ABSTRACT
The purpose of the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) was to provide economic development assistance to member countries in Latin America. This chapter seeks to understand how the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) affected IADB operations. To do this, a brief history of the IADB is presented, as well as the events leading up to the creation of the Millennium Development Goals. Hulme and Fukudu-Parr argue that the MDGs are an embodiment of poverty alleviation norms that re-emerged in the international arena in the 1990s. There have been significant gains in poverty reduction and increased living standards in Latin America, but much is still needed. As such, the IADB is ready to continue to provide funding to reduce poverty in the region. The chapter concludes that more important than the prevalent poverty alleviation norms is the fact that the president of the IADB has considerable influence in determining the types of projects the organization funds.
