.aspx Bank Information Center has recently released it's new "Handbook for Advocacy on Extractive Industry Revenues: Good Practices and the IMF’s Guide on Resource Revenue Transparency." http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3836.aspx Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:34:41 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3836.aspx The World Bank will buy 325,480 tons of carbon credits from Egyptian Company for Solid Waste Utilization (ECARU) on behalf of governments and companies in Organisation for Econmic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3842.aspx Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:02:01 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3842.aspx The workshop introduced BIC's work to Egyptian media and civil society organizations, and focused on the activities of the international financial institutions in the country. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3819.aspx Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:55:12 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3819.aspx The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3826.aspx Fri, 27 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3826.aspx The recent Palestine Investment Conference concluded with pledges amounting to $1.4 billion in private sector investment in the Palestinian Territories, including $75m from the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Meanwhile, the World Bank’s conditionalities on utility fees and eliminating public sector jobs raises doubts about the institution’s adherence to its poverty reduction mandate. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3805.aspx Sun, 15 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3805.aspx The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3802.aspx Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3802.aspx Jeddah-based development institution announces $1.5 billion contribution toward food security programs in its member countries. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3799.aspx Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3799.aspx The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3791.aspx Fri, 06 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3791.aspx The World Bank’s support for the $15.5 million feasibility studies continues to raise questions about the Bank’s application of its operational safeguard policies on the project. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3786.aspx Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3786.aspx The World Bank announced today that it has set up a financing facility in the order of $1.2 billion to assist with the global food crisis. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3784.aspx Thu, 29 May 2008 15:16:41 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3784.aspx The International Monetary Fund (IMF) lending is at an all time low, and the institution is forced to redefine its role as developing countries benefit from the availability of other sources of finance. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3783.aspx Wed, 28 May 2008 11:57:54 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3783.aspx Donors, led by the World Bank, still insist on linking aid for the Palestinian Authority to the removal of subsidies from basic services, in spite of a recent Bank study that highlights increasing poverty and unemployment rates in the West Bank and Gaza. The suggested cuts in the wage bill in the security, health and education sectors could further hinder Palestine's ability to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3706.aspx Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:24:10 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3706.aspx The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3781.aspx Fri, 30 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3781.aspx This is a new feature from BIC! This "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3779.aspx Fri, 23 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3779.aspx This is a new feature from BIC! This "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3764.aspx Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3764.aspx Skyrocketing food prices have forced the international financial institutions (IFIs) to articulate responses to the situation. The World Bank has conjured a "New Deal for Global Food Policy" to pump agriculture-oriented loans and programs into Africa and to address emergency financing needs. The IMF has voiced concern over the likely macroeconomic shocks of the food crisis in low-income countries. But the Bretton Woods Institutions must wrestle with a legacy that helped set the stage for diminished food security in many low-income countries. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3763.aspx Fri, 09 May 2008 10:31:29 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3763.aspx This is a new feature from BIC! This "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3762.aspx Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3762.aspx This is a new feature from BIC! This "Weekly Roundup" is a compliation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3749.aspx Fri, 02 May 2008 10:47:40 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3749.aspx BIC's MENA Program Manager, Amy Ekdawi, writes about the IFC's rapidly increasing investment in the region, and the contradictions of its pledge to reduce poverty while undermining labor standards. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3726.aspx Tue, 08 Apr 2008 11:34:32 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3726.aspx Read the special Spring Meetings edition of the Bretton Woods Update, co-produced with Afrodad, Bank Information Center, Choike, and Eurodad. The issue is also available in Spanish. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3724.aspx Mon, 07 Apr 2008 20:18:31 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3724.aspx While IFC meeting with government and private sector is expected to lower corporate taxes, World Bank and IMF conditions will double the General Sales Tax in 2009. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3703.aspx Thu, 13 Mar 2008 16:03:37 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3703.aspx Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) presents investment opportunities that could hurt the poor, who have already been hit by increasing food prices. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3695.aspx Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:00:37 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3695.aspx New threats and opportunities have pushed the World Bank toward a new form of engagement in the Middle East and North Africa region. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3687.aspx Fri, 29 Feb 2008 17:20:52 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3687.aspx Iraq’s renewed Stand-By Arrangement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) includes macroeconomic policy reforms that may restrict fiscal space for public spending, particularly on the public wage bill. It also continues the deep involvement of international financial institutions in Iraq’s oil sector. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3671.aspx Wed, 13 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3671.aspx The Arab newspaper Azzaman reported last week that the Iraqi government plans to reduce its food rationing program "in line with the obligations it has made to the World Bank." http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3663.aspx Fri, 01 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3663.aspx http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3659.aspx Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:07:32 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3659.aspx A report issued by the Egyptian Central Auditing Organization accuses the Egyptian government of using misleading financial statistics. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3648.aspx Thu, 17 Jan 2008 15:47:48 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3648.aspx BIC's Middle East & North Africa Program is looking for an Arabic-speaking intern to support its work in the region. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3637.aspx Thu, 13 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3637.aspx Policy conditions attached to the $50 million grant include a reduction of the civil service, land reform, and lower corporate taxes. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3635.aspx Wed, 02 Jan 2008 13:55:47 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3635.aspx Favorable World Bank assessment of Palestinian economic reform program helps pave the way for major donor support. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3631.aspx Mon, 17 Dec 2007 18:17:30 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3631.aspx The World Bank approved the $50 million grant yesterday without disclosing relevant project documents. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3609.aspx Fri, 07 Dec 2007 13:47:58 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3609.aspx The workshop introduced BIC's work to Yemeni media and civil society organizations, and focused on the activities of the international financial institutions in the country. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3591.aspx Tue, 04 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3591.aspx Partners and readers from the Middle East and North Africa region can now access information on BIC's MENA Program in Arabic. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3589.aspx Fri, 30 Nov 2007 14:35:03 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3589.aspx Questions remain as to whether the IFC will use its role as a major IDA donor to deflect criticism of its own investments. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3545.aspx Thu, 18 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3545.aspx On October 15th, a public hearing on the World Bank will take place in The Hague. The hearing aims to raise the debate on the legitimacy of the World Bank and influence the aid distribution process. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3529.aspx Tue, 09 Oct 2007 16:10:57 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3529.aspx The World Bank will focus on labor-intensive export to boost employment in the Arab World. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3526.aspx Tue, 09 Oct 2007 12:54:28 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3526.aspx World Bank President Robert Zoellick has named former Nigerian Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, as a new managing director of the Bank, effective December 1, 2007. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3522.aspx Fri, 05 Oct 2007 10:50:47 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3522.aspx Egypt tops list of reformers in World Bank's 2008 "Doing Business" report. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3515.aspx Thu, 27 Sep 2007 14:42:36 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3515.aspx Civil society in the Middle East demands that the Bank give full consideration to viable alternatives to the costly project. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3513.aspx Wed, 26 Sep 2007 13:18:34 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3513.aspx New economic sanctions bill authorizes President Bush to reduce US contributions to the World Bank if it finances new projects in Iran. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3512.aspx Wed, 26 Sep 2007 12:33:32 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3512.aspx BIC's new fact sheets provide a critical overview of the role that international financial institutions play in financing and facilitating private investment in two of the most important sectors in the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region: water and energy. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3511.aspx Wed, 26 Sep 2007 12:08:12 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3511.aspx On September 13th, after over 20 years of negotiations, the United Nations General Assembly finally adopted the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The international declaration sets a higher standard for international financial institutions (IFIs) to ensure safeguards and strengthen their policies on indigenous peoples. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3495.aspx Thu, 20 Sep 2007 16:34:28 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3495.aspx In 2007, IFC financing in the Middle East and North Africa region exceeded lending from IDA and IBRD combined. As the Bank Group heralds high growth in MENA and pumps money to the private sector, equity and employment challenges loom large. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3493.aspx Wed, 19 Sep 2007 18:21:58 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3493.aspx A recent article by the World Bank applauds governments in MENA for increasing investment in environmental protection. While the World Bank is encouraging MENA countries to decrease their carbon emissions, it continues to finance extractive industry projects in the region. This apparent contradiction is just one of several reasons to take a closer look at the Bank's recent coverage of the 'greening' of MENA. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3470.aspx Thu, 23 Aug 2007 14:19:20 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3470.aspx Written in November 2005 by the Arab NGO Network for Development, this commentary on the need for more active monitoring of the World Bank and IMF in the MENA region remains relevant today. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3465.aspx Wed, 22 Aug 2007 13:11:55 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3465.aspx Local CSO observers argue that instead of addressing the root causes of the economic and social challenges facing Lebanon, the World Bank is promoting a "one-size-fits-all" formula of privatization and liberalization in various sectors. To deal with the adverse impacts of these reforms, the Bank is proposing limited social safety net programs. But groups like the Arab NGOs Network for Development say what the country needs is a comprehensive strategy for economic and social development including policitical and administrative reforms. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3464.aspx Wed, 22 Aug 2007 12:41:19 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3464.aspx The Egyptian government is facing criticism from members of its parliament over plans to sell off the country’s publicly owned banks. The plan to privatize several national banks within the framework of an $8.7 billion financial sector reform program has the backing of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the African Development Bank and US Agency for International Development. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3455.aspx Wed, 01 Aug 2007 22:39:57 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3455.aspx Sale of gas from EIB-financed LNG plant in Egypt at discount prices raises questions about who benefited from the deal. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3443.aspx Thu, 19 Jul 2007 12:18:28 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3443.aspx The IMF reports that the Lebanese government is "on track" in implementing its fiscal and economic reform agenda. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3442.aspx Fri, 20 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3442.aspx A critical article from the Inter Press Service draws on research conducted by BIC's new MENA Program. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3439.aspx Mon, 16 Jul 2007 17:26:29 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3439.aspx The Middle East & North Africa region has become the IFC's fastest-growing portfolio, surpassing $1 billion in new investments for the first time last year. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3431.aspx Mon, 09 Jul 2007 10:56:28 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3431.aspx Find out more about BIC's brand-new Middle East & North Africa (MENA) Program. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3406.aspx Mon, 02 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3406.aspx Find out what extractive industry (oil, gas, mining) and energy projects the international financial institutions (IFIs) are financing in your country. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3395.aspx Fri, 20 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3395.aspx Amy brings a wealth of experience to her task of managing BIC's brand new Middle East & North Africa regional program. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3389.aspx Wed, 06 Jun 2007 15:03:33 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3389.aspx Reports that a World Bank staffer was shot at an Iraqi checkpoint surfaced in late February. The Bank apparently suppressed the news for several days, presumably in an effort to quell concerns about Bank President Paul Wolfowitz’s recent push to re-open a World Bank office in Baghdad. What should the Bank be doing in Iraq? Following is an overview of current Bank involvement in the country, and some reasons why you should be concerned. http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3210.aspx Tue, 13 Mar 2007 15:34:08 GMT http://bicusa.org/en/Article.3210.aspx