Policy Analysis

IISD's Letter to Foreign Policy, Reacting to "NGOs: Fighting Poverty, Hurting the Poor"

By Mark Halle on December 16, 2004
In its September/October 2004 edition, Foreign Policy printed an article by Sebastian Mallaby of the Washington Post. Its thesis was roughly as follows: The World Bank is fighting to alleviate poverty. NGOs are campaigning against the Bank, slowing down its projects and making them more expensive. Ergo, NGO activity is harming the poor. This article has been reproduced on a number of sites, including UN-NGLS Civil Society Observer. IISD's Director of Trade and Investment, Mark Halle, responded with this letter.