Reforming the World Bank

I'm probably one of the few IR students who don't express a view on every single IR related topic. I do talk about things which I have no idea about(see this post, this one, and this one) But there are two topics which I tend to avoid, well actually three, the Palestinian issue( but been avoiding that for ages since high school where I was called a Zionist and anti-Semitic in the same class.) They both have to deal with reforms and how to reform either the UN or the World Bank. I just don't think i'm able to adequately answer them and I'm not really sure what to do with these two organisations. I don't have a clue with the the UN. I have some ideas with the World Bank but nothing major. Basically I think they should be more open in how they operate, vote, and their archives. But other then that I'm not sure what other reforms should occur. I do think that Owen Barder has some good ideas and Ngaire Woods has a quick easy solution to the voting system at the Board level.

Maybe one day I will sit down and come up with my own reforms. I think I need to because if I continue researching the world bank, I'll be needing a stock answer to give when people ask me. Which they will.

Because of my dissertation, I've been in contact with the archives a lot in the past year.
This is what I have to say about the archives in my acknowledgements of my dissertation

Lastly, thanks go to the members of the staff at the World Bank's archives. I spent many days at the archives of the World Bank and I enjoyed every day that I spent there. The staff there was quite helpful and friendly. That being said, I was hugely disappointed by the policies of the World Bank archives. There is a huge need for an archive that is better suited towards the need of outside researchers. A massive delay resulted in a project that only represents a small portion of what I wanted to do and study. This delay in getting permission to view certain documents was far longer then what I was told and expected it to take. It was a delay of more than four months and even after nearly eight months not all of the documents that I've requested to view have been approved. The Bank should not hinder research but should encourage it. It is unsuitable for a researcher to be prevented from doing his research by delays. Blanket policies are not adequate for anyone.

There is a huge need for historical analysis of the Bank because it is very much lacking in current academic literature. The Bank is not leaving their position as being the single most important development lender and one of the most controversial organisations in the international arena. As a result there needs to be greater research on the World Bank and this includes the need for historical analysis.