On April 9, 2008 Bank Information Center and Crude Accountability hosted a brown bag discussion about Karachaganak field development and continuing effort to protect the rights of a local community.

It was easy to predict that the global credit crisis would be a major concern at the IMF/World Bank spring meetings.

Not a single discussion I have had with staff members of the World Bank has gone by without a mention of Robert Zoellick, the World Bank president. It seems like some sort of Zoellick mania.

Yesterday evening, the Bank Information Center celebrated its 20th anniversary at a very nice event on Capitol Hill. Those offering remarks included Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, House Financial Services Committee Chair Barney Frank and Representative Gwen Moore, who serves on the Financial Services Committee.

 It was the first day in a long week of the consultations, PowerPoint presentations and high-level cocktail parties that accompany the World Bank’s Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C. Already tensions were running high in a tightly-packed conference room downtown. Bank staff huddled on one side and non-profit groups on the other.

Following the International Monetary Fund’s announcement of proposed staff cuts and sales of gold about $11 billion, civil society groups reacted with demands for further accountability.

'World Bank: Climate Profiteer' outlines ten key problems with the World Bank’s role as a carbon credit trader in the international offset market.

An April 8 op-ed in the Financial Times written by Domenico Lombardi and Jim O'Neill argues that Europe should reform its external representation for emerging market and developing countries to have a stronger voice in the global decision-making.

A new report shows that investment in wind and solar energy surpassed support for large hydro projects in 2007. The World Bank has missed the trend on emerging renewable technologies, and continues to focus its support on large dams.

By Sarah Rimmington, Essential Action

Late yesterday the IMF announced its plan to sell part of its gold reserves to finance its future operations. In an unusual (lucky?) turn of events, the U.S. board member to the Fund cannot give the gold sales a go-ahead without the approval of U.S. Congress.