Civil Society Calls for IDA Reform

October 19th, 2007

Civil Society says to World Bank President Zoellick and Donor Governments: No Blank Check without Real Reform at the World Bank

As World Bank President Robert Zoellick ramps up a $37 billion fundraising campaign to replenish the Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) at the IMF/World Bank Annual meetings this weekend, a coalition of US development and environmental groups released a joint platform containing needed World Bank reforms.

Today’s announcement identifies three critical reform areas the World Bank needs to address: ending economic policy conditionality, fighting energy poverty and climate change and increasing transparency and accountability at the World Bank. The coalition has also launched a lobbying campaign urging Congress to require World Bank reforms while considering requests for additional appropriations for the World Bank in 2008.

Earlier this month, in a speech marking his first 100 days in office, Zoellick conceded that “rapid economic growth has failed to provide opportunities for the poor” and acknowledged that the Bank needs a “different business model.” On this point, organizations agree with President Zoellick: “If the World Bank is to live up to its mission of fighting global poverty, it must change the way it does business,” said Neil Watkins of Jubilee USA Network, one of the groups to launch the initiative.

Other organizations in the coalition include Bank Information Center, Center of Concern, Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), Food and Water Watch, Gender Action, Government Accountability Project, and Oil Change International.

“We have a clear message to the Bush administration and the US Congress: No blank check for the World Bank. World Bank policies are hitting women in developing countries hard by privatizing and imposing fees for essential services like health and water which poor women and men cannot afford. If we want development results for our IDA money, it’s time for real change at the Bank,” said Elaine Zuckerman, President of Gender Action.

A similar coalition has been launched in Europe, where the World Bank will seek a major portion of its IDA replenishment. Similar to the US initiative, the World Bank Campaign Europe, a coalition of 77 development and environmental organizations, is calling on European governments to exchange IDA funding for commitments to end economic policy conditionality and phase out support for fossil fuel projects.

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