Multilateral Development Banks
Australia’s Southeast Asia trade stumbling block
Australia recently announced the creation of a $2 billion Southeast Asian Financing Facility to increase trade and investment in the region. While this is a good start, to get the…
Replenishing the Asian Development Bank in the Pacific
In early May, donor governments are expected to unveil new funding commitments for the grant-financing window of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) – the Asian Development Fund…
Gender equality financing: Spotlight on Southeast Asia
You can’t manage what you can’t measure, as the adage goes. And in terms of measuring gender equality and women’s empowerment, considerable barriers exist. While significant…
Does China wield excessive influence in the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank?
In recent days, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) – China’s answer to the World Bank and other multilateral development banks – has come under fire for being…
International debt: Time for a global restructuring framework
Just about every country has rules and practices to sort out domestic bankruptcies, dividing up the surviving assets between the creditors on an equitable basis, writing off the…
Shaky foundations for the New Development Bank
Dilma Rousseff, former president of Brazil, was this month elected as the next chief of the New Development Bank. Once known as the BRICS Development Bank, and seen as an effort…
Greening the World Bank
The World Bank is the single most important global development agency – in terms of financing, knowledge production, and setting the international policy agenda. Negotiations…
Economic diplomacy: The IMF faces a US$ reality check
Back to basics
When the International Monetary Fund kicked off its latest twice-yearly meetings with blunt criticism of the fiscal policies of the new British government it…
Economic diplomacy: Time for transparency on aid reform
Coming to the aid
Foreign Minister Penny Wong appears to have raised the stakes in the debate over a development finance institution (DFI) which has featured here on The…
Building a better development finance institution: Australia’s opportunity
Last week, Roland Rajah and Jenny Gordon wrote illuminating pieces on the pros and cons of Australia setting up its own development finance institution, or DFI. The debate comes…