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

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Remarks at the IDA20 Replenishment Meeting

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-12-15) Malpass, David

World Bank Group President David Malpass noted that Japan is now one of the largest contributors to IDA, a key partner in achieving development results at the global, regional, and country level. He mentioned that for more than 60 years, IDA has provided concessional development financing totaling more than US$458 billion to 114 countries to boost economic growth, reduce poverty and inequality, and improve people’s living conditions.  He highlighted that the World Bank’s crisis response to COVID-19 has been the largest in its history, and IDA responded with speed and scale to the unprecedented economic and health crises and committed US$56.9 billion between April 2020 and November 2021.  He expressed his appreciation to the IDA Borrower Representatives who have consistently offered their advice, providing a country lens on how the support can best be tailored to meet the needs and priorities of IDA countries. He spoke about the generous pledges that are matched by the most ambitious IDA policy package. He concluded by saying that cross-cutting issues are the foundational building blocks of this policy framework. These include crisis preparedness, which was introduced in IDA20 to build resilience in a world of more frequent crises with compounded effects, as well as ongoing emphasis on governance and institutions, debt sustainability, and digital infrastructure and interventions to foster economic and social inclusion.
Remarks at the G7 Leaders’ Summit Media Briefing

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-06-13) Malpass, David

World Bank Group President David Malpass discussed talks with G7 leaders about the World Bank Group’s work on health and preparedness. The World Bank will have approved vaccination programs in over 50 countries by the end of June. He talked about the Bank’s joint work with the African Union’s Africa Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT) vaccination program. The Bank is convening a task force with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Trade Organization (WTO), and World Health Organization (WHO) to help track supplies, coordinate delivery, and accelerate deployment. He noted he would talk with G7 Leaders about the World Bank Group’s work on climate, nature-based solutions, and biodiversity.
Remarks at the World Health Organization Media Briefing on COVID-19 and Vaccine Equity

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-06-01) Malpass, David

World Bank Group President David Malpass stated that the immediate priority is for countries that have sufficient supply to quickly release doses to countries that have vaccination deployment programs. He said that by the end of June, the World Bank will have approved vaccination operations in over 50 countries. It is vital to speed up the supply chain. The World Bank is providing transparent access to very detailed information about projects through an online portal available at https://www.worldbank.org/vaccines. He urged other development partners to publish detailed information about their vaccine financing and deployment programs and their delivery schedules. The World Bank is also working to expand supply and will be making announcements of investments by IFC, the World Bank Group’s private sector development arm.
Remarks at the Western and Central Africa Regional Media Roundtable

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-05-20) Malpass, David

World Bank Group President David Malpass spoke about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has taken a toll on African lives, economies, and livelihoods. The World Bank intends to invest and mobilize about $150 billion over the next five years in Africa to support the continent’s recovery from the pandemic and its long-term development. He urged countries that expect to have excess vaccine supplies to release their excess as soon as possible to developing countries that have delivery programs in place. He emphasized the need for greater transparency in contracts between governments, pharmaceutical companies, and organizations that are involved in vaccine production and delivery so that financing can be directed effectively, and countries can plan for receipt and deployment. The World Bank yesterday launched a comprehensive online portal that provides easy access to information about their projects, including individual country-financing operations. He spoke about comprehensive debt solutions which will involve at least four elements: debt suspension, debt reduction, debt resolution, and debt transparency. He stated that without private creditors fully onboard, the Common Framework will not deliver a sustainable solution for Chad, Ethiopia, or Zambia. As countries work to recover, tackling climate change will be key for the region. The Bank is also working to address fragility, conflict, and violence. He concluded that while we know that the road to recovery will be long, countries in the region have applied lessons from previous crisis such as the West Africa Ebola outbreak in 2014, and many countries have strengthened their social safety nets to help protect the poor that have been most affected by the crisis, and to move faster on key reforms and investments that will be crucial for long-term development.
Remarks at the Leaders’ Summit on Climate

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-04-22) Malpass, David

David Malpass, President of the World Bank, discussed the core plan of the World Bank’s climate change action plan. The World Bank Group has reached its highest-ever levels of climate finance in the past two years. The Bank plan commits to big increases in spending, focused on results, plus active private sector mobilization through International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), the private sector focused entities. Also, the Bank is aligning the financing flows with the Paris Agreement. The Bank goal is to provide support, and take prompt action, in ways that create the most positive impact toward green, resilient, and inclusive development.
World Bank Group Press Conference at the 2021 Spring Meetings, April 7, 2021

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-04-07) Malpass, David

David Malpass, President of the World Bank, discussed vaccines, climate, and debt. The World Bank commitments grew a record amount both in percent terms and dollar terms in 2020. The Bank is providing financing for several of the countries and they can be large-scale programs, but the countries are working to arrange delivery schedules from the various vaccine providers. That will be an important part of the recovery. The Bank completed a big vaccination operation through Board, which makes financing available to Bangladesh and also technical assistance from the World Bank, which is very helpful to the countries as they try to enter contract discussions, and also as they work within their health systems in order to vaccinate people. The Bank is working actively on biodiversity and agricultural challenges facing Brazil.
Remarks at the Human Capital Conclave

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-04-05) Malpass, David

David Malpass, President of the World Bank, discussed the importance of investing in human capital for a green, resilient, and inclusive recovery from the Coronavirus disease crisis. He highlighted three important measures: 1) investing in people; 2) efficient expenditures and good governance; and 3) freeing up fiscal space.
Building a Green, Resilient, and Inclusive Recovery

(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2021-03-29) Malpass, David

World Bank Group President David Malpass acknowledged the importance of the United Kingdom within the World Bank Group. He spoke about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) which descended on the poor like wildfire. He highlighted the Bank's approach to the interlinked crises of green, resilient, inclusive development (GRID). The World Bank is working to help countries build “Country Platforms” to engage with wider groups of development actors as they develop the programs with Bank support. He focused on three of the most pressing challenges of climate, debt, and inequality. There is a need for integrated, long-run strategies that emphasize green, resilient, and inclusive development. He concluded we can generate a recovery that ensures a broad and lasting rise in prosperity especially for the poorest and most marginalized.
Remarks at the Virtual Meeting on the Africa COVID-19 Vaccine Financing and Deployment Strategy

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-01-27) Malpass, David

World Bank Group President David Malpass provided an update on the World Bank Group’s vaccination efforts. Coronavirus (COVID-19) has had a heavy toll on the people of Africa in terms of lives lost and the severe economic impact that is hitting the most vulnerable the hardest. The Group is preparing emergency vaccine financing projects in twenty-one countries in Africa. He highlighted IFC work to mobilize financing for vaccine production and therapeutics focused on developing countries. In implementing the vaccines programs, the World Bank Group is working directly with governments, including finance for their purchases from vaccine manufacturers and via COVAX, and for deployment efforts working with partners such as WHO and UNICEF. He urged the leaders of African countries to move quickly to secure vaccinations for their populations, and to avail themselves of the financing available from the World Bank Group and other partners to help with this.
Remarks at the Climate Adaptation Summit

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-01-25) Malpass, David

World Bank Group President David Malpass spoke about how the World Bank recognizes and appreciates the Netherlands’ leadership and expertise on adaptation. He focused on action and adaptation, which is a core activity in the World Bank Group’s development activities. World Bank Group financing for adaptation increased from forty percent of climate finance in 2016 to over fifty percent in 2020. The Bank is committed to making it half of total climate finance for the next five years. In six West African countries, the World Bank Group is working to protect against coastal erosion, restore wetlands and mangroves, and build seawalls and dikes. He highlighted World Bank support for Risk Management Readiness Operations with Deferred Draw-Down Options in small island states across the Caribbean, Pacific and Africa to build institutions and strategies to handle national emergencies caused by natural disasters and to access instant funding when disasters strike. He spoke about steps taken to strengthen resilience in World Bank Group projects. He concluded by mentioning the World Bank's goal to help keep communities safe and to help them develop in ways that are resilient during climate change.