I have spotted some other ineresting blogs by civil society groups on the Singapore meetings. They include: World Development Movement's one, with insights and photos from the official conference centre, Batam, etc.

As if there was not enough heat already at the Singapore meetings, the Bank has briefed strongly against UK development minister Hilary Benn. Today's FT has a story that Benn 'manufactured' the row with the World Bank. Benn is accused by an unnamed Bank source of being 'an ambitious political climber' who 'tossed fictional red meat' to his press corps for domestic political reasons. The FT says that Benn's threat to hold back 50 million pounds from the Bank may have been a stunt to grab headlines at a time of fluidity in Labour politics.

The numbers keep coming in, but it appears that at least 54 individuals from 17 countries and as many civil soceity organizations were either banned, interrogated or deported from Singapore. At least nine were interrogated and eventually allowed to enter Singapore. At least 12 were interrogated and deported from Singapore. These numbers will grow, as new reports come in daily.

It's also important to note that many of the International People's Forum participants were briefly detained at the checkpoint into Singapore from Batam.

Well here I am in Changi airport having crossed the final clearing immigration hurdle and with my flight to Japan less than an hour away. It's been an eventful and hectic annual meetings. Some thoughts: 1) The experience of launching a boycott which was then joined by or otherwise supported by nearly all civil society groups who work on the policy issues caused us as a movement to meaningful begin a discussion about the terms with which we engage the IMF and the World Bank. This is very encouraging. 2) The insane way in which the Singapore government reacted to our coming to Singapore and the subsequent events including the boycott may have opened some space for a discussion about the role of civil society within Singapore.

Bank management presented its highly-anticipated governance and anti-corruption strategy to the Development Committee this week. It appears to have been met with some stiff resistance by member governments, who demanded greater Board oversight of the framework. Leading the critics was UK Development Secretary Hilary Benn, who stressed the importance of the Bank staying true to its poverty-reduction mission.

The Development Committee noted the importance of country ownership and leadership, equal treatment of all member countries, and the need for clear governance and corruption indicators. "Given the importance of this issue, we stressed the importance of Board oversight of the strategy as it is further developed and then implemented, and we look forward to a report from the Board at our next meeting." Thus it appears that the draft brought to the Committee was not a final version, and post-Singapore consultations will focus on both substance and implementation.

The Social Watch Report 2006 will be launched Tuesday 16:30 hs., Room 201 Suntec Center, at the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group in Singapore This year's report, titled "Impossible Architecture", refers to the urgent need to reform the current international financial structure to fulfil national and international commitments to eradicate poverty and promote gender equity. In addition to National Reports contributed by the member organizations of Social Watch, the 2006 Report includes 13 Thematic Articles by experts on international finan

Communiqué of the International Monetary and Financial Committee of the Board of Governors of the International Monetary Fund September 17, 2006 1. The International Monetary and Financial Committee held its fourteenth meeting in Singapore on September 17, 2006 under the Chairmanship of Mr. Gordon Brown, Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom. The Committee expresses its gratitude to the Singapore authorities for the excellent arrangements. ...

There's almost too much going on in Batam. Each day starts with two to four plenary sessions. Afternoons are filled with workshops and skillshare sessions. Organizers are holding at least two press conferences per day. And let's not forget the networking and informal meetings which permeate everyone's schedule.

Plenary sessions today focused on illegitimate debt and the Global Transparency Initiative (GTI).

STATEMENT of the IPF Convenors' Committee
International Peoples' Forum vs the IMF-World Bank
In response to Singapore 2006 Organizing Committee's Sept. 15 statement
16 September 2006, Batam, Indonesia

Too Little Too Late

The organizers of the International People's Forum (IPF) in Batam, Indonesia will continue their boycott of all official events of the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank in Singapore. This boycott continues despite the Singapore government's September 15 press statement that it will now allow 22 of 27 officially blacklisted individuals to enter the country.

A number of the people who were originally denied entry to Singapore will be coming here tomorrow (Sunday) to speak at an event in a hotel near the Suntec conference centre. This is a great opportunity to hear direct from some of the activists at the centre of the recent storm, and also from other long-standing analysts and critics of the IMF. The de-blacklisted people due to appear at the meeting include (IFIwatchnet steering group member) Joy Chavez and Antonio Tricarico. Pete Hardstaff from blacklisted group WDM will also be there. The speakers line-up also includes Oscar Ugarteche, Martin Khor, Alejandro Bendana, Susanne Dennis and many others.