Winter 2025 This issue spotlights how today’s architecture continues to fail developing countries despite renewed momentum for reform at the UN’s FfD4 conference. It explores mounting calls for fairer IMF and…

#BWObserver Winter 2025 dives into the unresolved sovereign debt crisis, governance imbalances at the World Bank and IMF, and the mounting scrutiny around private-finance-led development and climate action.

Check in out 🔗 tinyurl.com/BWObserverWi...

Legislative pathways to sovereign debt relief: What the IMF gets wrong – and how to fix it New report from IMF on resolving debt restructuring linked to private creditors may lead to flawed analysis.

New Guest Comment by @kpatricio.bsky.social, Celine Tan and Stephen Connelly sets the record straight on new proposed UK legislation to provide debt relief to developing countries, calling the IMF recent analysis of the proposal “misplaced”

#BWObserver Winter25
🔗 tinyurl.com/DebtReliefUK

World Bank establishes task force to evaluate merger of its independent accountability mechanisms Task force is expected to hold public consultations and establish a ‘reference group’ early in 2026.

WorldBank establishes task force to consider merger of CAO office and WorldBank IAM #independent #accountability #mechanism amid concerns of retrogression in accountability and civic space. More IN OUR #BWObserver Winter 25 👇

tinyurl.com/IAMsMerge

Call for just transition becomes COP30 rallying cry, as doubts remain over MDBs’ growing climate finance role Global South unions call for ‘clean break’ with World Bank’s ‘billions to trillions’ approach in the energy sector.

New in #BWObserver Winter25: #COP30 agrees promising Just Transition Work Programme, as Global South unions reject
World Bank’s #BillionsToTrillions approach to clean energy transition #Baku2Belem

🔗 tinyurl.com/COP30MDBs

Indigenous communities lead protests in Ecuador over IMF-prescribed austerity Mass protests erupt in Ecuador after right-wing President Daniel Noboa implements harsh austerity measures in line with IMF demands.

People take the streets in Ecuador following #IMF backed austerity, including diesel subsidy

Read more in #BWObserver Winter 25: tinyurl.com/EcuadorProte...

As Jubilee year draws to a close, debt crisis remains unresolved With debt distress rising worldwide, the current debt architecture continues to prioritise creditors over people as Jubilee-inspired movements push for genuine cancellation, fair restructuring and rul...

The debt system is broken. #FfD4 revived momentum for fair rules, but private creditors—the biggest players—remain unbound. Jubilee’s call for justice and cancellation is far from over. #DebtCrisis #Jubilee

Read our #BWObserver Winter 2025 cover piece: tinyurl.com/DebtCover

IMF’s economic sustainability analyses fail to consider extreme wealth as macro-risk and address harms New research by New Economics Foundation demonstrates extreme wealth is a macro-risk, yet this is excluded from IMF bilateral surveillance analyses.

New Economics Foundation's research demonstrates that extreme wealth is a macro-risk. IMF's surveillance should analyse extreme wealth and mitigate against its harmful effects as part of its economic sustainability framework #ComprehensiveSurveillanceReview #BWObserver

tinyurl.com/ExtremeWealt...

An excellent analysis of the IMF's stocktake on sovereign debt, in the #BWObserver @brettonwoodsproject.org

@cblpleeds.bsky.social

Read more 👇

Electoral parade of the Pastef party of Ousmane Sonko and Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Dakar, Senegal, 15 March 2024. Photo: Pierre Laborde / Shutterstock

Recently disclosed elevated debt levels in Senegal raises questions about the IMF's oversight of its lending programmes, with CSOs claiming this is just “the type of the iceberg”.

Read more in our new #BWObserver Winter 2025
🔗 tinyurl.com/SenegalDebt

Winter 2025 This issue spotlights how today’s architecture continues to fail developing countries despite renewed momentum for reform at the UN’s FfD4 conference. It explores mounting calls for fairer IMF and…

NEW #BWObserver Winter 2025! ❄️

We unpack rising sovereign debt pressures, what FfD4 actually delivered, fresh scrutiny of IMF data, World Bank shareholding reform debates, legislatures’ role in debt workouts, and the macro impact of extreme wealth concentration.
🔗 tinyurl.com/ObserverWinter25

Civil society awaits Bank’s Fragility, Conflict & Violence strategy consultation opportunity Despite Bank’s existing FCV strategy expiring this year, civil society still await announcement of public consultation on its replacement.

New in #BWObserver Autumn 25: World Bank’s 2020-25 #FragilityConflict&Violence strategy nears end yet #civilsociety still await news of public consultation timeline

tinyurl.com/FCVReview

Mass protests erupt in Angola following IMF-backed fuel subsidy removals Civil society warns that without wider debt relief removing consumer subsidies simply shifts the burden onto the poor.

New in #BWObserver Autumn25: Protests erupt in Angola as government, at behest of IMF and World Bank, cuts fuel subsidies amid high debt and tight fiscal space.

🔗 tinyurl.com/AngolaProtests

@re-course.org @powershiftafrica.bsky.social @westafricaweekly.bsky.social

Future of IMF’s climate work uncertain, as climate crisis intensifies US hostility to IMF’s climate work risks further exacerbating macroeconomic fallout from climate crisis.

Despite escalating economic costs of climate impacts and primacy of greentech in geopolitical tensions, US insists climate not ‘core’ to IMF’s work – potentially deepening the Fund’s crisis of legitimacy

More in our #BWObserver Autumn 25👉 tinyurl.com/IMFClimateFu...

@re-course.org

Fuelling authoritarianism: The role of the Fund and Bank in eroding the social contract BWIs’ policies continue to contribute to the rise of populism, authoritarianism and backlash against multilateralism despite the institutions’ long-standing concerns and rhetorical support for reform.

IMF and World Bank continue to support policies that contribute to democratic backsliding and rise of populism and authoritarianism amid crisis of multilateralism #UNGA80

See the cover piece of our #BWObserver Autumn25 🔍

tinyurl.com/AusterityPop...

Civil society urges the IFC and ADB to cancel financing for Pakistan copper mine Located in a militarised region, the project risks exacerbating social disruption and environmental destruction.

New in #BWObserver Autumn 25 👉Civil society calls on the IFC & the Asian Development Bank not to finance Balochistan copper mine, warning the project “risks exacerbating social tensions, attacks against peaceful activists, and environmental and social destruction.”

🔗 tinyurl.com/BalochistanM...

The Bretton Woods twins and the Trump tariffs: Implications for the Global South The US’s decision to forsake core tenets of neoliberalism potentially deepens IMF’s crisis of legitimacy.

In our new At Issue briefing, Prof C. P. Chandrasekhar argues that the US’s tariff war risks worsening the macroeconomic outlook in the Global South – and creating a crisis of legitimacy for the IMF🔥

See more in #BWObserver Autumn25
👉 tinyurl.com/TrumpTariffs...