Inside the World Bank's Black Box Allocation System: How Well Does IDA Allocate Resources to the Neediest and Most Vulnerable Countries?

Center for Global Development, June 2010, Working Paper 216


During the last few International Development Association (IDA) replenishment negotiations, several large donors have pressed for reforms to further increase the share of IDA resources provided to the neediest and most vulnerable countries. While the proposed reforms take different forms, the philosophical thrust is the same—push IDA’s focus further down the development chain.
Ben Leo examines whether IDA’s existing performance-based allocation system (PBA) gives the developing world its fair share of funds. He says the system already has several built-in biases toward the neediest, but some donors feel it is not enough.

Millennium Development Goals: time to step up

Some progress in Africa, but more is needed, argues UN Secretary-General.
Some might view the United Nations’ latest update on progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as a distressing catalogue of unmet ambitions. Others could find in it reasons to believe in the possibility of reaching the targets.

"Children belong in school, not in domestic work"

Thousands of children have been able to escape from domestic work, thanks to an action programme launched by a Tanzanian trade union. See p. 15-17

Africans Extend Solidarity to Haiti

In the broad international mobilization to help the stricken people of Haiti, Africa is not lagging behind. Government officials, religious leaders, students, artists and many other Africans responded to the news of the devastating earthquake of 12 January with an immediate outpouring of support and solidarity.