Policies
Section Articles
Two Reports - Driving under World Bank and IMF Influence (October 2005)
Two reports, prepared in 2005 by the Social Justice Committee, look at the role of the World Bank and the IMF in Guyana and Senegal, highlighting how excessive control of the institutions over development plans undermines democracy and the programs themselves.
Who's Minding the Store? (October 2004)
Halifax Initiative's new paper, "Who's Minding the Store? Legislator Oversight of the Bretton Woods Institutions" examines to what extent national legislatures maintain democratic oversight of the World Bank and IMF. The survey reveals that legislators are inadequately aware, unevenly informed and largely not consulted on issues related to the institutions. The democratic link to bind citizens and institutional decision-makers is therefore fragile, at best.
Impoverishing a Continent: The World Bank and the IMF in Africa (July 2004)
The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are the two most powerful institutions in global trade and finance. Since 1980, the United States government which dominates both bodies has used them to economically subjugate the developing world. The World Bank and the IMF have forced Third World countries to open their economies to Western penetration and increase exports of primary goods to wealthy nations. These steps amongst others have multiplied profits for Western multinational corporations while subjecting Third World countries to horrendous levels of poverty, unemployment, malnutrition, illiteracy and economic decline. The region worst affected has been Africa.
Water, Land, Labour: The Impacts of Forced Privatization in Vulnerable Communities (June 2003)
"Water, Land, and Labour: The Impacts of Forced Privatization in Vulnerable Communities" The World Bank and the IMF have used their considerable power to force countries to privatize natural and public resources. This report documents some of the impacts, ranging from reduced access to essential services, loss of jobs and increased corruption.
Going beyond HIPC (June 2003)
Going Beyond the HIPC Initiative: Another Pathway to Achieving Freedom from the Burden of Debt (June 2003).
Issue Brief: Conditions for debt relief (May 1999)
The World Bank and IMF adopted new rhetoric about reducing poverty, and linking debt relief primarily to poverty actions in the fall. But countries entering the debt relief process are still facing the same old conditions that have nothing to do with poverty reduction, and can actually increase the hardships of the poor.
Issue Brief: IMF - Bad Medicine and Blind Faith (May 1998)
The International Monetary Fund's (IMF) mishandling of the Southeast Asian financial crisis has enraged mainstream economists, government officials and citizens alike. The "global economic doctor" ignored the early warning symptoms, misdiagnosed the problem, prescribed the wrong medicine and nearly killed the patient. [ PDF file ]
