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IFIs Annual Meetings actions

POverty Requiem in DC GCAP’s ‘STAND UP and SPEAK OUT” actions on October 17th, 2007 came two days ahead of the World Bank and IMF’s Annual meetings from October 19-21, 2007 in Washington DC. These meetings brought together political leaders and senior Bank and Fund officials from 184 countries to discuss development and international finance issues. This was a crucial opportunity for GCAP to use the voices and actions of the millions who will Stand Up and Speak Out on October 16/17 to call for urgent reform of the IFIs.

In 2007, the World Bank and the IMF had new directors. Despite calls from civil society and some governments for a democratic process, the Bank has once again appointed an American to this position and the Fund appointed a European. Our message is ‘Hear Us’ as we call on the Bank, Fund and political representatives to hear the call from civil society for reform.

GCAP statements for the 2007 IFIs annual meeting

GCAP calls on the IFIs to work for the poor, not against!

The Role of the IFIs in Supporting Decent Work and Countering the Risks of Financial Globalisation - Statement by Global Unions to the 2007 Annual Meetings of the IMF and World Bank (Washington, 20-22 October 2007)
IFIs Must Stop Contributing to Violence Against Women
Arab Region civil society organisations call upon the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund
GCAP IFIs policy guidelines - english french portuguese spanish arabic

GCAP activities at the World Bank and IMF’s Annual meetings 2007 in DC

Lobbying

GCAP representatives took part in a number of small lobby meetings including with the Dutch World Bank board member Herman Wjiffels, the Dutch Development Minister Bert Koenders and, later today with the Vice President for External Affairs at the Bank.

These meetings have given the team a chance to hand over the GCAP people’s declaration as well as the declaration from the Arab region. We have highlighted the key demands of people from around the World and engaged in useful dialogue. Particular differences of opinion have been clear around the issues of privatization and conditionality. Bank officials feel that CSOs and movements such as GCAP focus on these areas in too broad terms without defining more specifically what problems arise with particular issues surround privatization and conditionality.

The GCAP team was able to bring out a number of specific examples from countries especially in Africa and Asia .

Events

The Poverty Requiem was performed by 250 performing arts students aged from 14 – 17 on the park directly outside the World Bank. In a week of dry and technical meetings everyone from the media to politicians to CSOs were extremely animated by the Requiem. It was a privileged moment for me see the culmination of weeks of hard work by many people come together in a powerful and moving performance in front of the official delegations of several countries including the Maldives and Holland, several members of the press and many passers by.

The Requiem was also watched over by more than 120 human cut-out figures, or Avatars, representing all countries with a GCAP coalition. This also attracted great attention and many long-time observers of annual meetings commented that this was one of the most effective campaigning stunts they had seen at these meetings.

Today the Avatars are on a tour of Washington being photographed in front of iconic buildings including the White House.

GCAP also took part in a mass rally on Saturday attended by more than 1000 people. It was a generally peaceful march which culminated outside the Bank with a People’s Tribunal where people from several countries put the Bank and Fund to trial in front of a ‘jury’ and ‘judge’. See all pictures

Media

The press corps at the meetings showed very little interest in any civil society activities. Ours was probably the best attended civil society press conference with journalists from Radio France International, SABC and others in attendance. Our panel consisted of Sylvia Borren, GCAP co-chair; Dian Kartika Sari, GCAP Indonesia; Andrew Kumbatira, GCAP Malawi; Christophe Zoungrana, GCAP Africa. Each spoke well for 5 minutes about the global call and our key demands to the World Bank and IMF and Sylvia gave a powerful comment asking what more civil society needs to do for the media to report widely on our call if 40 million people standing up against poverty together is not enough. More on Media coverage at: GCAP in Media

See the full actions schedule