jP K. Case study
K.l. Read the article and do the exercises.
What about Us?
“The Economist”
The focus on Iraq is diverting attention from other poor countries.
Finance ministers from the world’s richest economies were able to breathe a sigh of relief after the spring meetings of the World Bank and its sister body, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), last weekend in Washington, DC.
Having spent most of their time talking about the rebuilding of Iraq (and what to do about its debts), they produced an artfully worded statement that at least papered over their disagreements. Representatives of poor countries were probably less impressed: not much attention was paid to their needs.The spring meetings of the Bank and the IMF are supposed to give a shove to those items on the developing world’s agenda that have got bogged down. This is always a tall order, but never more than this year. Even before the meeting, the World Bank’s president, James Wolfensohn, had admitted that at times of international crisis the issue of poverty tends to get pushed aside.
This is a pity, because in some areas the need for progress is urgent. Top of the list is trade: the Doha round of talks is stalled because of intransigence, mainly European, over the issues of farm subsidies and the blocking, by America, of plans to make access to cheap medicines easier for poor countries. The various communiquiis paid lip service to the need for a breakthrough: but there is little sign of action from those responsible for the impasse.
Debt relief was another disappointment for developing countries. The rich countries’ commitment to helping heavily indebted poor countries was blandly restated without any acknowledgment of the problems raised by some critics — and, more important, with only coded criticism of those creditor countries that have yet to give the help they promised.
And the talk of giving poor countries more of a say in the Bank and the IMF remains, for now, just talk.None of this will surprise those developing countries that have grown used to seeing the gap between rich-country rhetoric and practice. A commitment to free trade is always much easier to reaffirm than to implement; and pledges seem easier to sign than cheques. But this failure to deliver sits oddly with the belief, which hardened after September 2001, that helping all countries to participate in the global economy was the best way to prevent “failed” states.
K.2. In groups answer the questions and make a list of the following.
- What countries most urgently need help of the world community?
- What are the most urgent problems?
- What means can be used to help solve these problems?
- What role can World Bank and IMF play in this?
Now present your ideas to the other groups. When you have finished your presentations, compare your ideas and decide which will be the best and why.
K.3. Write a proposal stating your ideas to the World Bank.