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  • Publication
    Remarks by World Bank Group President Ajay Banga at the 2024 Annual Meetings Plenary
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-10-28) Banga, Ajay
    In his speech at the 2024 Annual Meetings Plenary, World Bank Group President Ajay Banga highlighted the organization's achievements over its 80-year history and outlined its future direction. He emphasized the dual focus on reconstruction and development, reflecting on the World Bank's origins and its evolving role in addressing global challenges such as poverty, climate change, conflict, and pandemics. Banga discussed the need for the World Bank to be faster, simpler, and more impact-oriented. He noted improvements in project approval times, streamlined processes, and enhanced collaboration with other multilateral development banks. He also highlighted the importance of measurable outcomes and increased lending capacity to maximize the institution's impact.
  • Publication
    Remarks by World Bank Group President Ajay Banga at the Agriculture and Food as an Engine of Sustainable Growth and Jobs Event
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-10-25) Banga, Ajay
    This document outlines a new strategic approach for a global organization to address the challenges and opportunities within the agricultural sector. The document highlights four fundamental shifts transforming the agribusiness landscape, including the increasing vulnerability of agriculture to climate change, the emergence of new tools for derisking investments, advancements in digitalization, and the need for greater collaboration between large food companies and smaller farmers. The organization proposes a comprehensive ecosystem approach to agribusiness involving increased investment, focusing on smallholder farmers and producer organizations, and combining public and private sector initiatives. The document emphasizes the potential of this approach to create jobs, improve food security, and contribute to a more sustainable future.
  • Publication
    Remarks by World Bank Group President Ajay Banga at the Lowy Institute in Sydney, Australia
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-09-13) Banga, Ajay
    World Bank Group President Ajay Banga delivered remarks at the Lowy Institute in Sydney, Australia. He discussed the World Bank's efforts to address global challenges such as climate change, inequality, and fragility. Banga highlighted the reforms the World Bank has implemented to become more effective and impactful, including expanding its mission and vision, shortening project-approval processes, integrating operations, and increasing lending capacity. He also emphasized the importance of securing a significant replenishment of the International Development Association (IDA) and the need for collaboration with the private sector to close the financing and jobs gap. Banga mentioned specific initiatives focused on climate financing, healthcare, energy access, and social protection programs. He concluded by expressing the World Bank's commitment to ongoing reforms and greater ambition in achieving its development goals.
  • Publication
    Remarks by World Bank Group President Ajay Banga at G20 Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-07-24) Banga, Ajay
    This document highlights the interconnectedness of poverty and hunger, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive approach to address both issues. It emphasizes the importance of investing in proven solutions, particularly in the areas of social protection, agricultural development, and knowledge sharing. The document also underscores the role of international partnerships and financial resources in achieving these goals, aiming to create a world free from both poverty and hunger.
  • Publication
    World Bank Group President Ajay Banga’s Remarks at IDA for Africa Heads of State Summit
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-04-29) Banga, Ajay
    These remarks were delivered by the World Bank Group President Ajaya Banga at the IDA for Africa Heads of State Summit on April 29, 2024. The main idea revolves around the potential for transformative change in Africa through strategic investments and development assistance. The President emphasizes the need for unity and common ground among African leaders to address challenges and unlock the continent's potential. Drawing parallels with successful development stories from other regions, the document highlights the importance of investing in people, building infrastructure, and supporting job-generating industries. It calls for a collaborative effort involving governments, the international community, and the private sector to realize Africa's economic future and create opportunities for prosperity and progress.
  • Publication
    Remarks by World Bank Group President Ajay Banga at the China Development Forum
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-03-24) Banga, Ajay
    The document collection discusses the challenges and opportunities facing the global community, focusing on issues such as persistent poverty, protracted conflicts, and the intractable climate crisis. It highlights the urgent need to create jobs for the 1.1 billion young people who will enter the workforce in the next decade, especially in the developing world where economic growth is retreating. The collection emphasizes the importance of learning from successful development strategies, using the example of China's remarkable journey in overcoming poverty and achieving explosive job growth. It also underscores the significance of addressing environmental concerns, showcasing how China's efforts in transitioning away from inefficient industries and improving air quality have had a positive impact. Overall, the document collection emphasizes the need for collaborative efforts to combat poverty, promote economic development, and address environmental challenges on a global scale.
  • Publication
    Remarks by World Bank Group President Ajay Banga at the International Development Association (IDA) Midterm Review
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2023-12-06) Banga, Ajay
    These remarks were delivered by World Bank Group President, Ajay Banga, at the International Development Association (IDA) Midterm Review on December 6, 2023. He extended his condolences to Tanzania and the communities impacted in the floods a few days ago. He assured that the World Bank will be by their side during the recovery and reconstruction. He spoke about the founding of International Development Association, charged with a simple yet noble mission to raise standards of living and build momentum for growth in developing countries. He questioned on how can we hope to make even adequate progress while 600 million people in Africa – 36 million of whom live here in Tanzania still don’t have access to reliable electricity He cited the example from town in Nigeria where IDA had helped fund a mini-grid system, and the electricity it generated allowed small farmers to do their work in half the time, it enabled shop keepers to accept digital payments, and gave diabetics regular access to climate-controlled insulin. He insisted that we must make good on the World Bank’s evolution roadmap and make IDA more approachable, accessible, and understandable. He highlighted that together we will reimagine what IDA could become and what we could achieve as a result. He concluded by saying that we will have the opportunity to commit ourselves to the vision that sparked the creation of IDA—a vision of a world where poverty is not a barrier to human potential, but a world where every individual has the opportunity to thrive.
  • Publication
    Remarks by World Bank Group President, Ajay Banga at High Level Segment Summit on Methane at COP28 in Dubai, UAE
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2023-12-02) Banga, Ajay
    These remarks were delivered by World Bank Group President, Ajay Banga at High Level Segment Summit on Methane at COP28 in Dubai, UAE on December 2, 2023. He started by mentioning about how Methane is 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in warming the planet, making it a major driver of climate change. He said that the frontier of methane reduction is one such area where the World Bank believes there are answers at their fingertips, and that is why the World Bank is taking action, scaling proven – and urgently needed – strategies that can decisively bend the methane emission curve. He mentioned that over the following eighteen months, as part of a blueprint for methane reduction, World Bank will help launch fifteen national programs that aim to slash methane emissions. He also added that the World Bank has been working with Germany, Norway, the United States, and the UAE alongside the private sector to expand our long-standing efforts to significantly cut methane emissions across the whole energy value chain. He highlighted on Methane is one rare, clear area where we know there are low-cost remedies, effective and simple solutions that can be replicated and scaled. He concluded by saying, we must act, and in doing so we can reduce emissions, enhance agricultural yields, and improve health outcomes all in one go.
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    Remarks by World Bank Group President Ajay Banga at Transforming Climate Finance Event, COP28
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2023-12-01) Banga, Ajay
    These were the remarks delivered by World Bank Group President Ajay Banga at the COP28 Climate Finance Event on December 1, 2023. He spoke about the resources of wealthy nations can create opportunities, meanwhile the abundance of sun, wind, fertile soil, and young people enjoyed by emerging economies could drive our future. We have inherited decades of knowledge and benefitted from the generosity of every nation, now we are being called upon to lead, and we have never been better positioned to deliver the progress that is demanded. Today, the World Bank is setting an ambitious goal to devote 45 percent of our annual financing to climate by 2025. We’re putting our ambition in overdrive and putting to work more than 40 billion dollars per year, around 9 billion dollars more than the original target. Making certain IBRD and IDA resources are deployed equally for mitigation and adaptation, because while we all are experiencing climate change, we are feeling the effects differently. Over the next few days, the World Bank will detail a blueprint for slashing methane emissions, announce a roadmap for high integrity carbon markets, discuss progress on our Private Sector Investment Lab, and outline efforts to deepen the collective impact of multilateral development banks.
  • Publication
    Remarks by World Bank Group President Ajay Banga at the 2023 Annual Meetings Plenary
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2023-10-17) Banga, Ajay
    This report discusses the remarks delivered by Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank at the annual meetings plenary. The World Bank stepped forward to support the most vulnerable when compounding challenges: the war in Ukraine, the effects of the pandemic, and inflation-hit. But the need was so great that we allocated the majority of our three-year crisis response window in the first year. Our partnership focuses on three objectives: attack deforestation in the Amazon, strengthen the Caribbean’s resilience to natural disasters, and bridge the digital-access gap across Latin America and the Caribbean.