10. Speeches of World Bank Presidents

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Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa, home to more than 1 billion people, half of whom will be under 25 years old by 2050, is a diverse ...

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Remarks by World Bank Group President David Malpass at the Ninth World Water Forum in Dakar, Senegal

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-03-21) Malpass, David

These remarks were delivered by World Bank Group President David Malpass at Remarks by World Bank Group President David Malpass at the Ninth World Water Forum in Dakar, Senegal on March 21, 2022. At the Fragility Forum at the World Bank in early March, we showed that 23 countries, with a combined population of 850 million people, are facing high, or medium-intensity conflict. Over 300 million people in fragile and conflict settings experienced acute food insecurity in 2021, and the war in Ukraine is making shortages and food price spikes even worse. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought dramatic reversals in development outcomes. Indicators of poverty, growth, nutrition, education, and security are all deteriorating, rather than improving as is needed for the world to truly develop. The latest hammer blow is inflation and rising interest rates. They hit the poor the hardest and make inequality worse. Today’s world faces other enormous challenges. The Water Forum today focuses on the importance of water security for development and peace. Population growth and increased use of water are creating water scarcity and intense competition for water. Ongoing climate change heightens the water crisis, which is starkly evident in Africa. Only 58 percent of Africans have access to safe drinking water. Only 10 percent of hydroelectricity potential is being put to work. Globally, 2 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water and over 3.6 billion people lack safely managed sanitation.
Address at the Sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development Opening Session

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2016-08-27) Kim, Jim Yong

Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank, noted that African countries face key policy challenges including adjusting to a new era of low commodity prices, increasing economic vulnerabilities and the challenge of finding new sources of growth. He feels better at leveraging funds from development partners, stopping illicit financial flows and helping countries mobilize more money domestically. African countries can dramatically increase the flow of private capital to fund infrastructure projects. The World Bank Group is working with African countries and development partners to implement the African Climate business plan which is a comprehensive program and investments totaling US$19.3 billion between 2016 and 2020. Ending stunting everywhere but especially here in Africa is an urgent mission. Universal health care is a critical element to achieve that. Kim called for massive investment, public and private, in infrastructure and universal health coverage for all of Africa.
Remarks on Universal Health Coverage in Africa

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2016-08-26) Kim, Jim Yong

Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank, argues that investing in universal health coverage (UHC) is an investment in the future. He mentioned three: First, UHC confronts poverty head on by protecting people from major disease outbreaks and from catastrophic health expenses; Second, UHC accelerates inclusive growth; and Third, UHC stimulates the health sector and creates jobs. The Bank is working with partners to identify the best ways to scale up interventions to improve nutrition and early child development, and to eliminate childhood stunting. He welcomes the government of Japan’s decision to support the annual production of the World Bank and World Health Organization global monitoring report on universal health coverage, with a strong focus on Africa.
Remarks at Press Conference, Accra, Ghana, October 16, 2015

( 2015-10-16) Kim, Jim Yong

This is the transcript of the remarks delivered by Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank Group at a press conference in Accra, Ghana. He discusses on the two goals, to end extreme poverty by 2030 and to boost shared prosperity to the bottom 40 percent in developing countries. He talks about improving the productivity of agriculture and making sure that every industry, every person in Africa has access to energy to end extreme poverty. He talks about the importance of investing in the health and education of people for future economic growth in developing countries. He commended Ghana on its structural transformation, shift out of a solely agricultural-focused economy and in one in which non-agricultural self-employment and, to a lesser degree, wage jobs have also become part of the economy. He concludes by talking about taking action on improved and fair, more just, more efficient tax systems and stopping illicit financial flows, in order to benefit the development of the country.
Commemorating End Poverty Day

( 2015-10-16) Kim, Jim Yong

Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank, discusses the goals of the World Bank Group, aligned to support the poor and the vulnerable, and to preserve our planet for future generations. He talks about the report "Poverty in a Rising Africa" that traces two decades of unprecedented economic growth on the continent with messages that are both encouraging and sobering. He speaks about how economic growth coupled with specific health and education interventions have contributed to improving people’s lives, and contributed in many countries, such as Ghana, to major reductions in poverty. He talks about the structural transformation, a shift out of agriculture that led to an increase in non-agricultural self-employment and, to a lesser degree, wage jobs in Ghana. He speaks about how improving the agricultural sector will be critical to further reduce extreme poverty in the country. He commends Ghana that has invested in its people, specifically in education in most parts of the country. He appreciated the country’s urban areas that have grown quickly, creating more and higher-paying jobs.
Remarks at the United Nations Secretary General’s International Ebola Recovery Conference, July 10, 2015

( 2015-07-10) Kim, Jim Yong

Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank Group, discusses the dual challenge facing Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone--that the Ebola epidemic stubbornly continues and that these countries must recover and build back better, stronger, and smarter. Ebola-affected countries need to dramatically increase access to essential, quality health care in even the most remote areas, and bolster the capacity of communities and community health workers to serve as the front line for disease prevention and response. He speaks about the need to strengthen the entire health system to achieve universal coverage and end preventable deaths. He talks about not letting up until we end this deadly epidemic once and for all and also must stand with the people of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone and make investments that produce a sustainable recovery. He concludes that as a global community, we must pledge to do whatever it takes to make sure such a preventable crisis never happens again.
Impact of the Ebola Crisis: A Perspective from the Countries

( 2014-10-09) Kim, Jim Yong ; Lagarde, Christine ; Ki-moon, Ban ; Kaberuka, Donald ; Conde, Alpha ; Koroma, Ernest ; Sirleaf, Johnson ; Frieden, Tom

This panel discussion addresses the Ebola crisis in West Africa and how the crisis has already had a profound impact on millions of people in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Participants discussed the urgent issues that must be handled, including urgent financing.
Remarks at the African Union Summit, Addis Ababa

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2008-01-31) Zoellick, Robert B.

Robert B. Zoellick, President of the World Bank, addressed the challenges and opportunities for World Bank Group cooperation with the African Union. He discussed the following topics: (i) Millennium Development Goals have become critical for social development in Africa; (ii) growth and opportunity for Sub-Saharan Africa; (iii) natural resource development; (iv) post-conflict countries and those in fragile situations; and (v) the danger of high energy and food prices.