#News Lens: Institute for Economic Justice analysis of World Bank's $1.5bn loan to South Africa shows how Bank is tying finance to privatisation of energy and water IEJ argues instead for borrowing to support industrial development and be subject to democratic scrutiny: iej.org.za/resource/bri...

10 Things You Need To Know About South Africa’s Latest World Bank Loan | IEJ

This briefing note examines the terms, risks, policy conditions, and developmental implications of South Africa’s latest World Bank loan.

iej.org.za

Pierre‑Olivier Gourinchas steps down as the IMF’s Chief Economist, as IMF undergoes reviews of its lending conditionality and surveillance #SummerObserver26 tinyurl.com/IMFChiefEcon...

Pierre‑Olivier Gourinchas steps down as the IMF’s Chief Economist

Gourinchas returns to academia as the Fund undergoes reviews of some of its main activities.

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The World Bank Group is undergoing an opaque internal restructuring, as part of President Ajay Banga’s wider reform agenda, with limited public details and concerns that the changes are guided by shareholder pressure to cut costs #ObserverSummer26 tinyurl.com/WBGRestructu...

South Africa’s #Eskom in early discussions with World Bank on nuclear financing, as civil society warns nuclear expansion could lead to higher energy costs #ObserverSummer26 tinyurl.com/SouthAfricap...

South Africa’s power utility in early discussions with World Bank on nuclear financing

South African civil society warns planned expansion of nuclear power could lead to increased debt and higher energy costs.

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World Bank Corporate Scorecard’s midterm review could drive reform — but only with methodology gaps fixed, opaque timelines clarified, and CSO inputs meaningfully incorporated #ObserverSummer26 tinyurl.com/WBGScorecard...

World Bank Scorecard midterm review: More data, uncertain outcomes

World Bank’s Corporate Scorecard midterm review promises greater accountability, but gaps and opaque timelines raise doubts.

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New World Bank Group approach to mining & minerals will struggle to avoid pitfalls of extractionist model given reliance on private capital, increasing geopolitical importance of mining, and debt situation of resource-rich countries #ObserverSummer26 tinyurl.com/WBGMining

World Bank mineral and metals strategy challenged to avoid pitfalls of extractionist approach

Despite focus on country mining compacts, World Bank’s new mineral and metals strategy, likely to struggle to escape previous extractionist pitfalls.

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World Bank's Water Forward initiative could expand access to 1B people - but questions remaing regarding equitable metrics, institutional strengthening and genuine country ownership #SDG6 #WaterJustice #ObserverSummer26 tinyurl.com/WaterForward

World Bank’s Water Forward initiative: Ensuring equitable water security, or narrowing paths to public solutions?

Water Forward’s focus on private capital mobilisation and big infrastructure risks excluding the world’s poorest from affordable access.

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FCDO’s May Global Partnerships Conference and the World Bank Group’s new City of London Financial Solutions Hub reflect rich nations’ broader shift towards #privatefinance as development solution over true structural reform #ObserverSummer26 tinyurl.com/LondonFinanc...

Global Partnerships Conference and London Financial Solutions Hub put spotlight on UK’s private finance push

Global Partnerships Conference reflects broader shift towards private finance as development solution, whilst City of London becomes WBG’s London Financial Solutions Hub.

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New Independent Evaulation Office review finds #IMF climate work remains unevenly integrated across surveillance and lending, echoing CSO concerns about contradictions between austerity and #ClimateAction #ObserverSummer26 tinyurl.com/IEOEvaluation

IEO report calls for stronger integration of climate into IMF surveillance and lending

IEO findings echo civil society concerns about IMF’s climate work, with its focus on austerity in surveillance and lending not assessed for its impact on countries’ climate action.

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New in #ObserverSummer26: World Bank Group executive directors reached a compromise on 29 June that saw its Climate Change Action Plan extended 'indefinitely', but its 45% climate finance target scrapped Read all about efforts to #RenewTheCCAP here: tinyurl.com/WorldBankCCAP

World Bank’s Climate Change Action Plan extended despite US pressure

World Bank’s 45 per cent climate finance target ‘retired’ after US criticism, with IEG review expected to shape future of CCAP.

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New in #ObserverSummer26: IMF and World Bank fail to respond to economic crisis caused by fallout from Iran war, raising concerns about their role and legitimacy in the international financial architecture tinyurl.com/BWIsResponse...

IMF and World Bank’s muted response to illegal attacks on Iran deepens legitimacy concerns

IMF and World Bank fail to respond adequately to the crisis in the global economy created by fallout from US and Israel’s war on Iran and Lebanon.

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New Inside the Institutions looks at how IMF and World Bank work together to ensure “mutually supportive” policy advice, fuelling concerns about austerity and debt traps, and pointing to need for reform of - or alternatives to - Bretton Woods system tinyurl.com/InsideBWIsTw...

The Bretton Woods twins: How do the World Bank and IMF work together?

This Inside the Institutions focuses on BWI’s cooperation, policy approaches and how their influence on development and macroeconomic policy have increasingly converged.

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As World Bank Group announces merger of institution’s independent accountability mechanisms, civil society remains concerned about new entity’s independence Read Dustin Schafer's commentary for our #ObserverSummer26 🔗 tinyurl.com/BorrowersPla...

What does the World Bank need to do to make the #CCAP renewal fit for purpose? It must go further: towards finance that supports public goods, is accountable and genuinely serves people and planet, by @jonsward.bsky.social 🔗 energyfinanceuncovered.substack.com/p/as-america... #RenewTheCCAP

As America First casts doubt on plans to route climate finance through Multilateral Development Banks, climate finance efforts must be recentred on delivering climate justice

Jon Sward, Bretton Woods Project

energyfinanceuncovered.substack.com

The Borrowers’ Platform is a important step to address long-standing flaws & power imbalances in international financial architecture & sovereign debt mechanisms Maldives Amb. Ali Nasser Mohammed analyses the process & way forward #ObserverSummer26 🔗 tinyurl.com/BorrowersPla...

Building what was never built for us: The Borrowers’ Platform and the fight to correct sovereign risk

New Borrowers’ Platform marks significant step to address key flaws and power imbalances prevalent in international financial architecture.

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📢 The Summer 2026 Bretton Woods Observer is out Explore analysis of the World Bank & IMF's response to global economic shocks, the future of the Bank's climate agenda, sovereign debt reform through the Borrowers' Platform, critical minerals, accountability & more. 🔗 tinyurl.com/ObserverSumm...

Summer 2026

This issue features the BWIs response to conflict and debt, the extension of the World Bank’s Climate Change Action Plan and the merger of its accountability mechanism, the emergence of the Borrowers’...

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Our 2026 Gender IFI Summer School wrapped up after 6️⃣ online sessions where participants discussed how international financial institutions impact women’s rights Did you miss any of the sessions? Check our website to access the recordings 👇 www.brettonwoodsproject.org/update/2026-...

2026 Gender IFI Summer School

The 2026 online Gender and International Financial Institutions (IFI) collective’s summer school, will consist of six free online sessions between 22 June and 2 July 2026.

brettonwoodsproject.org

As the WorldBankGroup negotiates its Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP), a new @gdp-center.bsky.social's blog by @rishirbhandary.bsky.social, Marilou Jane Uy and Irene Monasterolo argues the question should not be whether a CCAP is needed, but how it can be improved👇 www.bu.edu/gdp/2026/06/...

⏰ REMINDER ⏰ The Gender IFI Summer School 2026 continues on 30/06, with a session titled The Necropolitical Nature of Neoliberalism Remember there's a NEW ZOOM LINK to join all the sessions, which you'll receive once you sign-up 👉 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/gender-ifi...

Gender IFI Summer School

Six free online learning sessions on international financial institutions (IFIs)'s impacts on gender and women's rights.

eventbrite.co.uk

#News Lens: New Action Aid report "Still Cooking With a Failed Recipe" is now out, reviewing IMF country advice on social spending, #publicservices, #debt, #tax and #gender equality👇 actionaid.org/publications...

Still Cooking With a Failed Recipe

A new report by ActionAid, Education International and the Tax and Education Alliance, supported by 19 partners, has revealed how the International Monetary Fund's (IMF's) rigid, one-size-fits-all app...

actionaid.org

The World Bank's Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) is on the negotiating table. 90+ civil society organisations have signed onto a letter urging the Bank to keep its climate commitments Keep the 45% climate finance target #RenewtheCCAP bigshiftglobal.org/CSOLetter_WB...

The Gender IFI Summer School is around the corner‼️ Our first session on Monday 22 will introduce feminist macroeconomics, with speakers from @cesr.bsky.social, Nawi Africa & Asian Peoples' Movement on Debt and Development Have you registered? Please do so below👇 👇 tinyurl.com/IFISummerSch...

News Lens: 90+ civil society organisations call on the World Bank Group to act on the soon to expire Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) & come up with a clear plan about how to advance its climate commitments👇 bigshiftglobal.org/CSOLetter_WB...

🚨Join us for the 2026 Gender IFI Summer School🚨 6-free online sessions bringing together regional and global organisations to discuss IFIs’ impact on women’s rights and wellbeing & how to push back✋ 🗓️22 June to 2 July 🔗RSVP & full schedule👇 tinyurl.com/IFISummerSch...

#News Lens: Scoop from @devex.com reveals that G11+ borrower country group, including Brazil, China, Russia and Saudi Arabia, is pushing World Bank to extend its Climate Change Action Plan, amid US opposition www.devex.com/news/scoop-d...

Scoop: Developing country blocs push World Bank to extend climate plan

A bloc representing nearly 100 countries calls on the World Bank to extend its Climate Change Action Plan by one year amid U.S. pressure to scale it back or scrap it.

devex.com

#ICYMI During the #SpringMeetings26, @menafem.bsky.social, @aausa.bsky.social & @farnargentina.bsky.social joined BWP for a discussion on the gendered impacts of fuel subsidy removal policies promoted by the #IMF & #WorldBankGroup Check the minutes👇 www.brettonwoodsproject.org/update/event...

Event: Fuelling inequality - The gendered impacts of World Bank and IMF fuel subsidy removal

Bretton Woods Project organised a discussion on the gendered impacts of fuel subsidy removal policies promoted by the Bretton Woods Institutions (BWIs).

brettonwoodsproject.org

At this year's #SpringMeetings26 the V20 Group calls for rethink of IMF and World Bank's approach to debt sustainability, amid deepening global crises. Our analysis 🔗 www.brettonwoodsproject.org/2026/04/v20-...

V20 communiqué analysis Spring Meetings 2026

V20 countries push for a rethink of World Bank and IMF’s approach to debt, amid yet another deep global shock.

brettonwoodsproject.org

Food prices are rising - not because crops have failed or harvests collapsed, but because financial markets are moving before any shortage materialises. Our colleague Mihaela Siritanu breaks down what the Iran conflict is really revealing about the global food system 👇

🚨Check out @eurodadnews.bsky.social 'The Real Cost of Debt', a storytelling project revealing the costs of debt through experiences of people directly affected in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean. Keep an eye on what's coming!👀

European Network on Debt and Development - Eurodad@eurodadnews.bsky.social · 4mo ago

🌍Around the world, billions of people’s lives are impacted by the global #debt crisis. We’ve been working w/ activists across the #GlobalSouth to share the #RealCostofDebt. ⏰The first story launches 5 May. Watch the trailer today! #CancelTheDebt #EraOfJustice

With release of Venezuela’s $4.6 billion in #SDRs hinging on the IMF's recognition of state authorities, CSOs call for their release and entirely sovereign use. More in our #BWObserver Spring 26 👇 tinyurl.com/VenzuelaSDRs

Venezuela, the IMF and Trump’s ‘Monroe doctrine 2.0’

With release of Venezuela’s $4.6 billion in SDRs hinging on the IMF’s recognition of state authorities, CSOs call for their release and entirely sovereign use.

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