ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the place of regional development banks (RDBs) in global economic governance, which are multilateral development banks that engage in lending and other activities designed to foster economic growth in developing countries. It provides a brief history of the RDBs and Sub-regional development banks (SDBs). It shows who controls these institutions and discusses the three main activities of the RDBs: project lending, policy-based lending, and policy advice. The chapter highlights how the RDBs are often focal points for discord between powerful states as well as pressures from civil society organizations. It explores how RDBs and SDBs have responded to changing norms and shifts in the relative power of member governments. The rules used for internal governance can influence the lending and other activities of the banks. The chapter reflects on the future of the RDBs in light of changes to ideas and material power in the world political economy.
