Promoting MDB Reform From Europe

About this grant

Continuing its work over the past decade, the World Economy, Ecology and Development Association promotes the environmental reform of international financial institution policies and operations. Goals include building support in Germany for strengthened environmental and social concerns within the policies and programs of international financial institutions; encouraging increased transparency, civil society participation and representation of developing countries in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank; and strengthening cooperation and networking among civil society groups and organizations working on reform issues.Multiyear funding will enable the association to promote the debate on reform and democratization of the Bretton Woods institutions; raise awareness of the new dimensions of the reform debate; highlight concerns regarding the impacts of the World Bank’s new infrastructure action plan, privatization strategy and public-private partnerships on sustainable development; and continue efforts on national and international export credit agency reform work.Recent activities included strengthening the debate on the reform of the World Bank and IMF; initiating a debate among and between civil society, German non-governmental organizations and parliamentarians about the costs and benefits of World Bank privatization policies and public-private partnerships; and educating the public and decisionmakers on the continuing need for reform of Hermes, the German export credit agency.