Have globalization and rapid technological development given developing countries unprecedented opportunities to improve the lives of their citizens, or have they instead just led to an inexorable rise in income and wealth inequality? The East Asia and Pacific Region has come to symbolize how rapid, broadly shared, growth can improve the lives of millions. Yet past successes also mean that expectations are running high that growth will continue to deliver significant improvements in welfare in an increasingly challenging global environment. Concerns have also been raised about a possible growing divide between the prospering middle-class and pockets of the poor and vulnerable left behind. This panel discussion brings together senior policymakers and policy analysts from East Asia and beyond to talk about their countries’ recent experiences and lessons learned in this area.
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 ...
Young farmers encourage youth to find profit and purpose in farming The World Bank’s Food and Agriculture Global Practice hosted an event highlighting young farmers who are finding profit and purpose in agriculture. Journalist Femi Oke moderated the panel, which was headlined by Shelly-Ann Dinnall, a poultry farmer from Jamaica; Pedro Diniz, Founder and CEO of a large scale organic farm in Brazil; Katrina Sasse, a cereal farmer from Australia; and Brian Ndyaguma, an entrepreneur who grows greens to supply a café in Uganda. The farmers detailed how they built successful businesses, despite starting with few resources and in some cases, no knowledge of farming. Katrina, who left behind a banking career to work on her family farm, discussed her efforts to get more women involved in agriculture. Shelly-Ann called on policy makers to help create a more supportive environment for young people who do not have preexisting farms or credit. Brian recommended teaming up with other people as ...
The Civil Society Town Hall with Jim Yong Kim and Christine Lagarde, the flagship event of the Civil Society Policy Forum, took place on Wednesday, October 11 from 5:30 – 6:30pm. Abdel-Rahman El Mahdi, founder and President of the Sudanese Development Initiative, moderated the event. The Town Hall was held in the Preston Auditorium to accommodate the increasing number of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) that attend the World Bank and IMF Annual Meetings, which is indicative of the increasing engagement between the Bank and CSOs. Around 350 CSOs attended in person, with more viewing the event via livestream in English, Spanish, and French. More than 200 people engaged in those three languages on social media during the livestream. Each year at the Annual Meetings, the Civil Society Town Hall provides an opportunity for President Kim and Managing Director Lagarde to discuss common areas of interest with members of civil society. The event on Wednesday kicked off with questions on the role of civil society in ...
In a speech at Columbia University, World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim will introduce the Human Capital Project, an accelerated effort to encourage investment in people as a critical step to boosting inclusive economic growth and ending extreme poverty. The speech is the 2017 Gabriel Silver Memorial Lecture, a tradition established in 1950 to foster international understanding and world peace, and is part of the World Leaders Forum to advance dialogue on the economic, political and social questions of our time. The event is sponsored by Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs
The Investing in Africa Forum (IAF) was established in 2015 as a global platform for multilateral cooperation and promoting opportunities to increase investment in Africa. It is intended to be an annual multi-stakeholder gathering, bringing together representatives of the public and private sectors from China and Africa, international and continental institutions, development partners, and think tanks to deepen policy dialogue, share experiences, and discuss business opportunities to promote and support investment and sustainable development in Africa. It was first initiated by China Development Bank (CDB) with the full endorsement of the Chinese Government and won the strong support of the World Bank Group (WBG) and multiple African countries. September 26, 2017: Session III: ICT and Leapfrogging - Building on the Digital Revolution to Tackle African Challenges (9:00 - 10:40 am Dakar time / 5:00 - 6:40 am DC time) Session IV: Building Skills for the Present and the Future African Workforce - Rethinking Skill Acquisition and Education Service Delivery ( 11:00 am - 12:30 pm Dakar time / 7:00 - 8:30 am DC time) ...
Would you like to have a real impact on poverty reduction, have a global career and a global reach, work with a truly diverse group, work in teams to bring sustainable solutions to our clients, and work in a place of excellence? If so, consider joining the World Bank Group through the Young Professionals Program (YPP). This program is a starting point for an exciting career at the World Bank Group. On June 22nd, we hosted a Facebook Live with World Bank Group representatives from Human Resources as well as Young Professionals in the program who took your questions live. About the program For more than 53 years, the Young Professionals Program has been the preeminent program preparing global development leaders. It is a unique opportunity for younger talent who have both a passion for international development and the leadership potential to grow in fascinating top technical and managerial roles in the World Bank Group. To be competitive for this highly ...
