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Remarks by World Bank Group President David Malpass at World Bank Group 2022 Spring Meetings Ministerial Roundtable for Support to Ukraine
(World Bank, World Bank, 2022-04-21) Malpass, David
These remarks were delivered by World Bank Group President David Malpass at World Bank Group 2022 Spring Meetings Ministerial Roundtable for Support to Ukraine on April 21, 2022. He said that he has been deeply horrified and shocked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the atrocities committed against the civilian population, and the loss of life and livelihoods for millions of Ukrainians. He mentioned that since the invasion, the World Bank Group has provided fast-disbursing financial support to help the government provide critical services, pay wages for hospital workers, public servants, and the elderly. He insisted that It will be important for all partners to continue coordinating their support for Ukraine’s budget needs. He described that the World Bank Group is working toward three phases of the recovery effort of relief, recovery, and resilience. He said that as the war continues, the World Bank Group will work to build confidence in Ukraine’s financial, monetary, and fiscal institutions, fostering currency stability as they go forward. He mentioned that rebuilding will take hard work, determination, and struggle, but he remains optimistic. He concluded by saying that with our collective support, Ukraine can achieve a brighter future.
Remarks to G20 Leaders’ Virtual Summit
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2020-03-26) Malpass, David
World Bank Group President David Malpass explained the World Bank Group's work to take broad swift action to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. He spoke about finalizing an additional package that will focus on the broader economic consequences. He was concerned about the poor and densely populated countries like India and how the Bank is working hard to provide support through Bank's public and private sector tools. He highlighted the role of private sector support which is critical. He mentioned the Bank working closely with the IMF and WHO, among others, to determine needs assessments of client countries. He also highlighted the importance of addressing debt vulnerabilities as this crisis will hit hardest poor countries that have high levels of indebtedness. He spoke about how the Bank urged many of the G20 leaders and other official bilateral creditors to suspend debt payments due from IDA countries, effective immediately to determine what kind of debt relief or restructuring is needed. He concluded by saying that the World Bank Group and the IMF are working quickly to flesh out an approach for debt relief for poorer countries.
Address to the U. N. Economic and Social Council
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 1972-10-18) McNamara, Robert S.
Robert S. McNamara, President of the World Bank, reviewed the state of development, and the relationship of economic growth to social equity. First, he summarized recent Bank activities, particularly those which bring the Bank into working relationships with other parts of the U.N. system. Second, he assessed the current state of development in the member countries. Third, he analyzed what he believes to be one of the most critical issues of the entire development process: the relationship of social equity to economic growth. He concluded that the international development community has a grave responsibility to the hundreds of millions of individuals throughout the disadvantaged world for whom these issues are not mere abstractions, but day-to-day realities. He believes, collectively, that touching those lives, and rendering them more livable is possible.
Address to the Board of Governors, September 25, 1972
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 1972-09-25) McNamara, Robert S.
Robert S. McNamara, President of the World Bank, reported on the Bank’s operations in fiscal year 1972 and reviewed the progress of the Five-Year Program for 1969–73. He assessed the current state of development in member countries and outlined the program for the five years 1974–78. He explored the central issue of the relationship of social equity to economic growth. Given the shortfall in official development assistance, the debt problem, and the procrastination of the developed countries in dismantling discriminatory trade barriers, the Second Development Decade’s 6 percent growth target is not going to be met by many nations. The most persistent poverty is that of the low-income strata, roughly the poorest 40 percent of the total population in all development countries—who are trapped in conditions of deprivation. He argues that an urgent task is to reorient development policies to directly attack the poverty of the most deprived 40 percent of the population. Governments must achieve this without abandoning their goals of overall economic growth. Greater priority is needed to establish growth targets in terms of essential humans needs: nutrition, housing, health, literacy and employment, even at the cost of some reduction in the pace of advance in certain narrow and highly privileged sectors whose benefits accrue to the few.