Economic Policies

How can countries improve their business environment? Learn more about the new data shaping the future of global business.

Watch the opening session, featuring remarks by Ajay Banga, a keynote address by Lawrence Summers, and a panel discussion with Indermit Gill, Rachel Glennerster, and Danny Quah.

How can hosting refugees become more sustainable? In the lead-up to #WorldRefugeeDay, this event explored solutions to this pressing issue.

From Competition to Competitiveness, watch this event to explore solutions to unlock growth and productivity in Latin America and the Caribbean.

In this discussion, experts from the World Bank, Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, and the Paris School of Economics’ Finance for Development Lab elaborated on the challenges and the heightened uncertainty facing the MENA region.

What are the latest economic developments in Europe and Central Asia? Watch our live panel discussion on how to harness the private sector’s potential to accelerate growth across the region.

Join us as we debate the role that inequality plays in constraining growth. Let's imagine a future where each person is allowed to be as productive and prosperous as they would like to be.

The latest edition of the World Bank’s bi-annual South Asia Development Update examines the region’s current economic landscape and provides a growth outlook. Watch a discussion with experts from the region.

How can we attract more private sector investment in developing countries?  

The Civil Society Townhall with the World Bank President is a key event during the Annual Meetings. It provides an opportunity for civil society representatives to dialogue with the President on shared development priorities.

What are South Asia’s economic prospects and what type of challenges lie ahead? How can the region accelerate growth while creating greener firms and jobs?

The 2023 Atlas of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a visual resource showcasing progress and setbacks in achieving the SDGs through interactive storytelling and data visualization. It provides decision-makers, the development community, academics, journalists, and the public with data insights for each of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and introduces concepts about how some SDGs are measured. At the midpoint of the 2030 Agenda, the insights of the Atlas reinforce the importance of strengthening global partnerships to tackle the formidable development challenges that lie ahead, and supplement efforts by partners.

As the U.S. continues to experience historically high inflation rates and increasing risks to its economy, it also faces a number of global geoeconomic challenges. These include the end of the era of globalization, rising financial instability and pressures to increase the production of certain strategically important goods for domestic use or export to friendly neighbors. Meanwhile, the U.S. and other countries are also contending with the economic implications of social, political and technological developments, such as population aging, greater competition from abroad, growing inequality, innovation and its impact on the labor market, and the global transition to cleaner energy sources. On May 22 at Baker Hall, World Bank Group President David Malpass will join the Honorable David Satterfield, director of the Baker Institute, to discuss the geoeconomic challenges — and opportunities — facing the United States and the world, and how to navigate them.

The World Bank’s new framework “Scaling Up to Phase Down” maps out a 6-step virtuous cycle to help these countries overcome critical barriers that are paralyzing their energy transition and catalyze investments.

This conference will focus on debt sustainability, debt distress, and debt restructuring. 

Global efforts to decarbonize economies are likely to create demand for 3 million tons of minerals and metals – many of which are found in Africa. Thus, the continent has an opportunity to harness natural resource wealth to accelerate energy access and a green transition, drive economic transformation and jobs, and generate more fiscal revenues. Speakers focused on this opportunity and the related challenges facing policy makers.

Meeting urgent climate and sustainability goals may be the biggest challenge of our generation. How can we transform global supply chains to help meet these goals, and to better protect the environment, workers, and communities? Join the live discussion on April 14, 2023.

World Bank officials, David Malpass, Anshula Kant and Jorge Familiar, hosted a panel to discuss the evolving role of private capital investment in providing sustainable finance for countries to meet development goals. This is in light of the world's current challenges that go beyond the normal scope of economic development. COVID-19, the war in Ukraine, and other factors have left countries with high levels of debt, while climate concerns are mounting. To recoup development progress back to 2020 levels and adapt to climate change, trillions of dollars are needed.

Join our high-level speakers to discuss how to advance the business case for gender inclusion and equality.

What strategies can developing economies use to avoid debt crises and spur growth at a time when public debt levels are at a 50-year high?

High inflation and rising food prices pose a challenge to economies across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), where growth is expected to slow in the coming year. Join this World Bank Live event and hear from the World Bank’s Chief Economist in MENA about the region’s economic prospects and the impact of rising food prices. The latest MENA Economic Update looks in depth at how even temporary increases in the price of food can have lasting impacts across generations in terms of education, health and future income prospects.

World Bank Group President David Malpass and President of Queens' College, Cambridge University, Mohamed El-Erian had a conversation about global macroeconomic trends and their effects on development.

Join us in a conversation with William Maloney, Chief Economist for Latin America and the Caribbean, and high-level experts, as we explore new growth opportunities emerging in the global economy and how the region can actively engage to drive inclusive and sustainable development. 

The Atlantic Council GeoEconomics Center is hosting an AC Front Page event featuring David Malpass, president of the World Bank Group, on April 4, 2023 at 10:00 am. Malpass will participate in this keynote event at the Atlantic Council studios one week before the world’s finance ministers and central bank governors convene in Washington for the World Bank-International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings. A global cost of living crisis, supply-chain disruptions, and climate change threaten growth prospects for developing countries, with some at risk of debt default in 2023. Sustainable, efficient mobilization of both public and private capital is vital to ensure prosperity for the decade ahead. Malpass will share his vision for how the World Bank Group can respond to global challenges and help foster inclusive growth around the world. Following his speech, Malpass will participate in a fireside chat.

What are the latest economic developments and growth prospects in South Asia? What opportunities does a stabilizing global economy create for the region? What challenges remain as countries still feel the impacts of major global and regional shocks? How can South Asia ensure more equitable growth? The latest edition of the World Bank’s South Asia Economic Focus explores the current economic landscape and provides growth projections for the region, with a focus on inequality of opportunity and intergenerational mobility in South Asia. Join experts from the region for a live discussion on how South Asian economies can expand opportunities and unlock progress.

Ahead of the World Bank Group-IMF Spring Meetings (April 10-16, 2023), watch World Bank Group President David Malpass deliver his speech, “Growth and Stability During Crises,” live from the University of Niamey, Niger.

Every year, MIGA presents its Gender Leadership Award honoring senior managers who have a proven track record of seeking to further the causes of women’s advancement and gender equality. MIGA is delighted to recognize this year's awardee, Claudia María González Arteaga, Chief Financial Officer at Bancóldex (Banco de Desarrollo Empresarial de Colombia). Her dedication to innovation has boosted access to credit for MSMEs (Micro-, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises) in Colombia. Her work is helping to build a green economy and support gender equality in the country. 

What can be done to improve economic opportunities for women and empower them at work and at home? Join the live launch of the World Bank's Women, Business and the Law 2023 study.

The financial services industry is undergoing a technological transformation, ushering in a new era of financial products, business models, markets, and even money. How can the industry and policymakers foster responsible innovation to improve financial inclusion and efficiency, while mitigating new risks?

World Bank Group President David Malpass sat down with Adam Posen, President of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, to discuss the rapidly changing global trade landscape, reshoring, and the risks and opportunities for developing countries.

The panel will discuss investment opportunities in biodiversity finance and innovative business models to promote the protection of biodiversity and ecosystem services.

An inspiring AND practical conversation about climate finance with Lord Nicholas Stern, IG Patel Professor, London School of Economics, and Mr. Axel van Trotsenburg, Managing Director of Operations, World Bank. Together, they will break down the big numbers into more manageable pieces, identify sources of finance and prototypes to be scaled, and examine the critical role of concessionality in incentivizing the scale needed. This is a must-see for those who are serious about scaling climate finance. 

Be among the first to learn the big insights emerging from the WBG’s new transformative diagnostic, the Country Climate and Development Reports. Join some of the architects of this new report as they synthesize the key findings from around 25 countries and reveal their most interesting recommendations about how countries can reduce emissions while growing their economies. Learn also from developing countries about their experience with CCDRs and how they plan to use them. This is a must-see for those who care about climate and development.

This event will focus on the progress made to date on IFC’s mobilization platforms, including MCPP One Planet, SEED, and REGIO, as well as the next generation under development. 

How to scale up climate financing? Including how governments and their development partners can establish a pipeline of bankable projects that can attract private sector investments.

The objective of this panel discussion is to explore the blue economy—how it is defined, what it encompasses, and what/where is driving the demand. 

This interactive, high-level panel will share successful climate finance investment instruments in Africa’s private sector banks, while highlighting the important role regulators play in greening the financial sector. 

World Bank Group President Malpass introduces SCALE, the new partnership to catalyze transformative climate action.

The State of the Africa Region event will take stock of global headwinds affecting the region and provide a timely overview of macro-economic trends, given the slowing GDP, high debt, and historically high food and energy prices. The discussion will specifically focus on measures that can deliver big wins for food security on the continent, such as better targeted public spending, investments in food transformation and resilient food systems, and stronger intra-regional trade.

A ministerial roundtable took place on Wednesday, October 12th, co-chaired by the Government of Ukraine, the World Bank Group, and the IMF to discuss Ukraine’s financing needs, priorities for sustaining essential services during wartime, as well as priority recovery and reconstruction projects that can be quickly initiated.

Overlapping global crises have stalled progress in eliminating poverty and clouded the outlook for growth. Watch a discussion exploring economic policy actions that can support inclusive growth and get poverty reduction goals back on track. 

As the world grapples with multiple crises, how can we ensure prioritization of shared development goals for a resilient recovery? Watch the conversation with World Bank Group President David Malpass and Bank leadership. 

Even if advanced economies stabilize, conditions for developing countries risk going from bad to worse. Watch World Bank Group President David Malpass deliver remarks, live from Stanford University.

This World Bank event brings together a diverse panel of experts to discuss lessons from previous energy price shocks, prospects for energy and metal markets, and policy options to accelerate transition away from fossil fuels while shielding vulnerable groups from damaging disruptions.

The Global Financial Inclusion Database 2021 (Global Findex) is the world’s most comprehensive data set on how adults save, borrow, make payments, and manage their household financial risks. Findex data reveals trends in the use of bank accounts, mobile money accounts, credit and debit cards, and the internet to conduct financial transactions. It also captures differences in access and usage of financial products between men and women.

In this event, the heads of the four key global economic policy institutions—the World Bank Group, the IMF, the OECD and the WTO—discuss the importance of trade and global cooperation for overcoming current challenges and implications of subsidies for markets and poor countries. They call for more transparency and proactive measures to reduce their harm, especially for the largest and most distortive subsidies.

This event lays out the complexities of tackling climate and development objectives together amid a geopolitical landscape characterized by conflict, rising prices, and intensifying climate impacts. 

Watch a global conversation about the digital revolution highlighted innovative ways countries are using digital technologies. From digital financial services, to remote schooling, to more inclusive government services, digital solutions are accelerating more equitable and resilient growth. We heard from public and private sector leaders from around the globe about how safe and effective digital technology has become essential to development in the digital age.

These Spring Meetings are taking place in the shadow of war in Ukraine and rising global challenges due to conflict, COVID-19, and climate change. The catastrophe in Ukraine is disrupting lives and creating shocks from reduced food supplies and increasing fuel costs. And countries are facing rising debt, inflation, and reduced market access, exacerbating the setbacks experienced due to the pandemic. 

This event will explore how a whole-of-economy approach can support a green recovery from COVID-19, create an enabling environment for ambitious climate action, and deliver on the outcomes of the Glasgow Compact from COP26. 

This event will frame the public conversation on how governments should prioritize where it is most important to take policy action and how to best allocate scarce resources to support the recovery. It will also consider how to address the growing risks of over-indebtedness and increased financial fragilities.

Join World Bank Managing Director Mari Pangestu and a distinguished panel of experts as they discuss the latest findings on inequality from the January 2022 Global Economic Prospects report, and implications for countries and the global community.

As the world enters the third year of the COVID-19 crisis, economic developments have been both encouraging and troubling. This conversation between World Bank Group President David Malpass and PIIE President Adam Posen will explore the global economic outlook. They will discuss three main themes from the World Bank’s Global Economic Prospects report: unprecedented macroeconomic imbalances, rising income inequality and exceptional uncertainty.

Join MIGA and an accomplished group of experts, investors, and thought leaders as we discuss what it will take to drive FDI into Africa, especially into sectors that contribute to a green, inclusive, and resilient recovery, and into countries experiencing fragility, conflict and violence.    

Join us for a discussion on solutions from the ground—and how IDA, the World Bank’s fund for the poorest countries, is driving innovation and outcomes.

Our 8th #OneSouthAsia Conversation will share the experiences of such pioneer investor firms and explore the ways intraregional investments can be strengthened to boost robust recovery and overall economic growth in South Asia.

Joins us to discuss how nature loss is an economic and development issue, and how it is linked to climate change, as well as pathways to undertake both nature and climate-smart development in the future, including through expanding our economic toolkit beyond GDP to account for the wealth provided by nature.

A day after COP26’s dedicated day for finance, WBG is hosting this fireside chat with Banque de France (BdF), the secretariat of NGFS, to explore these issues further and discuss how the financial sector can contribute to countries’, particularly EMDEs’, climate and development goals.

Join us as we examine how innovative macro-fiscal and governance-related interventions can enable a green recovery and facilitate a ‘whole-of-economy’ approach to long-term climate action.

Join a conversation with World Bank Group President David Malpass and Standard Chartered CEO Bill Winters.

Annual Meetings Chairman, Dr. Rogelio Ramirez de la O, Minister of Finance of Mexico, delivers remarks for the 2021 Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund.

A panel of high-level experts explores actionable policy insights to support inclusive growth in developing economies.

The COVID-19 pandemic has offered a dramatic test case for the effectiveness of digital solutions across the Middle East and North Africa region, from the Ocean to the Gulf. Together with universal and affordable broadband, the widespread availability of cashless payments is a key enabler for digital transformation and a driver for economic recovery. The objective of this webinar, organized in partnership with the Arab Monetary Fund, is to increase awareness of how digital payments can support job creation, enhanced service delivery, and inclusion of youth and women. This webinar is the second of the MENA Tech talk series, which aims to engage with high-level decision makers, policymakers, regulators, private sector business leaders, and influencers, to share a vision and strategies to successfully foster digital transformation in the region. The event will be livestreamed and will offer simultaneous interpretation in Arabic, English, and French. It will include a panel discussion and testimonials from civil society organizations and the private sector, ...

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of digital technologies in African countries, and the latest Africa’s Pulse provides new evidence on how digital is enhancing the productivity of existing jobs and creating new jobs, for people of all skill levels and backgrounds. This is particularly important as the region looks toward economic recovery post-pandemic, and many Sub-Saharan African countries are making tremendous investments to advance digital adoption and build skills. Against the backdrop of a COVID-19 induced recession, African countries are weathering the economic storm better than expected and are poised for recovery, but the strength of this recovery depends on the reforms, policies, and investments that countries make now.   Hosted by Georja Calvin-Smith of France 24, join a panel of Africa’s distinguished ministers, entrepreneurs, and leaders in the digital space to discuss the future of work in Africa. They will touch on how governments can support digital transformation, discuss the macroeconomic outlook for the region and how ...

This high-level panel discussion will look at the experiences and challenges experienced by senior policymakers in developing countries. Panelists will examine the conditions for preserving value in corporate restructurings and how countries are adapting legal and regulatory structures to the COVID-19 crisis, including insolvency and out-of-court workout mechanisms. They will discuss what has worked and what has not, as well as what is still needed to ensure that viable businesses can restructure and that those that need to exit the market can do so efficiently. James Sprayregen, Restructuring Partner, Kirkland & Ellis Reza Baqir, Governor, State Bank of Pakistan Hal S. Scott, Emeritus Nomura Professor of International Financial Systems at Harvard Law School Rosa Sacre, Managing Director of Société Générale’s Asset Recovery and Restructuring Management team Ramiro Alfonsín, Chief Financial Officer of LATAM Airlines Group Makhtar Diop, Managing Director and Executive Vice President, IFC Stephanie von Friedeburg, Senior Vice President, Operations, International Finance Corporation Join us ...

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major disruptions in the global economy that could have lasting adverse effects. If history is any guide, the global economy is heading for a decade of growth disappointments. Uncertainty about the post-pandemic economic landscape and policies has discouraged investment; disruptions to education have slowed human capital accumulation; concerns about the viability of global value chains and the course of the pandemic have weighed on trade and tourism. In the context of weak fiscal positions and elevated debt, institutional reforms to spur growth will be particularly important. A comprehensive policy effort is needed to rekindle robust, sustainable, and equitable growth. A package of reforms to increase investment in human and physical capital and raise female labor force participation could help reverse the expected impact of the pandemic on potential growth in emerging markets and developing economies over the next decade. Join this key discussion on the reforms needed to spur growth following the economic damage caused ...

Join our next #OneSouthAsia live conversation to hear how three women entrepreneurs are navigating the pandemic and tapping regional opportunities to create jobs, contribute to economic growth, and reduce gender gaps. South Asia has the world’s lowest rate of women entrepreneurs, with just 18% of small, medium and large businesses principally owned by a woman. Few engage in trade. As South Asia rebuilds after COVID-19, the region needs more women entrepreneurs to help drive innovations in services and products. Entrepreneurs Maheen Adamjee of Pakistan, Sairee Chahal of India, and Ayanthi Gurusinghe of Sri Lanka will share their experiences growing their businesses domestically and regionally, accessing finance, and using digital technology. Former banker Anshula Kant, now chief financial officer of the World Bank Group, will offer insights about the World Bank’s support to women entrepreneurs globally and in South Asia. Cecile Fruman, the World Bank’s direction of regional integration and engagement in South Asia, will lead the conversation. No ...

With global Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows dropping by up to 40 percent as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for enhanced coordination among international financial institutions is now greater than ever.  MIGA will host a public event to mark the launch of a new handbook titled ‘Expanding Political Risk Insurance: A Partnership Approach to Grow Private Investment,’ which calls for deepened and systematic collaboration across the development community to advance the role of political risk insurance in unlocking private capital. The event will showcase principles for collaboration and best practices where coordination has delivered impact on the ground. Join us for a spirited conversation on how we can work together to unlock FDI to developing countries.

Ahead of the World Bank Group-IMF Annual Meetings, Frankfurt School of Finance and Management hosted World Bank Group President David Malpass who discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people and the challenge of building a resilient and inclusive global recovery.

The COVID-19 pandemic has plunged the global economy into its deepest recession since the Second World War. The pandemic is likely to leave lasting scars ranging from lower investment to the erosion of human capital. Ultimately, this may lower productivity and limit income growth. Conversely, the pandemic also raises the possibility of large structural changes to the global economy, some of which may be productivity-enhancing. How will longer-term growth prospects in emerging markets be affected? What policies should be enacted to limit the damage from COVID-19? At this event, esteemed experts in economics will discuss these questions in light of a new World Bank Group report, Global Productivity: Trends, Drivers, and Policies. Panelists will consider many possible outcomes for emerging market economies and discuss how they can boost productivity by taking advantage of structural economic changes.  

The world is faced with a global education emergency of unprecedented scale. According to estimates by the World Bank, the COVID-19 pandemic, at its peak, caused more than 180 countries to mandate temporary school closures, leaving 85 percent of the world’s learners out of school. Children with disabilities and their families, especially those living in poverty, face significant multiple vulnerabilities during this pandemic, including education, health, and social protection. The World Bank's Inclusive Education Iniative (IEI) invites you to participate in a Gloal Seminar to discuss our latest Issues Paper, 'Pivoting to Inclusion: Leveraging Lessons from the COVID-19 Crisis for Learners with Disabilities.' The live event will feature experts and thought leaders who will provide reflections on the paper, based on their unique perspectives on education, remote learning, and social inclusion and protection.

Covid-19 has caused widespread economic damage, with long-term implications for global supply chains, productivity growth, and sovereign debt. What does the post-pandemic future look like? Join this conversation between World Bank group Vice President Ceyla Pazarbasioglu and Financial Times Chief Economics Commentator Martin Wolf.

The COVID-19 pandemic has delivered a global economic shock of enormous magnitude, leading to steep recessions that will leave lasting scars in many developing countries. What are the likely long-term consequences? What can policymakers in these countries do mitigate the risks? What can they do to ensure that countries emerge in better shape than they went in? This panel discussion brings together some of the world’s leading experts to assess the long-term challenges and potential solutions for developing countries, building upon the findings of the World Bank Group’s latest Global Economic Prospects report.

The world is in a crisis without parallel in modern times—a high-fatality pandemic that is causing an economic contraction on a scale unseen since World War II. Having brought advanced economies to a standstill, the COVID-19 pandemic is now making its mark on emerging and developing economies. How can the damage be contained? What can be done to ensure a strong and durable recovery? This panel brings together some of the world’s leading thinkers to assess the way forward for emerging and developing economies, building upon the findings of the World Bank Group’s latest Global Economic Prospects report.

Join us for the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund (IMF) COVID-19 (coronavirus) response. World Bank Group President David Malpass and IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva will hold a press conference to address the economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 virus. 

Global growth has slowed despite low interest rates and bond yields. Meanwhile, debt is reaching record levels in major markets and economic outlooks remain uncertain. Join World Bank Group President David Malpass and former United States Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen at the Bipartisan Policy Center for a conversation moderated by Kai Ryssdal. 

Figuring out how to deal with today’s critical economic problems is perhaps the great challenge of our time. Much greater than space travel or perhaps even the next revolutionary medical breakthrough, what is at stake is the whole idea of the good life as we have known it. Immigration and inequality, globalization and technological disruption, slowing growth and accelerating climate change — these are sources of great anxiety across the world, from New Delhi and Dakar to Paris and Washington, D.C. The resources to address these challenges are there-what we lack are ideas that will help us jump the wall of disagreement and distrust that divides us. If we succeed, history will remember our era with gratitude; if we fail, the potential losses are incalculable. In this revolutionary book, renowned MIT economists Abhijit V. Banerjee and Esther Duflo take on this challenge, building on cutting-edge research in economics explained with lucidity and grace. Original, provocative, and urgent, Good Economics ...

How is fintech reshaping financial services to reach three billion unbanked people? #FintechInnovators are transforming financial services around the world and empowering financially underserved people and businesses. Monica Brand Engel, Co-Founding Partner, Quona Capital, Benjamin E. Diokno, Governor Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Ashraf Sabry, CEO, Fawry, and Andrew Torre, Regional President for Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEMEA), Visa Inc., discussed emerging opportunities and risks, the financial inclusion challenge, and regulatory strategies to foster inclusive innovation and financial expansion. Here are some points they highlighted: In five years, 50 percent of transactions will be electronic. Customers’ preferences will continue to change. It’s hard to imagine that they will go to a bank branch in 10 years’ time. Regulation matters— authorities need to create the right economic incentives for merchants to move out of shadow economies. Cash is the most known brand in any country. It’s a tough competitor. Personal financial management FinTechs will help consumers figure out ...

We did it! 24 hours of non-stop discussions on development economics. Thanks for watching and engaging! Want to learn more about the economics behind international development? How can we stimulate economic growth, reduce poverty and help people in developing countries?  We went live for a 24-hour “Econothon” where experts from the World Bank Group and beyond engaged a global audience on the development challenges facing the world today. Economic growth, jobs, inequality climate change -- these development issues never sleep. Click here to watch all the replays  

The Financial Times and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, will once again gather senior investors, innovators, social entrepreneurs and other thought leaders for a major conference ahead of the FT/IFC Transformational Business Awards dinner in London. In line with the theme of the Awards, the conference will discuss what the private sector is doing to help meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the steps that need to be taken to achieve long-term, transformative impact. There will be a particular focus on human capital and the use of technology to boost inclusion, and special sessions on climate change and the geo-political environment. Chaired by senior FT journalists, this event will be a significant lead-in to the Awards dinner, which will honour those whose capital, technology and ideas are contributing to substantive progress in developing low-carbon urban infrastructure, delivering healthcare and education, assuring food and water security, harnessing technology to assist the ...

  Featured Speaker   (May 6, 2019)   Eliana La Ferrara   Bocconi University Aspirations, Stereotypes and Educational Choices About this Lecture How do negatively stereotyped groups make educational choices? How do the stereotypes of teachers and peers impact their performance? The talk will bring evidence from different countries and contexts to speak to the above questions. First, it will show that high-achieving immigrant children in Italy’s tracked school system under-aspire compared to native students and will discuss the impact of a large-scale, randomized intervention providing tutoring and career counseling to high-ability immigrant students. Second, it will analyze the role played by teachers’ bias and show that making teachers aware of their negative stereotypes towards immigrants leads to a change in their grading policy. Finally, it will discuss the role of peers’ racial stereotypes in South Africa, and discuss how inter-group contact affects stereotypes and educational performance of different groups. 2018/2019 DEC Lectures VIEW THE REPLAY: Tuesday, February 12, 2019: Seema Jayachandran, Northwestern University VIEW THE REPLAY: Wednesday, ...

Watch live to hear global leaders discuss how the power of partnerships can achieve the sustainable development goals of 2030, and the crucial role that the private sector plays in the development equation. Learn how multilateral development institutions, like the World Bank Group, governments, and development stakeholders can effectively work with the private sector to secure sustainable private sector solutions and finance to make the SDGs a reality for all.

Capital Market Development and the FinTech Revolution: Opportunities and Challenges As follow up to the Bali Fintech Agenda, a flagship event of the 2019 Spring Meetings on Thursday, April 11 brought together a panel of fintech experts for a lively conversation on the wide-ranging opportunities and challenges of technological innovation in the capital markets, along with important legal, regulatory and competitive considerations. Shaolin Yang, Managing Director and CAO of the World Bank Group set the scene by highlighting the Bank’s issuance of “Bond-i”—the world’s first legally binding bond operated on a global blockchain platform throughout its life cycle—which enables the Bank to learn firsthand how blockchain can change financial markets and be embraced for development. In introducing the panelists, moderator Tomicah Tillemann, Director of the Blockchain Trust Accelerator at New America, described them as the “dream team of fintech.” Fintech holds huge potential to transform finance and capital markets for the better. The discussion provided insights for policy ...

World Bank Group President David Malpass will address the press during the World Bank Group/International Monetary Fund 2019 Spring Meetings. The Spring Meetings are attended by approximately 2,800 delegates from our member countries, 350 observer organization representatives and 800 members of the press. Approximately 550 accredited civil society members also participate in the Meetings.  The Meetings and related ancillary events will be held from April 9 - 14, 2019 in Washington, D.C. The meetings are comprised of events open to all attendees, ministerial-level invitation-only sessions, closed bilateral meetings, and events open only to the Press. 

The World Bank will host a joint event with the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) on the World Development Report and the changing nature of work. The central theme of the event will be how technology is rapidly changing the workplace and whether concerns over AI replacing employees, of all occupation types in the EU, are justified. Panelists will also discuss the opportunities and challenges for firms in the technological age to adopt innovative production techniques, expand into new markets, and whether this will pave the way for new jobs, increased productivity, and effective public services. The discussion will also touch upon issues around investing in human capital and enhancing social protections to ensure safeguards for citizens. Panel speakers:  Daniel Gros, Director at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg, Chief Economist, World Bank Simeon Djankov, Director and Co-Author, World Development Report 2019, World Bank Guntram Wolff, Director of Bruegel Moderator: Oliver Joy, EU Communications, World Bank ...

World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim addresses the press during the World Bank’s 2018 Annual Meetings in Bali Indonesia.

Impact investing has emerged as a significant opportunity to mobilize both public and private capital into investments that target measurable positive social, economic or environmental impact alongside financial returns. Despite the increased interest in and number of product launches claiming to be impact investments, there is no common discipline for how to manage investments for impact and the systems needed to support this. This has created complexity and confusion for investors, as well as a lack of clear distinction between impact investing and other forms of responsible investing. To address this challenge, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), in consultation with a core group of external stakeholders—impact asset managers, asset owners, asset allocators, and development banks and financial institutions— has drafted “Investing for Impact: Operating Principles for Impact Management.” The Consultation Draft of the Principles was launched in Bali on October 12, 2018, during a high-level panel that brought together a core group of asset managers, asset owners, and policy makers who ...

World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim and Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde speak at the October 12th plenary session of the Annual Meetings in Bali, Indonesia.

  This is a Facebook Live interview. Watch the replay! As part of our Spring Meetings 2018 Interview Series, we will be talking with Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, UN Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development, to discuss the importance of financial inclusion for achieving development and economic goals.  /*-->*/

This is a Facebook Live interview. Watch the replay!  As part of our Spring Meetings 2018 Interview Series, we will be talking with Imad Malhas, ​CEO, IrisGuard, on how technology can help in the financial inclusion of displaced people. 

With less than three years to reach the Universal Financial Access goal by 2020, Moderator Francine Lacqua of Bloomberg led a discussion in a packed Preston Auditorium on how we can push forward to meet this goal. It began with a conversation between President Jim Yong Kim and H. M. Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development. Highlighting data from the recently launched Findex, both agreed that achievements in financial inclusion have been made, but key steps are still needed between now and 2020. H. M. Queen Máxima explained that financial inclusion is a win-win for everyone but leadership is needed from the public sector and the private sector. Dr. Kim emphasized how technology can help provide people globally with access to capital and markets, and can really turn inequality around. During the event’s second half, a wider panel discussion focused on how technology can speed up progress toward financial ...

This is a Facebook Live interview. Watch the replay! As part of our Spring Meetings 2018 Interview Series, we will be talking with Jean Liu, President, Didi Chuxing, China, to discuss how technology-driven online platforms can facilitate access for women entrepreneurs as providers and users of goods, services, and capital, and showcase how initiatives such as the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi) are enabling women to overcome financial and other market barriers.  /*-->*/

This year’s annual World Bank Spring Meetings’ was a special one for MIGA, as the World Bank Group’s youngest member celebrated 30 years of offering political risk insurance to investors and maximizing finance for development. At the #MIGA30 event marking this milestone, individuals from the World Bank and MIGA, the private sector, and government, spoke to MIGA’s various accomplishments, as well as the numerous opportunities that lie ahead.  MIGA has helped guarantee projects in a wide variety of industry sectors – from agribusiness and tourism, to telecommunications and transportation. As the various speakers mentioned, MIGA has a lot to be proud of. This includes doubling its exposure to $20 billion over the past five years, and helping guarantee the establishment of the BenBan Solar Park in Egypt – which will be the world’s largest solar installation once construction is complete. And while the speakers each had their own unique perspective on working with MIGA, they all agreed that MIGA’s ...

What is the best way to assess a nation’s prosperity over time? The most commonly used measure is Gross Domestic Product (GDP), but many experts say this indicator is too limited and point to a more comprehensive approach that includes “wealth accounting.”  This involves adding up assets such as infrastructure, forests, minerals, and human capital—much like a company evaluates both its income statement (flows) and balance sheet (stocks) to determine performance. The World Bank, a leader in this field, is publishing a new book, The Changing Wealth of Nations 2018, which tracks the wealth of 141 countries. On February 5, the Global Economy and Development program at Brookings and the World Bank will co-host a panel of experts in this area, including Kristalina Georgieva, Chief Executive Officer of the World Bank. David Pilling, Financial Times Africa editor and author of a new book, The Growth Delusion: Wealth, Poverty and The Well-being of Nations, will moderate. Prior to the panel, World Bank ...

Islamic finance has been growing rapidly across the globe. According to a recent report, the Islamic finance market currently stands around $1.9 trillion. With this growth, its application has been extended into many areas—trade, real estate, manufacturing, banking, infrastructure, and more. However, it is still a relatively untapped market for public-private partnership (PPP) financing. A new PPIAF-funded report by the World Bank Group and the Islamic Development Bank Group represents the first systematic effort to capture and disseminate knowledge on deploying Islamic finance for infrastructure PPPs. Our discussion will address how Islamic finance has already been applied in infrastructure projects through PPP schemes, what are the structural challenges and solutions, and what can be done to deepen and maximize the use of Islamic finance for this purpose. To see the detailed agenda, please click here.  Visit Our Partners:  

A high-profile panel on maximizing finance for development, with Dr. Kim, President Kagame of Rwanda, and the CEOs of Standard Chartered, the NZ Super Fund, and the Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) of India, was held at Annual Meetings. Key takeaways follow:  President Kagame pointed out that the prosperity Rwanda needs cannot come from just the public or the private sector alone, and noted that only when they work together can they maximize finance for development. Renu Sud Karnad of HDFC, agreed that the regulatory framework is often an obstacle for private investment. She explained that IFC was a founding shareholder of HDFC, and it was a leap of a faith as HDFC had no framework when they started. Subsequently, HDFC has built the housing finance market in India and helped create housing industry standards and regulations. Adrian Orr of NZ Super Fund, indicated that there’s a “wall” of money that wants to get into “frontier” markets, but the ...

As part of our Annual Meetings 2017 Interview Series, we will be meeting with Mateusz Morawiecki, Deputy Prime Minister of Poland, to discuss Poland’s economic development. Join us live on Saturday, October 14th, 9:00 am. Leave your questions in the comments below.

World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim and Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde speak at the October 13 plenary session of the Annual Meetings in Washington DC.

On October 12th MIGA celebrated its 30th year anniversary by hosting an interactive panel on Innovating to Mobilize Private Capital. The event kicked off with a video on MIGA’s partnership with Jordan in using innovative tools to attract private capital for the energy sector. The panelists then shared their perspectives on how to draw investment into developing countries. The panelists included: Keiko Honda, Executive Vice President and CEO, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA); Kristalina Georgieva, CEO World Bank; Philippe H. Le Houérou, CEO, IFC; Bill Winters, CEO, Standard Chartered; and Ken Ofori-Atta, Minister of Finance, Ghana.  The event was moderated by Christopher Bishop, managing editor of Forbes Africa. Bill Winters spoke about the concerns that investors have and the types of instruments they need to slice the risk. Philippe and Keiko both elaborated on the Jordan case study, which showcased how the IFC and MIGA are working collaboratively with governments. Minister Ofori-Atta spoke about the political and economic ...

World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim will address the press during the World Bank Group/International Monetary Fund 2017 Annual Meetings.

As part of our Annual Meetings 2017 Interview Series, we will be speaking with World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim about what countries need to do to prepare for the future. Join us live on Wednesday, October 11 at 2:15 PM. Have a question for Jim Kim? Ask in the comments!

This event looked at how policymakers must go beyond GDP to get the whole picture of the economic health and sustainability of a country. The event kicked off with opening comments by Laura Tuck, Vice President of Sustainable Development at the World Bank. In her brief remarks, she shared details of an upcoming report called “The Changing Wealth of Nations” which will be released in December. This report looks at natural, produced, and human capital in addition to net financial assets in 141 countries over a time span of 20 years. Oxford University Professor Paul Collier gave a keynote address in which he spoke of the “fiction” of flow data and called for a change in how total wealth is estimated. Moderated by the Financial Times Africa Editor, David Pilling, a panel then delved deeper into the issue. The panel comprised Chola Chabala, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Planning in Zambia; David McCauley, VP of the World Wildlife Foundation and Roberta ...

World Bank Chief Economist for Latin America and the Caribbean Carlos Végh said on Wednesday that after six years of growth deceleration, 2017 would constitute the first year with an increase in growth. The improvement was mainly driven by a strong recovery in Argentina and a more tepid one in Brazil. However, the region will not have the benefits of favorable external factors such as a buoyant global economy or a great demand of raw materials. This means that Latin America must boost its own growth and put its house in order - in some cases with difficult public spending and money management decisions. This was acknowledged by Végh during the presentation of the report "Between a rock and a hard place: the monetary policy dilemma in Latin America and the Caribbean”. This commodity-exporting emerging markets face a critical monetary policy dilemma each time there is an external shock, for example a sudden fall in commodity prices. How should ...

In the past year, several initiatives have been taken to mobilize private sector finance for development and contribute to achieving the 2030 Agenda and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda. In December 2016, IDA, the World Bank’s fund for the poorest countries, completed a record $75 billion replenishment with renewed focus on private sector development in the most difficult environments. A new $2.5 billion private sector window in IDA18—IDA’s next three-year round of financing, beginning in July 2017-- will help the World Bank, IFC and MIGA, together with their partners, mobilize private capital and scale-up private sector development in the poorest countries, particularly in fragile situations. The 2017 Development Finance Forum in Accra, Ghana, will deliberate on the successes and challenges of mobilizing transformational private sector investment for development goals in African nations, as well as opportunities for the public and private sectors to develop market-building alliances in Africa. The forum is organized by the World Bank Group and the African Center for ...

The seminar will discuss key challenges and opportunities facing Africa amid a weak and volatile regional and global economic environment. A special focus will be on investing in Africa in uncertain times, outlining national and regional policies and possible coordination mechanisms with the international development community to boost and sustain quality investment in the continent. 

The private sector would invest more in emerging markets if it were less risky. Yet, a lack of familiarity, concerns about political risk, and a scarcity of bankable projects have too often prevented them from doing so. Recent breakthroughs in the application of political risk insurance and credit enhancement products are pointing a new way to easing such anxieties. MIGA political risk insurance, and an assurance of liquidity from EBRD, for example, recently contributed to a coveted two-notch bump in the rating of a bond issued to raise funds for a hospital PPP project in Turkey. As a result, a new and broader class of investors is now demonstrating interest in this, and similar projects. If scaled up effectively, trillions of dollars currently sitting on the sidelines and earning little interest could be channeled to development projects through such innovations.

Productivity is slowing down around the world in advanced, emerging and developing economies alike. Yet, accelerating productivity growth remains key to sustaining inclusive growth. With no consensus on either the causes of the current decline or the actions to address it, there remains much analysis and debate on the subject. Join senior policymakers and analysts from East Asia and Latin America for a discussion on what has worked and what still needs to be done to boost productivity in order to sustain inclusive growth.

World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim will address the press during the World Bank’s 2017 Spring Meetings.

Twenty years ago, Sudhir Shetty was the World Bank’s Senior Country Economist for the nation formerly known as Burma. This week, Sudhir Shetty is back in Yangon as the World Bank’s Chief Economist for the East Asia and Pacific region, and is seeing a very different country with cranes dotting the commercial capital’s skyline, imported cars filling the city’s streets, and growing tourism. During this event, Sudhir will give a presentation on recent economic developments in East Asia and Myanmar, followed by a panel discussion featuring business leaders in Myanmar to discuss their perspectives on Myanmar’s economic policy priorities.

The World Bank Group and the International Council for Small Business (ICSB) are hosting the seventh GW October Annual Entrepreneurship Conference. The event will bring together policymakers and experts from around the world to share insights on how to support small and medium enterprises and promote entrepreneurship as a key driver of local growth and innovation.

The State of the Africa Region seminar provides an opportunity to reflect on the main trends shaping the economic development of the region. The seminar will discuss key challenges and opportunities facing Africa in an increasingly turbulent global economic environment.

Financial inclusion has emerged as a critical development challenge. Fintech innovation and successes from emerging countries and the private sector show tangible progress toward Universal Financial Access 2020. But de-risking, where global financial institutions are restricting relationships with remittance companies and certain local banks because of perceived anti-money laundering risks, is undermining these efforts. Join us LIVE to hear about emerging countries’ innovative approaches toward financial inclusion and learn how countries can manage de-risking.

At a time when other regions are looking inward, this event will highlight the way in which Latin America, and particularly Argentina and Pacific Alliance countries, are taking steps to better integrate with the rest of the world, to boost growth and tackle their development challenges. The Pacific Alliance is a regional integration initiative comprised by Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, some of the most dynamic economies in LAC. It seeks to be a new generation agreement, with a strong outward-looking focus and a platform for common approaches to issues such as poverty reduction, competitiveness, protecting the environment and cultural promotion.

South Asia is hot on the heels of East Asia to become the world’s next middle-income region. But to catch its neighbors, South Asia and its firms – especially in industries such as light manufacturing, auto and agribusiness - will need to compete on a global scale. This event highlights South Asian countries with great potential for improving the region's competitiveness. Global thought leaders, business leaders and policy makers will share best practices from the region and discuss challenges unique to South Asian businesses.

The first in a series of four sessions that provides a multi-faceted view of the challenges and opportunities of mobilizing private finance for development. Urgent action is needed to mobilize, redirect and unlock trillions of dollars of private resources to ensure global growth and shared prosperity. IFC’s 60 years of experience has demonstrated the private sector’s ability to create innovative, commercially viable solutions that deliver development impact. What platforms are most efficient to mobilize third party capital for development? What are the most attractive opportunities for investors? Join a thought-provoking conversation on innovative ways to convert billions to trillions.

Today, 3.5 billion people — half of humanity — live in cities, including 828 million people who live in slums. By 2030 an estimated 60% of the world’s population will live in urban areas, with 95% of urban expansion predicted to take place in developing countries. What role will housing finance play in harnessing the investment necessary to build the cities and affordable housing needed by 2030 and beyond? Sustainable Development Goal #11 is to “ensure access for all people to adequate, safe, and affordable housing.” Is this goal realistic and achievable? How can we make it happen? This year’s Global Housing Finance Conference explores ideas on how to get there by 2030. World Bank Live will stream the welcoming remarks by Sri Mulyani Indrawati, keynote address by Aisa Kacyira, and first session of this two-day conference, which focuses on “Goal 2030 - Adequate, Safe and Affordable Housing” and what needs to happen to make it a reality.

Last year world leaders adopted a bold set of global goals to end extreme poverty and create a more sustainable, prosperous world. But what will it take to achieve them and where will the resources be found? Our development structures and their financial supports are under increasing pressure and facing strong headwinds in the shape of a challenging global economy, rising inequality, conflict and fragility as well as natural disasters and pandemics. How can we continue to build on the progress we have made and ensure it is not eroded away by our current challenges? Join a conversation with top development and finance leaders on the trends that are reshaping the development landscape and a vision for delivering a world free of extreme poverty where there is opportunity for all. Related Links: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation GatesNotes: The blog of Bill Gates

This seminar will discuss key challenges facing Africa amid a weak and volatile global economic environment, including the implications of the region’s continuing dependence on oil and other commodities. But the current environment also presents an opportunity to move forward on the economic diversification and transformation that the region needs to achieve sustained growth and development.

Bridging the infrastructure gap is essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. At the Financing for Development conference in Addis Ababa, 193 nations agreed to establish a forum on infrastructure to build and enhance multilateral collaborative mechanisms. The goal is to better align coordination among the full suite of infrastructure actors, including the private sector. This forum will allow for a greater range of voices as we bridge infrastructure and capacity gaps, particularly in challenging environments. Furthermore, it will highlight opportunities for investment and cooperation that are environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable. The Global Infrastructure Forum 2016 is jointly organized by key development partners in infrastructure and the multilateral development banks (MDBs). Related Links: A global conversation about collaborating for better infrastructure delivery It’s time to change the way we talk about the “Infrastructure Gap” 3 lessons on collaboration from the Global Infrastructure Facility World Bank Group PPP Topic Site PPP Knowledge Lab The Private Participation in Infrastructure Database The Public Private ...

Despite low interest rates, global growth has remained low driven by a simultaneous slowdown in most emerging markets, falling commodity prices, and flagging trade and capital flows. Join ministers from resource rich as well as importing countries and others as they discuss the challenges and opportunities to promote inclusive growth under a low interest rate and commodity prices scenario. The panel will address questions related to low global growth and commodity prices including why has global growth remained so low? How are countries weathering the global slowdown? Is this a transitional situation, where commodity importers are slowly reacting to the lower prices, while commodity exporters are struggling to adjust to the downturn? Or is low growth/low commodity prices/low interest rates, the new normal? What reforms are needed to reignite inclusive growth? Is there a need for greater collective action? Related Links: World Bank and Macroeconomics and Fiscal Management IEG Report: World Bank Group Engagement in Resource-Rich Countries

Competition policy is vital for creating opportunities for small business and big industry alike. It benefits consumers by reducing prices and increasing the choice of goods and services. This joint World Bank Group-OECD event will showcase countries whose pro-competition reform efforts serve as examples for their regional and international peers and will introduce tools to guide the design of new and improved policies.

Emerging markets and the developing world are at the center of the current slowdown in global growth. How are low commodity prices and slowing trade affecting countries and the effort to reduce poverty? Join us as the World Bank’s chief economists describe current conditions and the outlook for each developing region.

Digital technologies have boosted growth, expanded opportunities, and improved service delivery. Yet their development benefits have fallen short and are unevenly distributed. For digital technologies to benefit everyone everywhere requires closing the remaining digital divide, especially in internet access. But to get the most out of the digital revolution, countries also need to work on strengthening regulations that ensure competition among businesses, adapting workers’ skills to the demands of the new economy, and ensuring that institutions are accountable.

This book challenges the belief that private credit is essential to growth and fiat money is inevitably dangerous. 

Universal financial access, a goal the World Bank Group is committed to accomplishing, hinges on closing the persistent gender finance gap. How come 1.1 billion women, for example, still don’t have a bank account? Should we promote more women into leadership roles in the industry, gather more gender-disaggregated data to learn how to better reach unbanked women, make sure women have greater access to mobile phones, or better communicate the business case to banks and other financial institutions? These questions will be at the heart of the debate among industry leaders and economists during the annual Gender & the Economy event. Each speaker will highlight some of the business benefits and best practices for unlocking financial access for women, so that they as well as men can thrive as entrepreneurs, leaders, employees and customers. The event will also mark the occasion of the eighth-annual IFC CEO Gender Award. IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, bestows this honor to recognize ...

2015 is a landmark year that will define the global development agenda for the next 15 years. By year’s end, the world’s leaders are likely to adopt a new set of global development goals and reach a critical agreement on tackling climate change. Achieving both will require a paradigm shift in how development is financed. This event will bring together all the key groups who will play a part. Development organizations, governments, the private sector and civil society, will discuss what it will take to finance development in a post-2015 world. The discussion will showcase the latest thinking on domestic resource mobilization, private sector leverage, and development financing mechanisms, solutions and initiatives that go beyond filling financing gaps. The discussion will also explore how the World Bank Group, International Monetary Fund and regional multilateral development banks can use their unique platforms and diversity of finance and knowledge instruments to attract the financing needed to end extreme poverty and achieve the ...

World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim and Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, presented a visionary approach to attaining universal financial access by 2020.

Latin America managed to successfully weather the global financial crisis that wreaked havoc in developed countries. Nevertheless, the impact of the crisis, although reduced, is already affecting the economies of the region. And it is doing so in the form of low economic growth and a slowdown in total investments, as well as through dependence on volatile raw material prices. In this persistent lethargic phase of the global economy, what should drive growth of the countries in the region? An increase in productivity? Optimization of public investments? Increased monetary controls? These are some of the key questions renowned international experts will be asking during a discussion on the economic policies that can help Latin America return to the path of vigorous growth.

As law enforcement agencies continue to crack-down on international tax evaders to promote transparency in the global financial system, a lot more needs to be done to ensure that financing for development efforts are not impacted. The negative impact of tax evasion on domestic resources is best expressed by the development challenges that many countries continue to face. A combination of policy interventions and strong political can create space for new mechanisms in support of combating tax evasion, promoting transparency and increasing domestic resources for development financing.

Developing countries are adapting to low oil prices and an uneven global recovery. At the same time, they are grappling with divergent monetary policies in advanced economies and a possible tightening of conditions. World Bank Chief Economists from the six major developing regions will each provide insights during this lively roundtable.

If you had a 10% chance of having a fatal car accident, you'd take necessary precautions. If your finances had a 10% chance of suffering a severe loss, you'd reevaluate your assets. So if we know the world is warming and there's a 10% chance this might eventually lead to a catastrophe beyond anything we could imagine, why aren't we doing more about climate change right now? We insure our lives against an uncertain future—why not our planet? In "Climate Shock", Gernot Wagner and Martin Weitzman explore in lively, clear terms the likely repercussions of a hotter planet, drawing on and expanding from work previously unavailable to general audiences.

The two financial crises of the past century, the 1930s Great Depression and 2008 Great Recession, occurred against the backdrop of sharp credit booms, dubious banking practices, and unstable global financial system. When markets collapsed in 2008, policymakers invoked the lessons of the Great Depression to avert the worst. While their response prevented a financial collapse and catastrophic depression like the 1930s, unemployment in the U.S. and Europe still rose to excruciating high levels. Why didn't policymakers do better? The author shows how fear of another depression following the collapse of Lehman Brothers shaped policy responses, with both positive and negative results.

Adam Smith's legacy as the father of economics rests mainly on his great work, The Wealth of Nations. But his neglected work of moral philosophy and psychology, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, also has important lessons for economists and policymakers. Roberts draws on the insights from his new book on Smith and discovers lessons for even the most modern of economists. By reinvigorating Smith’s forgotten classic, the author provides us with a look at human behavior through the lens of one of history’s greatest minds.

World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim will deliver the keynote address at this symposium co-hosted by the World Bank Group and the Korean Educational Development Institute (KEDI) in Seoul, Korea

This event will focus on the links between economic growth, structural transformation and poverty reduction in Africa. Rapid growth in Africa since 1995 has largely been driven by the natural resources and services sectors, whereas the share of agriculture and manufacturing in GDP have fallen. What does this imply for the “quality” of Africa's growth? In particular, what can the data tell us about how growth in different sectors of the economy translates into poverty reduction? Are there implications for growth-promoting policies?

This livestreamed event aims to raise awareness of the need to ramp up financing in areas affected by conflict and fragility while considering the World Bank Group’s role as a convener of finance across a range of instruments. 

This livestreamed event explores how to facilitate an effective launch of the post-2015 agenda with all partners.

How can economic growth benefit more people? Why and how should the public and private sectors work more closely together to create the conditions for inclusive growth? Join UK Secretary of State for International Development Justine Greening, World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim, and other speakers from the private sector and national governments for a live-streamed discussion of transforming economies to benefit the poor. Participants will talk about their experiences in hugely varying country contexts and identify common factors for success.

This event will focus on avenues African policymakers can pursue to increase the benefits of economic growth for broad segments of their societies. Challenges to be discussed include the share of manufacturing in GDP, lower rates of employment creation, rapid urbanization of the continent, and difficulties in generating new sources of growth The event is co-sponsored by the Growth Dialogue and the World Bank Africa Region and will feature high-level policymakers engaging in a rich exchange of ideas and concrete policy options.

Join International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde and World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim as they engage with representatives from global Civil Society Organizations in an interactive town hall event. The heads of the two institutions will discuss with civil society the major economic and development challenges facing the global community, and how the institutions are working to end extreme poverty, promote economic stability, and boost jobs and growth.

Over 2.5 billion adults do not have access to quality, affordable financial services, using instead informal methods to save, borrow, and secure their assets. Access to finance also remains a considerable obstacle for small and medium size enterprises, as financial systems remain too underdeveloped to serve their needs. Challenges remain toward building a more inclusive financial sector that can spur economic growth and reduce poverty levels. Join World Bank Group President Kim, H.M. Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, UN Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development, Honorary Patron of the G20 GPFI, government ministers, and banking CEOs for a panel on how broader financial inclusion can be achieved through the use of multi-stakeholder partnerships and technology to enable business model innovation. In partnership with the World Economic Forum.