Updates
What Is the World Bank Proposing to Do With Its Accountability Mechanisms?
An overview of the WBG IAM integration consultation for civil society organizations | Based on the Task Force Draft
Arab Watch Coalition Engages World Bank’s FCV Strategy Review
The World Bank Group (WBG) is currently conducting a comprehensive review of its Strategy for Fragility, Conflict, and Violence (FCV)
IFC Access to Information Policy: Making the World’s Largest Private Investor More Open
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is the part of the World Bank Group that invests in private businesses all
The Need for a Sanction System for IFC Clients Violating Performance Standards: Ensuring Accountability Beyond Financial Fraud
The Need for a Sanction System for IFC Clients Violating Performance Standards Ensuring Accountability Beyond Financial Fraud Author: Amy Ekdawi
IFC and MIGA Adopt First-Ever Remedy Framework: A Milestone for Accountability
In a major step forward for accountability in development finance, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee
Reconstruction Priorities in Post-War Lebanon and the Imperative for Accountable, Equitable Recovery — a Primer by Arab Watch Coalition
In the wake of the 2024–2025 Israeli assault on Lebanon, the question of reconstruction has re-emerged as an urgent national
Understanding and Engaging with the IMF: A Toolkit for Arab Civil Society Organizations
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) plays a significant role in shaping economic policies across the Arab region, influencing everything from
Understanding and Leveraging the World Bank’s Environmental and Social Framework: A Toolkit for MENA CSOs
Introduction to the toolkit This guide, in its third part, is designed to address a critical area for civil society
Understanding the World Bank’s Updated CCE Framework and New Monitoring Indicator: Key Insights and CSOs’ Recommendations
This overview is based on key consultation documents, including “Citizens at the Center: A Strategic Review of Good Practices and
The Lebanese Government is Formed—Nine Urgent Priorities for Economic Recovery
Lebanon’s economic trajectory remains precarious following the devastating war with Israel (October 2023–November 2024), which compounded an already severe financial
Tunisia’s IMF Journey: Unveiling the Successes, Failures, and Ongoing Challenges.
Brief Introduction to the Study Tax policy is one of the fundamental tools of economic policy that states use to
AWC’s Comments and Recommendations on the World Bank Group’s Proposed New Country Engagement Approach
As part of the World Bank’s Evolution Process, which began two years ago, the WBG is reviewing its country engagement
A Mess of Pottage: Cash and Kind
Introduction The Tamween (‘Supply’) system, a subsidized goods distribution network operating through ration cards, has served as a cornerstone
Private sector acquisition of the Public Healthcare Sector: Context, Implications & Alternatives to private-sector-led growth as per the IMF key goals in Egypt–A Primer
Abstract The reform of Egypt’s public sector is a key condition for the latest $8bn transaction from the IMF. This
AWC Unveils New Logo
We are proud and excited to unveil the new logo of Arab Watch Coalition—a bold reflection of our identity and
An IMF Advocacy toolkit for Organizations Based in the Arab World
Introduction to the toolkit This toolkit is part of a three-part series designed to empower civil society organizations (CSOs), activists,
A Guide to Access World Bank Project Information and Understand Project Documents for CSOs
Introduction to the toolkit The Arab region has long faced a gap in awareness regarding the profound influence International Financial
From Loans to Letdowns: Why the IMF’s Egypt Strategy is Coming Up Short
After more than a year and a half of implementing the IMF program, the Egyptian economy continues to grapple with
The Evolution of the World Bank’s Independent Accountability Mechanism: From a Beacon for Accountability to a Confusing Structure
In 1993, under intense pressure from civil society, the World Bank established the Inspection Panel to address complaints from people
The Mirage of Engagement: Unraveling the IMF’s Lip Service to Arab Civil Society
In today’s global financial landscape, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is often viewed as a key ‘architect’, structuring financial frameworks
A Toolkit for MENA Activists: Understanding the World Bank’s Different Lending Instruments (DPF, PfoR, IPF)
Introduction to the Toolkit This is the second toolkit produced by Arab Watch Coalition (AWC) in a series designed to
Re-constructing IMF-Civil Society Engagement in the Arab Region
Context In a landscape where the global financial architecture increasingly dictates the pace and direction of development, engagement between the
Challenges and Dynamics of Global Carbon Taxation and Emissions Trading – Research Brief
I. Context Climate change has emerged as an anchoring challenge of this decade – one marked with environmental, economic, health,
The IMF’s Lazy Economics Will Not Save MENA
A protest against the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund’s policies during the 2023 Annual Meetings of the WBG/
MENA Civil Society Calls for Public Disclosure and Consultation on IFC’s Remedial Action Framework
On December 15, 2023, the Arab Watch Coalition, along with its regional partners from the MENA region, submitted a letter
Bisri Dam Project Fallout: The Nahouli Family’s Battle for Compensation Exposes Gaps with the World Bank’s Due Diligence
Myriam Nahouli delivering her testimony during the CSPF panel titled: “Examining Barriers to Accountability for Communities in the Middle East
Report: AWC’s Participation At The 2023 CSPF During The WBG/IMF Annual Meetings
Arab Watch Coalition (AWC) actively participated in the Civil Society Policy Forum (CSPF) during the 2023 Annual Meetings of the
Reclaiming Economic and Social Rights: Battling Austerity’s Grip
Austerity measures and the increasing burden of debt have substantially undermined the fundamental economic and social rights of citizens, leading
Arab Watch Coalition Calls for an Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza
The Arab Watch Coalition, a coalition of civil society organizations from different countries in the Arab world, expresses its shock
Arab Watch Coalition Offers Heartfelt Condolences to Morocco
In the wake of the recent earthquake that has deeply shaken Morocco, leaving behind a path of devastation and affecting
SDRs, Complex Injustice and Lessons for the Future: SDR experience in the Arab region amid Covid-19
The Arab Watch Coalition has released a paper that closely examines the latest distribution of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) by
It’s Time to Abolish Tax Privileges
The Arab Watch Coalition has released a new study that highlights the critical economic and social challenges that Tunisia is
A toolkit for activists on how to engage IFIs in standing for the closing civic space
Activists are trying to mobilize as many powerful international actors as possible to stand up to the increasingly closing civic
Submission To IFC on Remedy and Responsible Exit
On April 20, 2023, an alliance of civil society organizations, including the Arab Watch Coalition, submitted two policy papers to
A Community is left to pay a hefty price for the IFC to “Learn Free Lessons”
A COMMUNITY IS LEFT TO PAY A HEFTY PRICE FOR THE IFC TO “LEARN FREE LESSONS” TITAN ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT Written
More than 4,577 individuals Are Urging the IFC to Guarantee Justice for Communities Harmed by Their Development Projects
More than 4,577 individuals from around the world demanded that the International Finance Corporation (IFC) guarantee justice for communities harmed
Arab Watch Coalition Participates in IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings
The Arab Watch Coalition recently participated in the World Bank Spring Meetings, held from April 10th to April 15th 2023.
IMF and World Bank governance reform: Enabling the international system to meet the challenges of the 21st century
Saturday, 15 April 2023 10 AM – 6 PM (GMT-4) Open Society Foundations 1730 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington DCA new CSOs letter calling IMF Managing Director to respond to the concerns of the UN Human Rights Council and Stop Surcharges policy
Over 300 civil society organizations from around the world are sending today a new letter to the International Monetary Fund
Our Statement for Remedial Action Policy and Responsible Exit
We, the civil society organizations signing this statement, assert that the newly released proposal on remedial action and responsible exit
The Urgent Need for IMF Reform: Illustrations from the Middle East and North Africa
Written by: Shereen Talaat and Leila Oulhaj PUBLISHED AT: CNCD 11.11.11 on the 1st of February 2023 For decades, the
A new CSOs letter urges the review of the IMF surcharges policy
On 22 November, over 300 civil society organizations sent a statement to the IMF Board to call the Managing Director to
This Is Our letter to the UN Human Rights Expert on IMF Surcharges
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will complete its biannual review of the adequacy of its precautionary balances. On December 12,
AWC launch two studies on Debt in Tunisia & Yemen
Arab Watch Coalition in partnership with researchers in economy launched two studies on foreign debt in Yemen and Tunisia. The
A letter to the International Monetary Fund: Stop Surcharges policy NOW!
Arab Watch Coalition and Over 300 civil society organizations and individuals from around the world sent a letter to the
Marrakech 2023: How To Support The Efforts Of Civil Society In The MENA Region?
Marrakech 2023: How To Support The Efforts Of Civil Society In The MENA Region? Arab Watch Coalition (AWC) is organizing
IMF policy and governance in the context of the ‘poly-crisis’: What next?
Join us on October 15th, 2022 for an event centred around IMF governance and policies in times of global
Global Week of Action for Justice and Debt Cancellation
More than 300 organisations and individuals from 64 countries are calling the IMF and the World Bank for the
More than 130 organizations around the world urge the IMF to release a new issuance of SDRs to render Global Crisis Relief
More than 130 organizations representing health, labor, climate, development, humanitarian, and economic justice organizations send today a letter to the
End Austerity: A Global Report on Budget Cuts and Harmful Social Reforms in 2022-25
Brief on Budget Cuts and Austerity Reforms in 2022-25 based on “End Austerity: A Global Report on Budget Cuts and
PRESS RELEASE #EndAusterity campaign
#EndAusterity campaign MEDIA LAUNCH will take place at 13h-15h UTC on Wed 28 September. Details here* 85% of the
CSOs Comments on the Draft Operating Procedures for the Accountability Mechanism and the Inspection Panel
Arab Watch Coalition, along with 56 other organizations from around the world including AWC’s members and partners, submitted recommendations for
THE END AUSTERITY ACTIVISM FESTIVAL IS HAPPENING!
The End Austerity Activism Festival is a 3-day virtual event that will take place from Wednesday 28th of September through
NEW REPORT: OUR LAST AND ONLY RESORT
What happens when development goes wrong in the Middle East and North Africa When development projects cause harm to people
Two-Days Workshop to discuss the Independent Accountability Mechanisms (IAMs) of the International Financial Institutions
On July 28 & 29, 2022, the Arab Watch Coalition held a workshop in Lebanon about the Independent Accountability Mechanisms
Workshop: The Climate Policies of the International Financial Institutions
On July 26, 2022, the Arab Watch Coalition held a workshop in Lebanon about the climate policies adopted by the
The Third General Assembly Meetings
On July 29, 2022, The Arab Watch Coalition held its third General Assembly meeting in Lebanon, the country that witnessed
Youth Inclusion: Assessment of the World Bank project in Morocco
The Expanded Strategy developed by the World Bank to support MENA countries set harnessing the region’s human capital as its priority. A new Country
Workshop: Taking Action to Shift International Public Finance from Fossil Fuels to Clean Energy
Arab Watch Coalition, organized on Tuesday, June 21, 2022, in partnership with the International Institute for Sustainable Development and
We need to audit development banks’ role in pandemic response
By: Amy Ekdawi Arab Watch Coalition, Siddharth Akali, Coalition for Human Rights in Development, and Jocelyn Soto Medallo, International Accountability Project
To Support the Global Economy, G7 Should Call for IMF to Remove Harmful Surcharges
From June 26 to 28, G7 leaders will be meeting in Germany to discuss, among other things, how to respond
Cancel the Debt in the face of the health, economic and climate crises!
The G7 Summit will take place in Germany from June 26 – June 28, 2022, and this is in a world thatStrategies
AWC strategy framework AWC Transitional Strategy 2023-2025- English- FINAL VERSION
Regional capacity building workshop on IMF Surcharges – Tunisia
As part of the #StopIMFSurcharges campaign, Arab Watch Coalition in partnership with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung held a regional capacity building
EBRD human rights due diligence based on safe and meaningful public participation
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is holding its Annual Meetings in Marrakech from May 10-12. Arab Watch
Now would be a good time for the IMF to do away with unfair and unnecessary surcharges
Written by: Shereen Talaat, co-director for the Middle East and North Africa at the Arab Watch Regional Coalition, and Dan
CSOs request public comments on the IMF guidance note
Arab Watch Coalition and its partners, including Bretton Woods Project, Eurodad, and other NGOs, addressed a letter to the IMF
IMF Surcharges are Unfair, Counterproductive and a Threat to an Equitable Global Economic Recovery. They Should be Eliminated Immediately!
On Jan. 17, UNSG Antonio Guterres delivered a grim warning to the world, stating that “at this critical moment, we
Campaigning strategizing workshop #End_Austerity_Tunisia
Arab Watch Coalition (AWC) held its first Campaigning strategizing workshop in Tunisia on Mars 16 17 18 and 19 to
AWC analysis of the World Bank’s COVID-19 response in MENA
On February 25, Arab Watch Coalition held an online Webinar to introduce 7 case studies conducted by its organization members
AWC assesses the World Bank’s COVID-19 response in MENA
Throughout the year 2020-2021, Arab Watch Coalition conducted 7 analytical studies through the Coalition members in 7 different countries around
World Bank’s Covid-19 Emergency Response in Iraq
Research Paper by The Organization for Women and Children on the Monitoring, the Follow-up and the Assessment of the World
World Bank’s Covid-19 Emergency Response in Egypt
Snapshot review by Shamseya for Innovative Community Healthcare Solutions of Two World Bank COVID-19 Health support programs in Egypt
Missing receipts: what happened to the billions of dollars provided by international finance institutions for the COVID-19 response?
Press Release 31 January, 2022 – International Financial Institutions (IFIs) have designated billions of dollars to respond to the pandemic
Austerity Debate Workshop in Tunisia
As part of the upcoming campaign against austerity in the MENA region, Arab Watch Coalition (AWC) held its first strategic
The world’s food systems are in crisis, and big agribusiness is at its heart
Public finance has a key role to play in agriculture. Instead of propping up corporate interests, it should learn from
Titan Cement Plant in Alexandria, Egypt: A Story that Sums Everything that Could Go Wrong with the IFC Accountability System
#ViolationsFact #ESS_before_financial Written by: Amy Ekdawi, Arab Watch Coalition In 2010 the International Finance Corporation, the arm of the World Bank
Democratizing Development Workshop in Tunisia
Arab Watch Coalition (AWC) held the Democratizing Development Workshop in Tunisia, on December 15, 2021. The workshop brought together AWC
Workshop with Arab Watch Coalition members in Morocco to hold IFIs accountable
Arab Watch Coalition (AWC) held a workshop on following mechanisms for major International Financial Institution on December 5, 2021. The
World Bank’s Covid-19 Emergency Response in Yemen
Report on the Implementation of Ida’s COVID-19 Response Grant for Yemen <p></p>
World Bank’s Covid-19 Emergency Response in Lebanon
INCLUSIVITY EXAMINATION OF THE WORLD BANK EMERGENCY RESPONSE TO COVID19 IN LEBANON <p></p>
World Bank’s Covid-19 Emergency Response in Tunisia
ASSESSING THE WORLD BANK-FUNDED COVID-19 RESPONSE PROJECT IN TUNISIA <p></p>
World Bank’s Covid-19 Emergency Response in Morocco
MEDICAL AND PHARMACEUTICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT IN THE WORLD BANK EMERGENCY RESPONSE TO COVID19 IN MOROCCO
World Bank Response to COVID-19 Crisis in Jordan
Assessment Study: The World Bank In Support to Jordan’s Accelerated Education Sector Reforms and Response to COVID-19 Crisis
The World Bank must end all investments in fossil fuels now
On the WORLD BANK ACTION DAY 2021 on October 14/15, 77 CSOs around the world sent a letter to the
CSOs Comments on the AfDB’s DAI Policy Implementation Review
In August 4th, and upon request from civil society groups around the African continent, a written contribution from their side
First meeting to launch the regional campaign against Austerity policies in the MENA region
Among the #EndAusterity global campaign, Arab Watch Coalition held its first meeting (Meeting 0) yesterday, with 15 civil society organizations,
Serious concerns over locked information and engagement in the Implementation Review of the AfDB’s Disclosure and Access to Information Policy
Arab Watch Coalition together with its members around the region and more than 40 human rights and environmental organizations over
Global Austerity Alert: Looming Budget Cuts in 2021-25 and Alternatives
Last week Ministers of Finance met virtually at the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank
AWC speaks on the World Bank’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the MENA region
On Friday, the 2d of April, Arab Watch Coalition members held an insightful dialogue flagging specific issues from the ground
Civil Society Workshop with the Independent Redress Mechanism of the Green Climate Fund
Within the framework of a series of workshops started by the Arab Watch Regional Coalition in supporting and strengthening the
On International Financial Institutions and new social contracts in the MENA
Written by : Shereen Talaat, Arab Watch Coalition and Alia Hindawi, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre In response to
Arab Watch Coalition among 53 NGOs around the world: The EIB Transparency Policy draft needs more immanent measures
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is currently reviewing its Transparency Policy, it will specify what information the EIB will provide
Arab Watch Coalition among several International Organizations urge the EIB to raise the bar on Human Rights
In consideration of the annual dialogue organized by the European Investment Bank (EIB) with civil society organizations, Arab Watch Coalition
Don’t let Finance in Common get away with it !
The #humanrightsincommon campaign launches a twitter storm to call on Finance in Common summit to include local communities, their rights
Second General Assembly – 2020
Arab Watch Coalition holds its Second General Assembly, on October 21th, 2020. Twenty seven member organizations from different countries
Over 500 organisations and academics around the world call on IMF to stop promoting austerity in the Coronavirus recovery period
Ahead of the 2020 IMF annual meetings, more than 500 organisations and academics around the world call on the IMF
First global development finance summit disregards human rights: let’s make our voices heard
More than 200 organisations call for the inclusion of human rights in the Finance in Common summit. The Finance in CommonJoint Comment on Report and Recommendations from the External Review of IFC/MIGA E&S Accountability, including CAO’s Role and Effectiveness
44 organisations file a joint comment on reforming "finance accountability" in IFC/MIGA