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

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Annual Meetings 2022 Media Roundtable Opening Remarks by World Bank Group President David Malpass

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-10-07) Malpass, David

Transcript of the remarks delivered by President David Malpass at the 2022 World Bank Group annual meetings media roundtable. He outlines the most urgent current crises facing development, and answers questions from participants.
Remarks by World Bank Group President David Malpass at Fragility Forum 2022: Development and Peace in Uncertain Times

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-03-07) Malpass, David

These remarks were delivered by World Bank Group President David Malpass at Fragility Forum 2022, Development and Peace in Uncertain Times on March 7, 2022. He said that there are no words to express the horror of the Ukrainian people, and the World Bank Group is doing everything it can to assist Ukraine and the region. He spoke about the largest refugee flow in Europe since WW2. He explained that they are assessing the consequences and how the WBG can respond, both in eastern Europe and in fragile countries around the world. He was hoping this fragility forum will confront challenges and provide new ideas on how the international community can more effectively help people facing conflict and fragility. He mentioned the following: (i) first, we are living in a world where protracted armed conflict keeps increasing, as we have seen in the Middle East and Africa, where immensely destructive impacts are reversing decades of progress in development; (ii) second, the pandemic has hit societies that are already in turmoil, food systems that are already impacted by climate change, and populations already displaced by conflict; (iii) third, climate change is a threat multiplier, placing major strain on economies and societies, particularly in fragile settings; and (iv) equally worrying are the new acute and destabilizing political crises, including coups d’états, as well as the unfreezing of old conflicts and the emergence of new inter-state wars. He highlighted that the World Bank Group has been active in fragile settings from our very inception and the support to countries affected by fragile, conflict, and violence (FCV) has deepened over the last decade. He spoke about their current FCV strategy provides a basis for differentiating their response at every stage of fragility and conflict as follows: helping prevent or mitigate risks in fragile environments; ensuring that they remain engaged in active crises and conflicts; and working to ensure sustainable recovery in post-crisis transitions. He hopes that the discussions during the Forum will help deepen our understanding of challenges related to fragility and set the concrete actions and priorities for the international community, for governments, and for people working to reverse the alarming trends we are seeing now.
Avoiding a Lost Decade in Latin America and the Caribbean

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-06-23) Malpass, David

World Bank Group President David Malpass discussed his work on development and the unique challenges facing Latin America during his 1984 trips to Honduras and Guatemala for the United States government. In addition to per capita gross domestic product, the World Bank recognizes the importance of non-economic measures of prosperity including access to electricity, clean water, health, education, and nutrition; environmental protection, biodiversity and resilience to climate change; and connectivity to people, information, and financial services. As shown in the recent report, Renewing with Growth, some countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) have strong capabilities in this area. For long-term growth, LAC needs a supportive business environment that is conducive for entrepreneurship. In many countries, it is important to address distortions induced by state ownership. Foreign direct investment can play a big role in improving competition and productivity. The LAC region has a great opportunity post pandemic to expand trade through more dynamic global value chains.
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 to the Spring Meetings 2021 Development Committee

(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2021-04-09) Malpass, David

World Bank Group President David Malpass spoke about how the Development Committee plays an essential and unique role in the international cooperation architecture. He highlighted the actions taken by World Bank to respond quickly to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which includes new COVID-related emergency health programs in 112 countries, vaccination operations that are expected to reach four billion dollars in commitments available in fifty countries by mid-year, and a quick doubling of trade and working capital finance to help fill the banking vacuum that hit private sectors. He urged all to consider how we can restore growth in developing countries and help reverse the growing inequality, in terms of access to vaccinations, unsustainable debt, and adverse climate impacts. He was very pleased with the G20’s endorsement of advancing the IDA replenishment cycle to 2021. He mentioned that the main elements of the World Bank Group’s Climate Change Action Plan were presented last week. He discussed the three topics of Debt, Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccines, and Green Resilient and Inclusive Development which are critical to a sustainable recovery. He concluded we can generate a recovery that ensures a broad and lasting rise in prosperity, especially for the poorest and most vulnerable.
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.
Economic Recovery: Conversation with David Malpass, Kristalina Georgieva, and Janet Yellen

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-04-06) Malpass, David ; Georgieva, Kristalina ; Yellen, Janet

World Bank Group President David Malpass spoke about the world facing major challenges, including COVID, climate change, rising poverty and inequality and growing fragility and violence in many countries. He highlighted vaccines, working closely with Gavi, WHO, and UNICEF, the World Bank has conducted over one hundred capacity assessments, many even more before vaccines were available. The World Bank Group worked to achieve a debt service suspension initiative and increased transparency in debt contracts at developing countries. The World Bank Group is finalizing a new climate change action plan, which includes a big step up in financing, building on their record climate financing over the past two years. He noted big challenges to bring all together to achieve GRID: green, resilient, and inclusive development. Janet Yellen, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, mentioned focusing on vulnerable people during the pandemic. Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, focused on giving everyone a fair shot during a sustainable recovery. All three commented on the importance of tackling climate change.
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 Session 1 of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting, February 26, 2021

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-02-26) Malpass, David

David Malpass, President of the World Bank, declared that inequality, poverty, and climate change will be the defining issues of our age. The goal is to achieve fair, broad, and fast access to effective and safe vaccines for developing countries. On climate, the Bank is looking forward to supporting the G20 on the very active climate agenda, including at the Venice climate summit in July. Debt transparency and sustainability remain major challenges for vulnerable countries. Each of these priorities - vaccines, climate, and debt - is plagued with inequality, which is causing a reversal of progress on development.
Remarks at China’s 1+6 Roundtable with Premier Li Keqiang

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2020-11-24) Malpass, David

World Bank Group President David Malpass spoke about the broad, rapid, and affordable access to Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines which will be at the core of a resilient economic recovery that lifts everyone. He mentioned that the World Bank Group’s forty-year engagement with China has been mutually beneficial and continues to evolve. He thanked China for its large contribution to IDA19, which is particularly noteworthy given China’s stage of development. He highlighted on the lending relationship with China which is also evolving steadily, with a strong focus on analytical and advisory services and strong engagement from the International Finance Corporation. He expressed that China’s economy needs further reform to get the most benefit as it returns to sustained growth. China’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) economic policy response has been weighted towards supporting firms and banks and encouraging public investment, in relative terms, while direct transfers to households have been limited. Greening of China’s growth going forward should form a core objective of the fourteenth five-year plan. Regarding progress on debt relief and transparency, he mentioned that private creditors have not been participating, leaving official bilateral creditors shouldering much of the burden.