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 ...
The infrastructure service gap is huge: 940 million people live without electricity, 663 million lack improved sources of drinking water, 2.4 billion lack improved sanitation facilities, 1 billion live more than 2 kilometers from an all-season road. Yet, the main impediment to investment is not lack of financing, but of good governance. Analysis shows that substantial benefits can be realized by better governance of public investment throughout its life-cycle—and that the quality of public investment management is linked to growth outcomes. The Regional Roundtables on Infrastructure Governance have successfully brought together governments, the private sector, and practitioners to create better approaches to tackle this issue head-on. The program moves to Asia on May 23-24 with an event in Seoul organized by the World Bank, KIND, and Korea Eximbank, in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank, Global Infrastructure Hub, KDI School, Open Contracting Partnership, and OECD. Follow the conversation at #infragovernance.
The first Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi) West Africa Regional Summit will bring together heads of state, leaders of multilateral development banks, key We-Fi government representatives, private sector executives, and women entrepreneurs to discuss ways to expand opportunities for women-led small and medium-sized enterprises in West Africa. With a focus on the role of technology in supporting agribusiness and other high-growth industries, the Summit aims to galvanize high-level support for public policy reforms and private sector actions to promote women’s entrepreneurship in the region. The Summit is hosted by His Excellency Mr. Alassane Ouattara, President of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, and organized by We-Fi in collaboration with the World Bank Group, the African Development Bank, and the Islamic Development Bank. The recording above shows the Fireside Chat with Kristalina Georgieva and Ivanka Trump, followed by a Women Entrepreneurs Panel. For the full replay of the event, please see below.
Mission Billion: Innovation for trusted, inclusive digital identity The World Bank Group’s Identification for Development (ID4D) Initiative held an event that explored how the opportunities of ‘Good’ digital ID systems – those that are robust, inclusive and trusted – can be seized to expand access to services, accelerate financial inclusion, and boost the digital economy. Speakers included H.M. Queen Màxima of the Netherlands, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA), Kristalina Georgieva, CEO of the World Bank, Hassan Ali Khayre, Prime Minister of Somalia, Paula Ingabire, Rwanda Minister of ICT & Innovation, Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Niale Kaba, Côte d'Ivoire, Minister of Planning and Development and Makhtar Diop, Vice President for Infrastructure, World Bank. The panel discussion was followed by final pitches for the Mission Billion innovation challenge, which sought to crowdsource ideas to promote privacy-by-design. The winner was Simprints, for its open source toolkit that uses audio messages ...
