Development and Cooperation


	Contributions from the Column Monitor Sudan: fragmented and neglected IMF: US pushes for refom of voting rights Good grades for German Technical Cooperation 10th Bremen Solidarity Prize World Press Photo 2005 Wolfowitz’ difficulties at the World Bank US administration modifies development approach UN peacekeepers accused of corruption Cooperative without Borders treads new paths Afghanistan: new support and old criticism 03/2006		USA pushes for reform of IMF voting rights The US administration wants voting rights in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to be restructured, in order to give newly industrialising countries such as China and India more say. After a meeting with colleagues from other advanced countries in Davos in January, Timothy Adams, Under Secretary for International Affairs at the U.S. Treasury Department, appeared confident that an agreement would be reached soon, according to the news agency Reuters. The report states that the agreement would reduce Europe’s weighting – either by creating a single seat for the European Union or by reducing the quotas of European IMF members. The plan, however, is meeting with scepticism in Europe. Reducing quotas would be unfair and a single European seat unrealistic, said Jean-Claude Trichet, president of the European Central Bank. Europe demands that the USA also make concessions. At the annual meeting of the IMF and World Bank in September last year, IMF Managing Director Rodrigo de Rato had spoken in favour of reforming voting rights to enhance the influence of Africa and Asia. The issue will be on the agenda at the upcoming spring meeting in Washington. (ell)