IMF/WORLD BANK SPRING MEETINGS:

The joint World Bank-IMF Development Committee and the IMF's International Monetary and Financial Committee held their annual Spring meetings, April 19-22, 2002, to discuss progress on the work of the Bank and Fund. On this page we reviewed the issues topping their agenda.

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Green Light for Bank's Education Plan

Tanzania, Malawi and Senegal are among the nations being considered for a World Bank pilot program to achieve universal primary education by 2015.

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Africa Not on Track to Achieve Poverty Goals

Far from being halved, the number of poor in sub-Saharan Africa is now expected to rise from 300m in 1999 to 345m people by 2015 according to the new World Development Indicators report.

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allAfrica.com

Anti-globalisation protestors in Washington for the Spring Meetings wore stickers attacking Coca-Cola for not treating its African HIV-positive workers.

Kampala's Rising Debt Worries World Bank

The World Bank and the IMF are worried about Uganda's ability to service her debt despite receiving massive debt relief. Uganda was the first country to benefit from the much-touted Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative, but the Bank says the world economic slowdown and falling commodity prices are threatening progress.

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	HIPC Initiative - Progress Report (PDF file)

Big World Bank Projects Dogged by Controversy

The World Bank president, James Wolfensohn, is worried by doubts about the effectiveness of development assistance. Jim Cason, a long time observer of the Bank's operations in Africa, suggests he might want to take a close look at Uganda's Bujagali Dam project and Tanzania's Bulyanhulu Gold Mine plans.

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	International Rivers Network,: Activists Criticise Bujagali
	Miga: $56m Provided for Bulyanhulu Mine
	Bulyanhulu Probe Teams Leave Amid Confusion
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	Miga: Criticisms Rejected

Chad-Cameroon Pipeline Under Scrutiny

A congressional committee on Thursday heard testimony on the controversial Chad-Cameroon Oil Development Project which will carry crude oil from Southern Chad 650 miles through an underground pipeline to Cameroon's coast.

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	Federation of International Human Rights concerns
	'Broken Promises' - Friends of the Earth
	Rain Forest Action Network concerns
	Loan Approved for Pipeline Project
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'IMF and Bank Fuel Africa's Health Crisis'

U.S. pressure group Africa Action is releasing its report, "Hazardous to Health: The World Bank And IMF in Africa" claiming the Bretton Woods institutions have undermined government health strategies.

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