10. Speeches of World Bank Presidents [collection under construction]

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Third Annual Conference of the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank, Bern, May 9-11, 2002: Keynote Speeches

( 2002-05) Wolfensohn, James D. ; Wade, Abdoulaye ; Moore, Mike

On May 9-11, 2002 the members of the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank (PNoWB) met in Bern, Switzerland for their Third Annual Conference. The meeting took place in the Swiss Parliament to mark the tenth anniversary of Swiss membership in the Bretton Woods institutions. The attendance of 104 Members of Parliament from 42 countries helped to firmly establish the Parliamentary Network of the World Bank (PNoWB) as a parliamentary sounding board. The meeting underscored the important role that Parliamentarians play in international development. In the various sessions of the conference two themes recurred: implementation and governance. The participants of the conference were challenged by World Bank President James Wolfensohn to focus on implementing the international consensus that emerged from the conferences in Doha and Monterrey and leading up to Johannesburg. He urged Parliamentarians to invest in their relationships with their governments to be able to play an active role in implementing these development initiatives. At the same time, participants discussed the role that Parliamentarians could play to strengthen governance structures in developing countries to create an environment conducive to the success of development policies.
War on AIDS: Free from Poverty, Free from AIDS

( 2000-01-10) Wolfensohn, James D.

James D. Wolfensohn, President of the World Bank Group, noted that we will be judged on three counts: first, whether the we are serious about Africa's development and inclusion; second, whether we understand globally the nature of human security and sustainable development; and, third, whether the international community can face up to the global challenge of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). More than 13 million Africans have already died of AIDS, 23 million are now living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and AIDS, and 10 million African children have been orphaned by AIDS. The 21 countries with the highest rates of HIV are all in Africa. The Bank will provide governments with the maximum available funding to create and implement programs.
Keynote Address on Preserving the Architecture of Historic Cities and Sacred Places

( 1999-05-03) Wolfensohn, James D.

James D. Wolfensohn, President of the World Bank Group, discussed the importance of preserving culture, cities and architecture, and sacred sites. The international system has to be built on structure, on governance, on justice, on legal systems, on social systems, but it also has to be built on history and culture. You do not have to have a dollar sign on something for it to be valuable or for it to be essential. You cannot have an international financial architecture built on sand. He discussed the overwhelming issue of poverty, concentration of people in cities, the pressure on public services and public spaces, and the degradation that accompanies movements of people into cities.
Africa's Moment

( 1998-01-27) Wolfensohn, James D.

This is a speech given by Mr. Wolfensohn to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, on January 27, 1998 at Addis Ababa. He presented a development agenda in Africa which covers: human resource development, capacity building, rural development and rural transformation, private sector development, infrastructure, conflict prevention and resolution, public sector reform and good governance, and gender and environment. To achieve all these, it is important to establish partnerships with the governments of the developing countries, donor community, private sector, and nongovernmental organizations and civil society. He also addressed the importance of relieving African debt.
Attracting Capital to Africa

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 1997-04-21) Wolfensohn, James D.

James D. Wolfensohn, President of the World Bank Group, stated unequivocal financial commitment to and belief in Africa’s future. Africa is not without its problems. He noted that 200 million people live in poverty, earning under a dollar a day. The Bank is investing at the rate of nearly $3 billion a year on top of the $17 billion already put into the region. There has been a real change in the investment climate not only for international investors but also for domestic investors. It is in partnership with the private sector that Africa finds a profound opportunity to change the continent. We can help through the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) to provide assistance with financing and insurance against risk. The Bank is very keen to play part in assisting the flow of private sector funding. We see that Africa wants to succeed and is being led by people who want to lead their countries to success. Their optimism will be fulfilled only if there is a real partnership.