2008 World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings

Briefing on World Bank Climate Change Strategic Framework and climate investment funds

Briefing for NGOs on the World Bank's climate change strategy and proposed investment funds

Speaker: Warren Evans, Manager, Environment Division, World Bank

Time: 10:00am -- 12:00pm

Location: BIC, 1100 H St. NW, Suite 650, Washington, DC (entrance on 11th St.)

Bank Information Center (BIC)

Space is limited; please contact Srabani Roy, BIC, for more information/RSVP:

Time: 9:00am

Location: Main Press Room, Room B-702, IMF Headquarters (700 19th St. NW)

Closed to the public.

Time: 11:00am

Location: Main Press Room, Room B-702, IMF Headquarters (700 19th St. NW)

Press Briefing: Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Remittances Report

Participants: Humberto López, Lead Economist and PREM Sector Leader for Central America, Pablo Fajnzylber, Senior Economist, and Sergio Jellinek, Communications Advisor for LAC.

Time: 2:00pm

Location: World Bank, I Building, Room 1-200

Time: 2:30pm

Location: TBD

Orientation Session on the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund for interested CSOs

The purpose of the session is to provide basic information to CSOs participating in the Spring Meetings on Bank and Fund history, structure, policies and programs. Topics covered in this session will include: the Bank’s country assistance strategies, project cycle, and governance policies; and the Fund’s mission cycles, economic surveillance work, and policies for low-income countries. There will also be a hands-on computer training session on how to locate policy and project documents on Bank Group and Fund databases.

Time: 9:00am -- 5:30pm

Location: Rm I 2-250, World Bank I Building,(1818 H Street, NW)

World Bank/IMF Civil Society Teams

Registration is now closed.

Press Briefing: World Economic Outlook (WEO) by Simon Johnson, Economic Councellor and Director of the IMF’s Research Department

Time: 9:00am

Location: Main Press Room, Room B-702, IMF Headquarters (700 19th St. NW)

Closed to the public.

Brown bag discussion on Karachaganak oil and gas field in northwestern Kazakhstan

Sergey Solyanik of the Kazakh environmental NGO “Green Salvation” will discuss the campaign to assist local villagers who have suffered from the environmental degradation caused by the Karachaganak oil and gas field in northwestern Kazakhstan. An international consortium headed by Lukoil received a loan of $150 million USD from the International Finance Corporation in 2002 to expand the Karachaganak project. Green Salvation has been a leader in efforts to pressure the IFC and the consortium to observe Kazakh environmental standards and to assist in the relocation of villagers living near the project.

Time: 12:00pm -- 1:30pm

Location: BIC, 1100 H St., NW, Suite 650, Washington, DC (entrance on 11th St.)

Green Salvation

Bank Information Center (BIC)

Crude Accountability

Space limited; please contact George Holliday, BIC, for more information/RSVP:

Press Briefing: The US slowdown and economic perspectives for Latin America

Participants: Augusto de la Torre, Chief Economist for LAC and Sergio Jellinek, Communications Advisor for LAC.

Time: 12:00pm

Location: World Bank I Building, Room 8-200 (1850 I Street, NW)

Welcome Breakfast and Introduction to the Civil Society Forum and Spring Meetings

Staff from the Civil Society Team at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund will welcome CSO visitors to the Spring Meetings, brief on the format and schedule of the Civil Society Policy Forum dialogues and answer questions.

Breakfast will be served.

Time: 9:00am -- 9:30am

Location: Rm  MC C1-100, World Bank Headquarters (1818 H Street, NW)

World Bank/IMF Civil Society Policy Forum

NGO/CSO Meeting with the World Bank Inspection Panel

The spring meeting of NGOs and CSOs with the World Bank Inspection Panel will be an opportunity to meet the Inspection Panel members and Secretariat, and to discuss IP claims, issues, and concerns.

Time: 9:00am -- 10:30am

Location: CIEL (1350 Connecticut Avenue, NW Suite #1100)

Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL)

Bank Information Center (BIC)

Space is limited; please contact Srabani Roy, BIC, for more information/RSVP:

Time: 9:00am

Location: Main press room, Room B-702 IMF Headquarters (700 19th St. NW)

Structural Conditionalities in the IMF: A Discussion Between the IMF, IEO, and CSOs

A new report by Eurodad shows that IMF structural conditionality did not decline in the five years after the approval of the Fund’s conditionality guidelines. In September 2002, new conditionality guidelines were adopted by the IMF, which were based on the principles of ownership and criticality in its application of structural conditionality, as well as to streamlining the number of conditions. Going on seven years, it seems that these guidelines have been more honoured in principle than in practice. A recent Independent Evaluation Office report confirms that progress in implementing the conditionality guidelines has been limited.

Panel: Ruben Lamdany, Independent Evaluation Office; Juan Zalduendo, IMF; Lucy Hayes, EURODAD.

Respondent: Peter Chowla, Bretton Woods Project

Chair: Bhumika Muchhala, Bank Information Center

Time: 9:30am -- 11:00am

Location: Rm  MC C1-200, World Bank Headquarters (1818 H Street, NW)

World Bank/IMF Civil Society Policy Forum

European Network on Debt and Development (EURODAD)

Bretton Woods Project (BWP)

Bank Information Center (BIC)

Implementing the Governance and Anti-Corruption Strategy at the Country Level

Last September the World Bank Group finished a second round of feedback related to its Governance and Anticorruption (GAC) strategy and  completed an implementation plan.  The implementation plan calls for mainstreaming governance into many country assistance strategies (CAS), and will result in a significant scaling up of GAC work over the next few years.  More recently, the September 2007 recommendations of the high level panel reviewing the Department of Institutional Integrity (INT) were considered by a working group reporting to the President, and have also resulted in an implementation plan that will feed into a more integrated governance architecture. This briefing session will discuss how the scaling up of GAC is being achieved, how it will be measured, the early stages of policy analysis and development in 26 countries where country level governance plans (CGAC) are in process, and how the INT-related recommendations are being carried out.

Panel: Sanjay Pradhan and Peter Harrold, World Bank; Christian Poortman, Transparency International

Chair: Nancy Boswell, Transparency International

Time: 10:00am -- 11:30am

Location: Rm MC C1-100, World Bank Headquarters (1818 H Street, NW)

World Bank/IMF Civil Society Policy Forum

Transparency International (TI)

Time: 10:30am

Location: Main press room, Room B-702 IMF Headquarters (700 19th St. NW)

Discussion on the IFC in India

This is a discussion with NGOs on the IFC in India, with a special focus on the proposed financing by the IFC of the Tata supercritical coal plant at Mundra.

Discussant: Smitu Kothari, Founder of Intercultural Resources and Lokayan in India, Professor, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University

Time: 11:30am -- 1:00pm

Location: EDF, Main Conference Room (1875 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 600)

Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)

Bank Information Center (BIC)

Please contact Srabani Roy, BIC, for more information/RSVP:

Is There Scope for Civil Society Participation in Bank Training Programs?

World Learning has recently completed a study titled "Strategies for Engaging Civil Society in World Bank Training Programs" (main report without annexes) which describes the Bank's many internal and external training programs and whether there has been civil society articipation. WL carried out a global web-based survey of 1,300 CSO respondents and held focus group meetings in 8 countries to gage whether there is interest by civil society in participating in the Bank's training offers courses. The panelists will present the findings of this study and promote a discussion with participants about ways to encourage joint Bank - civil society training initiatives.

Panel: Meg Kinghorn and Preeti Shroff-Mehta, World Learning; John Garrison, World Bank

Lunch will be served

Time: 12:00pm - 1:30pm

Location: Rm MC C1-200, World Bank Headquarters (1818 H Street, NW)

World Bank/IMF Civil Society Policy Forum

World Learning

Development Results Measurement at IFC

Over the past years, IFC has invested substantially in enhancing development results measurement and has incorporated reporting on its development results in its  Annual Report, with additional information provided online in the Results Measurement Portal (www.ifc.org/results).  This session will provide a brief overview of results measurement at IFC, followed by an opportunity for Q&A. The session will be hosted by Roland Michelitsch, Manager, Development Effectiveness and Geeta Batra, Head, Monitoring and Evaluation.

Panel: Roland Michelitsch, Manager, Development Effectiveness; Geeta Batra, Head, Monitoring and Evaluation.

Panel: Roland Michelitsch, Manager, Development Effectiveness; Geeta Batra, Head, Monitoring and Evaluation

Time: 12:00pm -- 1:30pm

Location: Rm MC C1-100, World Bank Headquarters (1818 H St., NW)

World Bank/IMF Civil Society Policy Forum

International Finance Corporation (IFC)

Examination of the Use of Country Systems to Address Environmental and Social Safeguard Issues

This panel will provide a forum for a robust discussion between civil society and World Bank staff on the implementation of the country systems approach to date and the plans for expanding its use. The World Bank promotes the use of country systems as a way to increase development effectiveness, strengthening the borrower country's institutions and laws, enhancing country ownership of development programs, and lowering transaction costs by harmonizing donor processes. Civil society has fundamental concerns about whether these goals are being achieved and at what cost. First, are the environmental and social safeguards approved for use under the country systems approach as strong as the existing Bank safeguard policies? Second, is the use of country systems facilitating enduring, legally-binding improvements in the borrower country's systems that will apply to future projects? Finally, will accountability of the Bank to communities be as effective under a country systems approach as it is under the current Bank approach to safeguards?

Panel: Anne Perrault, Center for International Environmental Law; Bruce Jenkins, Bank Information Center; Stephen Lintner and Harvey Himberg, World Bank

Time: 2:00pm -- 3:30pm

Location: Rm MC C1-100, World Bank Headquarters (1818 H Street, NW)

World Bank/IMF Civil Society Policy Forum

Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL)

Bank Information Center (BIC)

Please contact Kristen Genovese, CIEL for more information:

IFC and IDA: A Briefing for Civil Society

This session will serve to brief civil society on IFC's $1.75 million contribution to the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA) in December 2007, underscoring IFC's increasing focus on strengthening the role of the private sector in promoting povery reduction in Africa and low-income regions. The session will focus on the background and rationale of this contribution as well as how the IFC plans to carry out its role.

Panel: Nigel Twose, Director, IDA/IFC Secretariat; Akihiko Nishio, Director, Resource Mobilization Department, World Bank

Time: 3:00pm -- 4:30pm

Location: Rm MC C1-200, World Bank Headquarters (1818 H Street, NW)

World Bank/IMF Civil Society Policy Forum

International Development Association (IDA) and International Finance Corportation (IFC) Secretariat

Policy Briefing on Spring Meetings Agenda and Other Issues

Marwan Muasher, World Bank Group Senior Vice President for External Affairs, and Masood Ahmed, Director, External Relations Department, International Monetary Fund, and other senior Bank and Fund Managers will brief participating CSOs on the official Spring Meetings agenda and answer questions.

Time: 4:45pm -- 6:00pm

Location: Rm MC 13-121, World Bank Headquarters (1818 H Street, NW)

World Bank/IMF Civil Society Policy Forum

Award Ceremony of “Getting the Facts Right” and Reception

An award to the best innovation in statistics work in the region Poverty Reduction Economic Management (PREM)
Participants: Pamela Cox, Regional Vice Presdient, and Marcelo Giugale, Director of PREM in LAC. Moderator: Sergio Jellinek, Communications Advisor for LAC.

Time: 5:15pm

Location: World Bank I Building, Room 2-Foyer (1850 I Street, NW)

Reception with World Bank Group President and IMF Managing Director

Robert B. Zoellick, World Bank Group President, and Dominique Strauss-Kahn, International Monetary Fund Managind Director will join civil society representatives at an informal reception where they will answer questions and listen to issues brought up by CSOs.

Time: 6:00pm -- 7:30pm

Location: World Bank Headquarters, Main Building, 12th Floor Gallery (1818 H Street, NW)

World Bank/IMF Civil Society Policy Forum

Briefing on Bank's Six Strategic Themes

Panel: Obiageli Katryn Ezekwesili, Vice President for Africa; Hans-Martin Boehmer, Office of the Controller; Nadir Mohammed, Middle East Region; Markus Kostner, Operations Policies and Country Services Network; Jan Weetjens, Human Development Department

Time: 9:00am -- 10:30am

Location: Rm MC C1-100, World Bank Headquarters (1818 H Street, NW)

Time: 9:00am

Location: Rm, TBD; IMF Headquarters (700 19th St. NW)

Time: 9:00am

Location: Meeting Hall, IMF Headquarters (700 19th St. NW)

NGO World Bank and climate briefing

This is an information and discussion session targeted for Climate Action Network (CAN) groups, international development groups, and environmental groups about the World Bank's climate-related funds for clean technology, adaptation, and deforestation. NGO experts in both international climate policy and World Bank policy together will share information about the Bank’s emerging interest in climate change and what questions arise around the Bank’s proposed climate-related financing.

Time: 9:30am -- 11:30am

Location: Friends of the Earth (FoE) (1717 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 600)

Mulitple organizations

For more information, please contact Elizabeth Bast, FoE:

Time: 10:00am

Location: Rm TBD; IMF Headquarters (700 19th St. NW)

Closed to the public.

Panel Discussion and Launch of the IEG Study on Financing Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises through Financial Intermediaries

The Independent Evaluation Group brings together evaluators, financiers, practitioners, and a microfinance bank to talk about micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the developing world. MSMEs constitute the bulk of the private sector in most developing countries and can contribute significantly to economic growth, employment creation, and poverty reduction. However, limited access to finance has often constrained their development, particularly in frontier countries (high-risk or low-income). Supporting the MSMEs through financial intermediaries in these countries has been a strategic priority for  IFC, and the current IEG study examines the effectiveness of these strategies during the period of 1994- 2006. For more information, please visit: http://www.ifc.org/ieg

Introductory remarks: Vinod Thomas, Director General, Evaluation Independent Evaluation Group; Chair: Marvin Taylor-Dormond, Director, IEG-IFC

Panelists: Amitava Banerjee, IEG-IFC; James Scriven, Global Financial Markets Group, IFC; Elizabeth Littlefield, Consultative Group to Assist the Poor - CGAP; Javier Fernández Cueto Banco Compartamos, Mexico.

Time: 10:00am -- 12:00pm

Location: IFC Auditorium (2121 Pennsylvania Ave. (Entrance on K St.))

World Bank/IMF Civil Society Policy Forum

Independent Evaluation Group at the International Finance Corporation (IEG-IFC)

World Bank Public Information Center (InfoShop)

Project-Level Development Impact Reporting and Grievance Mechanisms: 2008 Advisory Work by the Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman (CAO)

The CAO will discuss two key Advisory Notes for IFC and MIGA in 2008:  Project-Level Development Impact Reporting: The CAO has advocated consistently for enhanced local-level transparency and reporting as an opportunity for mitigating corporate-community disputes. CAO's upcoming Advisory Note explores the challenges to project-level reporting in private sector operations, recommendations for overcoming these challenges, and how reporting can be most meaningful to project-affected communities. Grievance Mechanisms for Large, Complex Development Projects: CAO's Advisory Note addresses the challenges faced by client companies in designing and implementing effective grievance procedures. The report discusses how grievance mechanisms can be operationalized and, more broadly, acts as a good-practice guide for clients and communities in developing systemic approaches to resolving disputes. Staff will also provide a brief update on the status of current CAO complaints.

Panel: Meg Taylor, Vice-President and CAO; Amar Inamdar, Principal Specialist, Ombudsman; Henrik Linders, Senior Specialist, Compliance.

Time: 10:30am -- 12:00pm

Location: Rm MC C1-200, World Bank Headquarters (1818 H Street, NW)

World Bank/IMF Civil Society Policy Forum

Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman (CAO)

Macroeconomic and Fiscal Consequences of Climate Change and Policies to Address It

Two recent IMF studies examine macroeconomic and fiscal consequences of climate change and policies to address it. Putting a price on emissions of greenhouse gases that drive climate change would affect countries’ economic growth, saving and investment, capital flows, exchange rates and fiscal balances. Over the long term, carbon pricing should strengthen economic prospects, as it would create incentives for people and businesses to innovate and shift to using more efficient, low-emissions products and technologies. The initial potentially adverse economic consequences of carbon pricing could be minimized if policies are well designed. It would be critical to aim at a framework that is long term and credible, yet flexible enough to adjust to emerging information and changing economic conditions; and implemented as broadly as possible, while ensuring an equitable distribution of costs. Creating fiscal space for additional public expenditures on adaptation is a also an important means with which to facilitate smooth adjustment to the impacts of climate change.

Speakers: Michael Keen, Advisor, IMF Fiscal Affairs Department; Natalia Tamirisa, Deputy Division Chief, IMF Research Department Moderator: Erich Vogt, Senior Multilateral Policy Advisor, International Union for the Conservation of Nature - IUCN

Background IMF materials:
Long-Term, Flexible Climate Policies Can Cut Mitigation Costs, by Natalia Tamirisa
Climate Change and the Global Economy
The Fiscal Implications of Climate Change

Time; 11:00am -- 12:30pm

Location: Rm MC C1-100, World Bank Headquarters (1818 H Street, NW)

World Bank/IMF Civil Society Policy Forum

Press briefing: World Development Indicators by Shaida Badiee, Director, World Bank Development Data Group; Eric Swanson, Program Manager, World Bank Development Data Group, and Alan Gelb, Acting Chief Economist

Time: 11:30am

Location: TBD

Closed to the public.

Launch of "Turning tha tables: aid and accountabiltiy under the Paris framework"

Launch of a major new NGO report on aid effectiveness, "Turning tha tables: aid and accountabiltiy under the Paris framework". This is a joint NGO report from Eurodad, Actionaid, CAFOD, CGG, FECONG, IBIS, RODADHHD, CNCD, Oxfam, Trocaire.

Time: 12:00pm -- 2:00pm

Location: The German Marshall Fund of the United States, 1744 R St., NW

Eurodad

Briefing Session on IFC and Extractive Industries

The IFC/World Bank Oil, Gas, Mining, and Chemicals Department finances select extractive industry projects around the world to fight poverty and facilitate access to energy.  It actively works with companies to adhere to the IFC's stringent performance standards.  This process is complex and requires addressing numerous institutional, social, and environmental issues.  The Department welcomes the interest of CSOs in monitoring the implementation of these projects and is hosting this session to maintain an ongoing dialogue on these projects, as well as listen to broader policy ideas civil society may have.

Panel: Somit Varma, IFC/WB Director for Oil, Gas, Mining, and Chemicals; others TBD.

Lunch will be served.

Time: 12:30pm -- 1:30pm

Location: Rm L-109, IFC (2121 Pennsylvania Ave. (Entrance on K St.))

World Bank/IMF Civil Society Policy Forum

International Finance Corporation (IFC)

Reviewing the Bank's Civil Society Engagement and Consultation Approaches

The World Bank Group (WBG) is in the process of developing a strategic priorities framework for its relations with civil society. Relations between the Bank and civil society has improved considerably over the past two decades and are today characterized by ongoing policy dialogue and growing levels of programmatic collaboration in such areas as primary education, HIV/AIDS prevention, and environmental protection. Nonetheless, there is continued disagreement on a number of  policy issues (i.e. loan conditionalities, extractive industries) and procedural impediments for scaling-up operational relations at the country level. This session will examine the complex and multi-faceted nature of the Bank's relations, including its consultations policies,  with civil society and how to improve it.

Panel: Edith Grace Ssempala, Director, International Affairs Department; Jeff Thindwa, Civil Society Team; Edith Wilson, External Affairs.

More information and online survey

Lunch will be served

Time: 12:30pm -- 2:00pm

Location: Rm MC C1-200, World Bank Headquarters (1818 H Street, NW)

The Right to Development in a Climate Constrained World -- A Presentation of the Greenhouse Development Rights Framework

Climate change presents the international community with a true emergency; but thus far its response has been profoundly inadequate.  In fact, it’s past time to recognize that the international policy response by nation states and international organizations is at an impasse arising from a simultaneous climate crisis and development crisis. International organizations, including the World Bank, will need to tackle this double crisis more effectively, if global climate mitigation and adaptation efforts as well as developmental equity efforts are to be successfully achieved. This discussion will present the Greenhouse Development Rights Framework developed by EcoEquity and the Stockholm Environment Institute and supported by the Heinrich Böll Stiftung and Christian Aid as a climate protection framework designed to break the impasse by expanding the climate protection agenda while safeguarding the right to a dignified level of sustainable human development. The initial presentation of the framework will be followed by comments from developing country representatives and climate/development experts at the World Bank.

Panel:  Tom Athanasiou, EcoEquity; Amar Bhattacharya, G 24 Secretariat; Rogerio Studart, Executive Director – Brazil, World Bank.

Moderator: Liane Schalatek, Heinrich Boell Foundation North America

Time: 1:00pm -- 2:30pm

Location: Rm MC C1-100, World Bank Headquarters (1818 H Street, NW)

World Bank/IMF Civil Society Policy Forum

Heinrich Böll Foundation North America

Consultation on the IMF's Policy Support Instrument (PSI) Review

The IMF has decided to conduct a “policy review” of its Policy Support Instrument (PSI).  The Policy Development and Review Department (PDR) is conducting the review, which will start in May 2008 and conclude by October 2008. The Executive Board discussion of the PSI review will occur after the Annual Meetings in October 2008. The review will begin with a first meeting between civil society and PDR officials during the Spring Meeting. The meeting is open to all, and is intended to be a first step in a series of consultations that will follow regionally. Subsequent consultation sessions are to occur regionally in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as other regions, via telecommunications or in-person between local officials, academics, civil society, and trade unions and the relevant IMF officials. This is a roundtable discussion; IMF officials participating in the consultation include: Patricia Alonso-Gamo, Ben Kelmanson, and Edward Gemayel from the PDR Department.

Time: 2:00pm -- 3:30pm

Location: Rm HQ1-2-611, IMF Headquarters (700 19th St., NW)

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

For more information, please contact Bhumika Muchhala, BIC:

A Dialogue with Lars Thunell, Executive Vice President and CEO, IFC

This session is hosted by IFC's Executive Vice President and CEO Lars Thunell and will focus on providing CSOs an update on the latest developments at IFC as well as offering an opportunity for discussion and Q&As. IFC is a member of the World Bank Group and fosters sustainable economic growth in developing countries by financing private sector investment, mobilizing private capital in local and international financial markets, and providing advisory and risk mitigation services to businesses and governments.

Time: 2:30pm -- 3:30pm

Location: Rm L-101, IFC (2121 Pennsylvania Ave. (Entrance on K St.))

World Bank/IMF Civil Society Policy Forum

International Finance Corporation (IFC)

RSVP to Andrea Engel:

Press Briefing: G-24 Chair

Time: 2:30pm

Location: Main press room, Room B-702 IMF Headquarters (700 19th St. NW)

Closed to the public.

Ways to Bridge Gender Gaps

This session, hosted by the Bank's Gender Team will  discuss two policy approaches to promote women's economic empowerment: a) economic empowerment of adolescent girls by using demand-side incentives such as conditional cash transfers; and (b) promoting women's entrepreneurship by reducing regulatory and legal constraints to doing business.  Several development ministers will join Bank President Robert B. Zoellick on the session panels.

Time: 3:30pm -- 6:45pm

Location: Rm MC 4-800, World Bank Headquarters (1818 H Street, NW)

World Bank/IMF Civil Society Policy Forum

In order to participate please RSVP by sending an email to: 

World Bank Group Climate Change Strategic Framework

The World Bank Group is developing a Strategic Framework on Climate Change and Development. This will articulate the Bank Group's vision on how to integrate climate change and development challenges without compromising growth and poverty reduction efforts, through its country operations, including policy dialogue, lending, and analytical work in client countries, and through its regional and global operations. The Bank Group is interested in learning the views of stakeholders as the SFCCD develops. Over the next couple of months, the Bank Group will consult with representatives from governments, donor agencies, civil society, parliaments, private sector, academia and other stakeholders, and seek feedback on the SFCCD concept paper. In addition to face-to-face and virtual discussions, the Bank will also invite written feedback. This is the first session with civil society representatives.

Panel: Warren Evans, Environment Department, World Bank; Rachel Kyte, Business Advisory Services, IFC; Steen Jorgensen, Social Development, World Bank; Erich Vogt, International Union for the Conservation of Nature - IUCN

Moderator: Bruce Jenkins, Bank Information Center - Moderator

SFCCD Concept Paper

Consultations website

Time: 4:00pm -- 5:30pm

Location: Rm L-101, IFC (2121 Pennsylvania Ave. (Entrance on K St.))

World Bank/IMF Civil Society Policy Forum

World Bank Group

Bank Information Center, 20th Anniversary Party!!!

It's been 20 years since BIC was founded! Please join us for food, drinks and merriment and together we'll celebrate 20 years of working to democratize development.

Time: 6:00pm -- 10:00pm

Location: Stewart R. Mott House, 122 Maryland Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20002

Bank Information Center (BIC)

Contact Benjamin Bryan, BIC, for more information:

Bechtel's troubled rule in Ecuador

Time: 6:00pm

Location: Busboys and Poets (corner of 14th and V St., NW)

Food and Water Watch (FFW)

Please contact Maj Fiil, FFW, for more information:

Press briefing: Sub-Saharan Africa Economic Outlook

Time: 10:00am

Location: Main press room, Room B-702 IMF Headquarters (700 19th St. NW)

Closed to the public.

Time: 10:30am

Location: Meeting Hall, IMF Headquarters (700 19th St. NW)

Closed to the public.

How to Strengthen Extractive Industry Revenue Transparency in World Bank Group and IMF Operations

This meeting will involve an open discussion between CSOs and the World Bank Group & IMF staff regarding ways to strengthen the implementation of extractive industry revenue, licensing, and contract transparency.  The Bank Information Center and Global Witness will present their assessment of how the World Bank and IMF are implementing transparency of revenues, licensing procedures, and contracts in the extractive industries for 15 resource-rich countries. The emphasis of the meeting will be two-fold: 1.) ensuring that World Bank and IMF operations consistently involve requirements and concrete activities for EI revenue, licensing, and contract transparency implementation; and 2) ensuring meaningful civil society/stakeholder participation in the revenue transparency process.

Panel: Heike Mainhardt-Gibbs, Bank Information Center; Corinna Gilfillan, Global Witness; Philip Daniel, IMF Fiscal Affairs Department; Clive Armstrong, IFC

Time: 10:30am -- 12:00pm

Location: Rm MC C1-200, World Bank Headquarters (1818 H Street, NW)

World Bank/IMF Civil Society Policy Forum

Bank Information Center (BIC)

Global Witness

Time; 11:00am

Location: Main press room, Room B-702 IMF Headquarters (700 19th St. NW)

The IMF's Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Economic Outlook

This session will include a presentation of the main conclusions from the IMF's Sub-Saharan Regional Economic Outlook (REO) and the risks to the outlook. IMF staff will offer insight into the social implications of the recent surges in food and oil prices for the region and how these shocks could be mitigated.

Speaker: Andrew Berg (IMF African Department)

(Lunch will be served)

Time: 12:30pm -- 2:00pm

Location: Rm MC C1-100, World Bank Headquarters (1818 H Street, NW)

World Bank/IMF Civil Society Policy Forum

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Briefing Session on the International Health Partnership Alliance and How to Involve CSOs in the Initiative

Together with the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank is coordinating the IHP+ which also includes partner countries, H-8 agencies, bilateral donors, and civil society and private sector partners. The IHP+ was launched in London last September with four main objectives consistent with the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness: (1) developing results-focused country-led compacts that rally all development partners around one national health plan, one M&E framework,  and one review process, thus improving harmonization, alignment, focus on results and mutual accountability; (2) generating and disseminating relevant knowledge, guidance and tools; (3) enhancing coordination and efficiency at country, regional and global levels; and (4) ensuring mutual accountability and monitoring of performance. Donor and participating governments, bilateral and multilateral agencies, and foundations cannot ensure achievement of the IHP+ objectives alone. It is important that civil society be actively engaged in all aspects of the IHP+ processes as equal partners. Increasing aid effectiveness, scaling up delivery of services, and improving health outcomes and outputs necessitates proactive engagement of all relevant development partners, particularly those with access to and knowledge of the poorest and most vulnerable.  This session will outline key areas of value-added of civil society in the IHP+ process.

Time: 1:30pm -- 3:00pm

Location: Rm MC C1-200, World Bank Headquarters (1818 H Street, NW)

World Bank/IMF Civil Society Policy Forum

The Work of the Development Committee and the Challenge of Advancing the Climate Change Agenda

As in previous years, the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) will facilitate a discussion for NGO representatives with the German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development to discuss issues on the World Bank Development Committee agenda. The central topic in the discussion will be the World Bank´s increasing role in mitigating climate change in developing countries. The overarching goal remains to reach agreement on a comprehensive and ambitious international post-2012 climate regime by the end of 2009 at the UN climate conference in Copenhagen. Given the principle of ‘common but differentiated responsibilities’ embodied in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) and the Kyoto Protocol, we will discuss existing and emerging financing mechanisms for transformational climate action expected to provide additional resources to combat climate change.

Panel: Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany; Christopher Flavin, President, World Watch Institute

Chair: Jürgen Stetten, Director, Friedrich Ebert Foundation, New York

Time: 3:00pm -- 4:30pm

Location: World Bank, I Building, Rm 1-200 (1850 I Street, NW)

Friedrich Ebert Foundation

Please send an email to Knut Panknin at:

or call 202-408-5444 to confirm your attendance.

European NGO - European IMF EDs meeting, Spring 2008

Regular meeting between European CSOs and European EDs at the IMF.

Time: 3:00pm -- 4:00pm

Location: Rm - TBD, IMF Headquarters, (700 19th St. NW)

Those from European NGOs who would like to attend please email Peter Chowla as soon as possible.

Corruption as a Barrier to Achieving the MDGs: Lessons from The World Bank’s India Detailed Implementation Review (DIR)

Reducing fraud and corruption in development programs is critical to achieving the Millennium Development Goals. It will help ensure that scarce financial resources reach their intended beneficiaries. This session will examine the harmful impact of corruption on development outcomes based on a recent World Bank Detailed Implementation Review (DIR) of five Bank health projects in India. It will explore the Bank’s response to this study, which includes strengthening project design, supervision, and evaluation systems; increasing access to information and external oversight; and integrating emerging best practices into the Bank’s Governance and Anticorruption (GAC) Strategy. The session will also examine how this study impacts external stakeholders (end-users, civil society, and the private sector) and explore what role the stakeholders can play to advance the integrity of development work (civil society engages in “demand-side” work such as project monitoring, companies adopt anti-corruption codes and compliance programs).

Panel: John Zutt, Department of Institutional Integrity, World Bank; John Roome, South Asia Region, World Bank; Aneta Wierzynska, Transparency International-USA.

Time: 3:30pm -- 5:00pm

Location: Rm MC C1-200, World Bank Headquarters (1818 H Street, NW)

World Bank/IMF Civil Society Policy Forum

Transparency International USA

The Influx of Capital Flows to Low-Income Countries: Challenges and Opportunities

Many sub-Saharan African countries have experienced substantial private capital inflows by foreign investors, including portfolio inflows to domestic currency denominated debt instruments, in recent years. Indeed, in recent years, private capital inflows to sub-Saharan African countries have exceeded aid inflows. These capital inflows have been in part motivated by improved political and macroeconomic stability in sub-Saharan African countries as well as future economic prospects supported by high commodity prices and increasing commodity exports. However, policy responses to capital inflows have varied across countries and have often been responses to specific circumstances rather than based on a clear strategy. This presentation will review the trends in and factors causing these capital inflows, as well as discuss how African countries have responded, and should respond in the future, to large capital inflows.

Spearkers: Tom Dorsey (IMF Policy Development and Review Department), and John Wakeman-Lynn (IMF African Department)

Background material: The Landscape of Capital Flows to Low-Income Countries

Time: 3:30pm -- 5:00pm

Location: Rm MC C1-100, World Bank Headquarters (1818 H Street, NW)

World Bank/IMF Civil Society Policy Forum

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Time: 3:30pm

Location: Main press room, Room B-702 IMF Headquarters (700 19th St. NW)

Closed to the public.

Time: 9:00am

Location: Preston Auditorium, World Bank Headquarters (1818 H St. NW)

Closed to the public.

Discussion of World Bank/Bechtel investment in Ecuador's water system

In 2001 the World Bank gave Bechtel a guarantee for it’s investments in the water system in Guayaquil, Ecuador. After years of mismanagement, including water cut-offs, a Hepatitis A outbreak, and ongoing flooding, the Observatorio Cuidadano de Servicios Publicos has initiated a World Bank investigation into the case.

Time: 10:30am -- 11:00am and 12:30pm -- 1:00pm

Location: Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington (Corner of Arlington Blvd. (Rte. 50) and George Mason Drive

Social Action Council Forum

Food and Water Watch (FFW)

Please contact Maj Fiil, FFW, for more information:

Time: 3:30pm

Location: Main press room, Room B-702 IMF Headquarters (700 19th St. NW)

End the World Bank spring meetings with a social hour at Food & Water Watch

FFW will show a short film and talk with Cesar Cardenas Ramirez and Augusto Parada Campos from the Observatorio Cuidadano in Guyayquil, Ecuador about their experiences with challenging MIGA and Bechtel.

Background: In 2001 the World Bank gave Bechtel a guarantee for it’s investments in the water system in Guayaquil, Ecuador. After years of mismanagement, including water cut-offs, a Hepatitis A outbreak, and ongoing flooding, the Observatorio Cuidadano  de Servicios Publicos has initiated a World Bank investigation into the case.

Pizza and drinks will be served

Time: 6:00pm -- 7:30pm

Location: FFW, 1400 P Street, NW  (Bldg is closed, there will be someone at the door - or call 202.459.7476)

Food and Watch Watch (FFW)

Please contact Maj Fiil, FFW, for more information:

Discussion of World Bank/Bechtel investment in Ecuador's water system

In 2001 the World Bank gave Bechtel a guarantee for it’s investments in the water  system in Guayaquil, Ecuador. After years of mismanagement, including water  cut-offs, a Hepatitis A outbreak, and ongoing flooding, the Observatorio Cuidadano  de Servicios Publicos has initiated a World Bank investigation into the case.

Speakers: Cesar Cardenas Ramirez and Augusto Parada, CamposObservatorio Cuidadano de Servicios Publicos; Marcos Orellana, Center for International Environmental Law

Time: 12:00pm -- 1:30pm

Location: American University, Washington College of Law, Room 602 

Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (CHRL)

Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL)

Food and Water Watch (FFW)

Please contact Maj Fiil, FFW, for more information: