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Photo: Lane Vanderslice
The main building of the World Bank. Police closed off the streets around the World Bank and IMF buildings and guarded the buildings, as shown here, during the April 19-21 2002 protests against Bank and IMF policies.
U.S. Organizations Issue Plan for World Bank Reform
(April 28, 2002) A coalition of 27 U.S. NGOs has called for reform of the World Bank. Specific areas for reform include
- Greater cancellation of debts owed by the poorest developing countries to the World Bank
- Providing 50 percent of World Bank resources devoted to the poorest developing countries as grants rather than as all loans as presently
- Doing a much better job in assessing the impacts and outcomes of its loans
- Being much more transparent (providing information to the public) in its decisions
- Ending user fees for primary health and education services
- Stopping reductions in public ownership of utilities
The call for specific major reforms is particularly important as this
is the year for IDA reauthorization legislation in Congress. IDA is the
International Development Association, the legal device by which the World
Bank makes loans to the worlds poorest countries. This
legislation has provided the opportunity for public input in the past and
should do so again this year.
Coalition Members: AFL-CIO; International Rivers Network; International Water Working Group, U.S. Office; The Africa Society of the National Summit on Africa; Jubilee USA Network; American Lands Alliance; Labor Council for Latin American Advancement; American Public Health Association; Bank Information Center; Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns; Bread for the World; Natural Resources Defense Council; Catholic Relief Services; Oxfam America; Center for Economic and Policy Research; Pesticide Action Network; North America Communications Workers of America; Consumer’s Choice Council; Public Citizen; Environmental Defense; RESULTS; The Episcopal Church USA; United Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society; Essential Action; World Vision; Friends of the Earth; Gender Action.
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