Briefing Papers

UICIFD's Briefing Papers seek to inform the Center's readers in a concise manner about issues and problems relating to international finance and development.

Debt Forgiveness - New E-Book Chapter on Debt Forgiveness

Our inaugural Briefing addresses debt relief. Part I provides an overview of the developments that led to proposals to forgive the debt of poor developing countries and the actions taken by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to achieve such result. Part II provides an overview of some of the plan's criticisms as expressed by NGO's, scholars and members of the beneficiary countries. Part III contains the official communiqué of the agreement reached by the Finance Ministers during the June 2005 meeting in London.

Low-Income Countries Under Stress (LICUS):
A World Bank Program

Low-Income Countries Under Stress (LICUS): A World Bank Program. This briefing paper supplements Part II, Section III of the UICIFD E-Book, which discusses how international monetary programs have responded to criticism. LICUS is a recent example of the World Bank's effort to create more tailored assistance programs.

Remittances - New E-Book Chapter on Remittances and Development

This brief explains what a remittance transfer is and which players are involved. It also assesses the positive and negative impacts that remittances may have on development and developing economies.

 

The Wolfowitz World Bank Presidency

This brief provides an overview of Paul Wolfowitz's controversial tenure as President of the World Bank.

 

Funding the IMF

This brief reviews the history of the IMF's internal financing, addresses the changes in the domestic economies that have precipitated the Fund's inability to finance itself, and examines the suggested changes the IMF needs to make to ensure the future financing of its operations.

 

Ethanol in Brazil

This Briefing Paper provides a historical perspective on the development of the ethanol industry in Brazil, highlighting the importance of government support and identifying key factors for the future success of the industry.