http://www.bicusa.org/en/Region.18.aspx The latest news on Middle East and North Africa from the Bank Information Center 10 http://www.infodev.org/images/infodev.gif http://www.bicusa.org/en/Region.18.aspx The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3889.aspx Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3889.aspx The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3886.aspx Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3886.aspx The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3880.aspx Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3880.aspx The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3872.aspx Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3872.aspx The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3866.aspx Fri, 08 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3866.aspx New Arabic pages include institution pages and fact sheets on the IFIs in the MENA region. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3868.aspx Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:05:46 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3868.aspx The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3863.aspx Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3863.aspx The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3856.aspx Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3856.aspx As the World Bank prepares to launch two new climate investment funds at the upcoming G8 summit, and positions itself as the "climate bank," new statistics developed by the Bank Information Center show that the World Bank's private sector arm, the International Financial Corporation (IFC), increased its lending for fossil fuel projects by a staggering 165% in FY2008. Taken as a whole, the World Bank Group increased its fossil-fuel lending by 60% in the same period. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3840.aspx Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3840.aspx The World Bank has agreed to additional financing for electricity and water projects in the West Bank and Gaza. But the reach of the assistance to the most needy, and the effects on curbing high utility bills are still questionable. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3843.aspx Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3843.aspx The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3848.aspx Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3848.aspx The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3841.aspx Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3841.aspx The World Bank will buy 325,480 tons of carbon credits from Egyptian Company for Solid Waste Utilization (ECARU) on behalf of governments and companies in Organisation for Econmic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3842.aspx Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:02:01 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3842.aspx Bank Information Center has recently released it's new "Handbook for Advocacy on Extractive Industry Revenues: Good Practices and the IMF’s Guide on Resource Revenue Transparency." http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3836.aspx Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:34:41 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3836.aspx The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3826.aspx Fri, 27 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3826.aspx The workshop introduced BIC's work to Egyptian media and civil society organizations, and focused on the activities of the international financial institutions in the country. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3819.aspx Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:55:12 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3819.aspx Jeddah-based development institution announces $1.5 billion contribution toward food security programs in its member countries. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3799.aspx Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3799.aspx The World Bank’s support for the $15.5 million feasibility studies continues to raise questions about the Bank’s application of its operational safeguard policies on the project. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3786.aspx Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3786.aspx The recent Palestine Investment Conference concluded with pledges amounting to $1.4 billion in private sector investment in the Palestinian Territories, including $75m from the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Meanwhile, the World Bank’s conditionalities on utility fees and eliminating public sector jobs raises doubts about the institution’s adherence to its poverty reduction mandate. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3805.aspx Sun, 15 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3805.aspx The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3802.aspx Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3802.aspx The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3791.aspx Fri, 06 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3791.aspx The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3781.aspx Fri, 30 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3781.aspx The World Bank announced today that it has set up a financing facility in the order of $1.2 billion to assist with the global food crisis. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3784.aspx Thu, 29 May 2008 15:16:41 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3784.aspx The International Monetary Fund (IMF) lending is at an all time low, and the institution is forced to redefine its role as developing countries benefit from the availability of other sources of finance. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3783.aspx Wed, 28 May 2008 11:57:54 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3783.aspx This is a new feature from BIC! This "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3779.aspx Fri, 23 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3779.aspx This is a new feature from BIC! This "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3764.aspx Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3764.aspx Skyrocketing food prices have forced the international financial institutions (IFIs) to articulate responses to the situation. The World Bank has conjured a "New Deal for Global Food Policy" to pump agriculture-oriented loans and programs into Africa and to address emergency financing needs. The IMF has voiced concern over the likely macroeconomic shocks of the food crisis in low-income countries. But the Bretton Woods Institutions must wrestle with a legacy that helped set the stage for diminished food security in many low-income countries. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3763.aspx Fri, 09 May 2008 10:31:29 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3763.aspx This is a new feature from BIC! This "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3762.aspx Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3762.aspx This is a new feature from BIC! This "Weekly Roundup" is a compliation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3749.aspx Fri, 02 May 2008 10:47:40 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3749.aspx BIC's MENA Program Manager, Amy Ekdawi, writes about the IFC's rapidly increasing investment in the region, and the contradictions of its pledge to reduce poverty while undermining labor standards. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3726.aspx Tue, 08 Apr 2008 11:34:32 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3726.aspx Read the special Spring Meetings edition of the Bretton Woods Update, co-produced with Afrodad, Bank Information Center, Choike, and Eurodad. The issue is also available in Spanish. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3724.aspx Mon, 07 Apr 2008 20:18:31 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3724.aspx Donors, led by the World Bank, still insist on linking aid for the Palestinian Authority to the removal of subsidies from basic services, in spite of a recent Bank study that highlights increasing poverty and unemployment rates in the West Bank and Gaza. The suggested cuts in the wage bill in the security, health and education sectors could further hinder Palestine's ability to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3706.aspx Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:24:10 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3706.aspx While IFC meeting with government and private sector is expected to lower corporate taxes, World Bank and IMF conditions will double the General Sales Tax in 2009. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3703.aspx Thu, 13 Mar 2008 16:03:37 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3703.aspx BIC's Middle East & North Africa Program is looking for an Arabic-speaking intern to support its work in the region. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3637.aspx Thu, 13 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3637.aspx Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) presents investment opportunities that could hurt the poor, who have already been hit by increasing food prices. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3695.aspx Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:00:37 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3695.aspx New threats and opportunities have pushed the World Bank toward a new form of engagement in the Middle East and North Africa region. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3687.aspx Fri, 29 Feb 2008 17:20:52 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3687.aspx Iraq’s renewed Stand-By Arrangement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) includes macroeconomic policy reforms that may restrict fiscal space for public spending, particularly on the public wage bill. It also continues the deep involvement of international financial institutions in Iraq’s oil sector. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3671.aspx Wed, 13 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3671.aspx The Arab newspaper Azzaman reported last week that the Iraqi government plans to reduce its food rationing program "in line with the obligations it has made to the World Bank." http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3663.aspx Fri, 01 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3663.aspx http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3659.aspx Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:07:32 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3659.aspx A report issued by the Egyptian Central Auditing Organization accuses the Egyptian government of using misleading financial statistics. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3648.aspx Thu, 17 Jan 2008 15:47:48 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3648.aspx Policy conditions attached to the $50 million grant include a reduction of the civil service, land reform, and lower corporate taxes. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3635.aspx Wed, 02 Jan 2008 13:55:47 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3635.aspx Favorable World Bank assessment of Palestinian economic reform program helps pave the way for major donor support. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3631.aspx Mon, 17 Dec 2007 18:17:30 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3631.aspx The World Bank approved the $50 million grant yesterday without disclosing relevant project documents. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3609.aspx Fri, 07 Dec 2007 13:47:58 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3609.aspx The workshop introduced BIC's work to Yemeni media and civil society organizations, and focused on the activities of the international financial institutions in the country. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3591.aspx Tue, 04 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3591.aspx الشركاء والقراء يستطيعون الآن الحصول على معلومات عن برنامج مركز معلومات البنك في الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا باللغة العربية http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3590.aspx Fri, 30 Nov 2007 16:28:57 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3590.aspx Partners and readers from the Middle East and North Africa region can now access information on BIC's MENA Program in Arabic. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3589.aspx Fri, 30 Nov 2007 14:35:03 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3589.aspx Questions remain as to whether the IFC will use its role as a major IDA donor to deflect criticism of its own investments. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3545.aspx Thu, 18 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3545.aspx On October 15th, a public hearing on the World Bank will take place in The Hague. The hearing aims to raise the debate on the legitimacy of the World Bank and influence the aid distribution process. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3529.aspx Tue, 09 Oct 2007 16:10:57 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3529.aspx The World Bank will focus on labor-intensive export to boost employment in the Arab World. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3526.aspx Tue, 09 Oct 2007 12:54:28 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3526.aspx World Bank President Robert Zoellick has named former Nigerian Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, as a new managing director of the Bank, effective December 1, 2007. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3522.aspx Fri, 05 Oct 2007 10:50:47 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3522.aspx Egypt tops list of reformers in World Bank's 2008 "Doing Business" report. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3515.aspx Thu, 27 Sep 2007 14:42:36 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3515.aspx Civil society in the Middle East demands that the Bank give full consideration to viable alternatives to the costly project. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3513.aspx Wed, 26 Sep 2007 13:18:34 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3513.aspx New economic sanctions bill authorizes President Bush to reduce US contributions to the World Bank if it finances new projects in Iran. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3512.aspx Wed, 26 Sep 2007 12:33:32 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3512.aspx BIC's new fact sheets provide a critical overview of the role that international financial institutions play in financing and facilitating private investment in two of the most important sectors in the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region: water and energy. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3511.aspx Wed, 26 Sep 2007 12:08:12 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3511.aspx On September 13th, after over 20 years of negotiations, the United Nations General Assembly finally adopted the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The international declaration sets a higher standard for international financial institutions (IFIs) to ensure safeguards and strengthen their policies on indigenous peoples. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3495.aspx Thu, 20 Sep 2007 16:34:28 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3495.aspx In 2007, IFC financing in the Middle East and North Africa region exceeded lending from IDA and IBRD combined. As the Bank Group heralds high growth in MENA and pumps money to the private sector, equity and employment challenges loom large. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3493.aspx Wed, 19 Sep 2007 18:21:58 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3493.aspx A recent article by the World Bank applauds governments in MENA for increasing investment in environmental protection. While the World Bank is encouraging MENA countries to decrease their carbon emissions, it continues to finance extractive industry projects in the region. This apparent contradiction is just one of several reasons to take a closer look at the Bank's recent coverage of the 'greening' of MENA. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3470.aspx Thu, 23 Aug 2007 14:19:20 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3470.aspx Written in November 2005 by the Arab NGO Network for Development, this commentary on the need for more active monitoring of the World Bank and IMF in the MENA region remains relevant today. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3465.aspx Wed, 22 Aug 2007 13:11:55 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3465.aspx Local CSO observers argue that instead of addressing the root causes of the economic and social challenges facing Lebanon, the World Bank is promoting a "one-size-fits-all" formula of privatization and liberalization in various sectors. To deal with the adverse impacts of these reforms, the Bank is proposing limited social safety net programs. But groups like the Arab NGOs Network for Development say what the country needs is a comprehensive strategy for economic and social development including policitical and administrative reforms. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3464.aspx Wed, 22 Aug 2007 12:41:19 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3464.aspx The Egyptian government is facing criticism from members of its parliament over plans to sell off the country’s publicly owned banks. The plan to privatize several national banks within the framework of an $8.7 billion financial sector reform program has the backing of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the African Development Bank and US Agency for International Development. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3455.aspx Wed, 01 Aug 2007 22:39:57 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3455.aspx Find out what extractive industry (oil, gas, mining) and energy projects the international financial institutions (IFIs) are financing in your country. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3395.aspx Fri, 20 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3395.aspx The IMF reports that the Lebanese government is "on track" in implementing its fiscal and economic reform agenda. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3442.aspx Fri, 20 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3442.aspx Sale of gas from EIB-financed LNG plant in Egypt at discount prices raises questions about who benefited from the deal. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3443.aspx Thu, 19 Jul 2007 12:18:28 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3443.aspx A critical article from the Inter Press Service draws on research conducted by BIC's new MENA Program. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3439.aspx Mon, 16 Jul 2007 17:26:29 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3439.aspx The Middle East & North Africa region has become the IFC's fastest-growing portfolio, surpassing $1 billion in new investments for the first time last year. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3431.aspx Mon, 09 Jul 2007 10:56:28 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3431.aspx Find out more about BIC's brand-new Middle East & North Africa (MENA) Program. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3406.aspx Mon, 02 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3406.aspx Amy brings a wealth of experience to her task of managing BIC's brand new Middle East & North Africa regional program. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3389.aspx Wed, 06 Jun 2007 15:03:33 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3389.aspx Reports that a World Bank staffer was shot at an Iraqi checkpoint surfaced in late February. The Bank apparently suppressed the news for several days, presumably in an effort to quell concerns about Bank President Paul Wolfowitz’s recent push to re-open a World Bank office in Baghdad. What should the Bank be doing in Iraq? Following is an overview of current Bank involvement in the country, and some reasons why you should be concerned. http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3210.aspx Tue, 13 Mar 2007 15:34:08 GMT http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3210.aspx