§262p–4h Discussions to increase productive economic participation of poor; reports

Summary

Require the Secretary of the Treasury to tell the U.S. Executive Director at each multilateral development bank to push hard for programs that help poor people take part more in their country’s economy. The banks must make that a long-term goal. They must help countries make lasting national plans to fight poverty. Those plans should focus on improving people’s health and nutrition, basic schooling, and safe water and sanitation; giving poor people access to jobs, income, land, and credit; and talking with public social agencies and local charities and groups. When the banks talk with countries about major policy changes or loans, they must link that talk to the country’s anti-poverty plan and include government social agencies and grassroots groups. The banks must report each year on how well the poor are getting more productive roles, help countries measure progress with social indicators, set up staff and budgets to carry out the work (with input from non-government groups), give priority in concessional financing to countries that make real efforts, and require countries getting structural adjustment help to have a poverty-participation strategy after a reasonable phase-in. Before the end of the 1-year period beginning on December 19, 1989, the Secretary must send a report to the House Committees on Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs and on Appropriations, and the Senate Committees on Foreign Relations and on Appropriations. The report must cover: how advocacy and progress on the goals above are going (successes, obstacles, and future expectations); progress on developing measures and capacity to assess the poor’s well-being under section 262p–4f; and how well banks are involving non-governmental organizations in designing, running, and checking projects, programs, and policies.