ABSTRACT
In This Paper, The World Bank’s approach to poverty in the process from the structural adjustment policies to the Comprehensive Development Framework and to the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers, which are the main components of this Framework, is tried to be analysed. The World Bank, founded as a multi-purpose development institution with the object of the reconstruction of Europe after the World War II, has developed different approaches to the poverty problem which is closely related to the develeopment issue. In 1980s when the neoliberal policies had an important role in the world, it was thought that macroeconomic stabilization and economic growth could be achieved through the policies such as reducing public expenditure, financial liberalisation and liberalisation of imports. The solution of the poverty problem linked to the economic growth. Neoliberal structural adjustment policies implemented by the leadership of the World Bank worsened the income distribution and poverty problems in developing countries. In this process, the legitimacy of international financial institutions bagan to be discussed. In 1990s, the World Bank increasingly started to address the social dimension of the development issue. At the end of the 1990s, the Comprehensive Development Framework was introduced by the World Bank, along with the approach that address the economic growth without the social dimension of development could not be maintained. The Comrehensive Development Framework brought a more inclusive approach to the development issue. To implement this approach, Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers initiative was launched. The discussions regarding whether the shift in the World Bank’s poverty approach is real or not has continued today
Keywords : The World Bank, Poverty, Structural AdjustmentPolicies, Comprehensive Development Framework, PovertyReduction Strategy Papers