"The G8 registers...poor levels of performance on a broad range of issue areas that demand a much different form of engagement from the institution. Namely, these are commitments that require a large degree of long-term policy-coordination and collective action of the part of the G8 states. As a loosely affiliated organization that does not host a secretariat, the G8 is not well suited to these tasks. This partly explains why large-scale G8 strategies on water and famine and food security, and even the development of the African Peace Keeping Force have attracted little attention from G8 member states, let alone funds." This is according to a G8 Research Group support that tracks the history of the G8's engagement with Africa.

Paul Wolfowitz' nomination as World Bank president was approved by the board 31 March. The approval was a formality after the controversial architect of the war in Iraq received the support of EU countries at a meeting of ministers in Brussels the previous day. Mr Wolfowitz will take over from departing president James Wolfensohn on 1 June. Fears are that Wolfowitz will roll back environmental and social safeguards and push an aggressive programme of liberalisation and privatisation. Peter Bosshard of International Rivers Network expects "more failed privatisations, more corporate welfare, more subsidies for big dams and oil pipelines", according to a report from the Bretton Woods Project, an organisation that monitors the Bretton Woods Institutions.

In June 2000, the World Bank approved a loan package worth nearly $300 million to the Chad-Cameroon oil project, the largest oil investment in Africa, following several years of considerable controversy. Within the World Bank, Britain's Department for International Development (DFID) was a strong advocate of the project, according to a new report from Friends of the Earth called 'Pumping Poverty', that examines the role of DFID in oil projects.

The Chad/Cameroon oil pipeline subsequently came online in 2003 and its benefit for the poor has been the subject of controversy and debate, with critics pointing to concerns over corruption and how much of the revenues have filtered through to the poor.

The report says DFID does not share the concerns related to the effect of the project on the poor, citing a comment by UK Secretary of State Hilary Benn in 2004: "DFID is confident that the World Bank's systems for the monitoring and implementation of this project, and for the investigation of any warranted complaints are appropriate."

The example of the Chad-Cameroon oil pipeline is provided as a case study in a broader report that investigates the role of British overseas development aid in facilitating oil development. It finds that such aid often serves wealthy corporations, leaving the poor worse off than before and aggravating global climate change.

* Compiled from the report by Pambazuka News.