Social Policy of the World Bank
World Bank | Disambiguation of Terms
References to "the World Bank" suggest that a single international financial institution provides loans to developing countries for capital programs. This singularization of "the Bank" commonly signifies the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD).PDF The World Bank Group is a greater body consisting of:
- the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), established in 1945, which provides debt financing on the basis of sovereign guarantees.
- the International Finance Corporation (IFC), established in 1956, which provides various forms of financing without sovereign guarantees, primarily to the private sector;
- the International Development Association (IDA), established in 1960, which provides concessional financing (interest-free loans or grants), usually with sovereign guarantees;
- the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), established in 1965, which works with governments to reduce investment risk;
- the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), established in 1988, which provides insurance against certain types of risk, including political risk, primarily to the private sector.
Each World Bank Group institution operates according to procedures established by its Articles of Agreement, or an equivalent governing document. These documents outline the conditions of membership and the general principles of organization, management, and operations. Each institution is run by a Board of Governors meeting once a year. Each member country appoints a governor, generally its Minister of Finance. On a daily basis the World Bank Group is run by a Board of 25 Executive Directors to whom the governors have delegated certain powers. Each Director represents either one country (for the largest countries), or a group of countries. Executive Directors are appointed by their respective governments or the constituencies.ref.
The World Bank Institute is the capacity-development branch of the World Bank, providing learning and other capacity-building programs to member countries.
The World Bank understands policy as a statement of broad substantive principles that require, permit or constrain Bank activities to achieve institutional goals.
The World Bank Operational Manual (OpManual)
The World Bank Operational Manual contains the operational policies (OPs), Policies, bank procedures (BPs), Directives, and interim instructions to staff (OpMemos) on the conduct of Bank operations.
The World Bank Operational Manual (OM)
The World Bank Operational Manual contains the operational policies (OPs), Policies, bank procedures (BPs), Directives, and interim instructions to staff (OpMemos) on the conduct of Bank operations.
Bank Procedures (BPs): are statements setting out the general mandatory procedural requirements necessary for Bank staff to carry out the policies set out in the OPs. They are designed to ensure Bankwide consistency and quality in Bank operations.
Directive: a statement of substantive directions, within Management’s authority, that require, permit or constrain activities. If accompanied by a Policy, the statement provides substantive details (methods, criteria and technical information) on how to implement the Policy. The statement may also address matters not covered by a Policy.
Operational Memoranda (OpMemos): are interim mandatory requirements designed to elaborate on requirements in OPs/BPs or to reflect changes to the OPs/BPs which have not yet been incorporated in the OPs/BPs concerned. Once the requirements in OpMemos are incorporated into revisions of the pertinent OPs/BPs, the Op Memos are retired.
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Operational Manual (OM)
Operational Policy Waivers | |
World Bank Group Directive - Country Engagement | |
OP 1.00 | Poverty Reduction |
OP 2.30 | Development Cooperation and Conflict |
OP 3.10 | Financial Terms and Conditions of IBRD Loans, IBRD Hedging Products, and IDA Credits |
Annex A - Past Loans of IBRD | |
Annex B - Prepayment of IBRD Loans | |
Annex C - Countries Ranked by Per Capita Income | |
Annex D - IBRD/IDA and Blend Countries: Per Capita Incomes, Lending Eligibility, and Repayment Terms OP 4.00 - Piloting the Use of Borrower Systems to Address Environmental and Social Safeguard Issues in Bank-Supported Projects | |
Table A1 - Environmental and Social Safeguard Policies—Policy Objectives and Operational Principles | |
OP 4.01 | Environmental Assessment |
Annex A - Definitions | |
Annex B - Content of an Environmental Assessment Report for a Category A Project | |
Annex C - Environmental Management Plan | |
BP 4.01 | Environmental Assessment |
Annex A - Application of EA to Dam and Reservoir Projects, 1999 | |
Annex B - Application of EA to Projects Involving Pest Management: Environmental Assessment | |
OP 4.02 | Environmental Action Plans |
OP 4.03 | Performance Standards for Private Sector Activities |
BP 4.03 | Performance Standards for Private Sector Activities |
OP 4.04 | Natural Habitats |
Annex A - Definitions | |
BP 4.04 | Natural Habitats |
OP 4.07 | Water Resources Management |
OP 4.09 | Pest Management |
OP 4.10 | Indigenous Peoples |
Annex A - Social Assessment | |
Annex B - Indigenous Peoples Plan | |
Annex C - Indigenous Peoples Planning Framework | |
OP 4.11 | Physical Cultural Resources |
OP 4.12 | Involuntary Resettlement |
Annex A - Involuntary Resettlement Instruments</em> | |
OP 4.20 | Gender and Development |
OP 4.36 | Forests |
Annex A - Definitions | |
OP 4.37 | Safety of Dams |
OP 4.76 | Tobacco |
OP 7.00 | Lending Operations: Choice of Borrower and Contractual Agreements |
OP 7.20 | Security Arrangements |
OP 7.30 | Dealings with De Facto Governments |
OP 7.40 | Disputes over Defaults on External Debt, Expropriation, and Breach of Contract |
OP 7.50 | Projects on International Waterways |
OP 7.60 | Projects in Disputed Areas |
OP 8.00 | Rapid Response to Crises and Emergencies |
OP 8.40 | Technical Assistance |
OP 8.45 | Grants |
Annex A - DGF Eligibility Criteria | |
OP 8.60 | Development Policy Lending |
OP 9.00 | Program-for-Results Financing |
OP 10.00 | Investment Project Financing |
OP 10.20 | Global Environment Facility Operations |
OP 10.21 | Investment Operations Financed by the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol |
Annex A - The Montreal Protocol | |
Annex B - Eligible Activities | |
OP 11.00 | Procurement |
OP 13.60 | Monitoring and Evaluation |
OP 14.10 | External Debt Reporting and Financial Statements |
OP 14.20 | Cofinancing |
Annex A - Sources and Types of Cofinancing | |
OP 14.40 | Trust Funds |
Social Policy
The corpus of social and environmental ‘policy’ at the World Bank is comprised of ‘stand-alone’ operational policy instruments. [c.f. IFC, EBRD and ADB] ‘Social development policies’ at the World Bank aim to minimize the negative impact of Bank-funded operations. Policy is thematically distinguished, i.e. ‘Indigenous Peoples’, [‘Involuntary Resettlement’])(“Involuntary Resettlement - OP 4.12.”), ‘Conflict and Development’, and ‘Gender and Development’.1
Toward Defining a ‘Safeguard Policy Framework’ at the World Bank
The World Bank does not explicitly distinguish stand-alone safeguard policies. Rather, the concept of safeguard is manifest in policy statements that that certain issues require special attention during project design and implementation and therefore requires certain types of interventions as part of loan processing.That is to say, safeguards are considered to be written into each of several thematically-defined policies—principally within the Operational Manual.2