Tuesday, October 6, 2020

INTERNATIONAL BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT

 

INTERNATIONAL BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT

IBRD

Introduction:

The world’s largest development bank, IBRD provides financial products and policy advice to help countries reduce poverty and extend the benefits of sustainable growth to all of their people. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) is a global development cooperative owned by 189 member countries. As the largest development bank in the world, it supports the World Bank Group’s mission by providing loans, guarantees, risk management products, and advisory services to middle-income and creditworthy low-income countries, as well as by coordinating responses to regional and global challenges.

The World Bank was created at the 1944 Bretton Woods Conference, along with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The president of the World Bank is, traditionally, an American. The World Bank and the IMF are both based in Washington, D.C., and work closely with each other.

The intention behind the founding of the World Bank was to provide temporary loans to low-income countries which were unable to obtain loans commercially. The Bank may also make loans and demand policy reforms from recipients.

Organization:

The World Bank is like a cooperative, made up of 189 member countries. These member countries, or shareholders, are represented by a Board of Governors, who are the ultimate policymakers at the World Bank. Generally, the governors are member countries' ministers of finance or ministers of development. They meet once a year at the Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund.

The governors delegate specific duties to 25 Executive Directors, who work on-site at the Bank. The five largest shareholders appoint an executive director, while other member countries are represented by elected executive directors.

The World Bank Group President chairs meetings of the Boards of Directors and is responsible for overall management of the Bank. The President is selected by the Board of Executive Directors for a five-year, renewable term.

The Executive Directors make up the Boards of Directors of the World Bank. They normally meet at least twice a week to oversee the Bank's business, including approval of loans and guarantees, new policies, the administrative budget, country assistance strategies and borrowing and financial decisions.

The World Bank operates day-to-day under the leadership and direction of the president, management and senior staff, and the vice presidents in charge of Global Practices, Cross-Cutting Solutions Areas, regions, and functions.

In time, the focus shifted from reconstruction to development, with a heavy emphasis on infrastructure such as dams, electrical grids, irrigation systems, and roads.  With the founding of the International Finance Corporation in 1956, the institution became able to lend to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries.  And the founding of the International Development Association in 1960 put greater emphasis on the poorest countries, part of a steady shift toward the eradication of poverty becoming the Bank Group’s primary goal.  The subsequent launch of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency further rounded out the Bank Group’s ability to connect global financial resources to the needs of developing countries.

Today the Bank Group’s work touches nearly every sector that is important to fighting poverty, supporting economic growth, and ensuring sustainable gains in the quality of people’s lives in developing countries.  While sound project selection and design remain paramount, the Bank Group recognizes a wide range of factors that are critical to success—effective institutions, sound policies, continuous learning through evaluation and knowledge-sharing, and partnership, including with the private sector.  The Bank Group has long-standing relationships with more than 180 member countries, and it taps these to address development challenges that are increasingly global.  On critical issues like climate change, pandemics, and forced migration, the Bank Group plays a leading role because it is able to convene discussion among its country members and a wide array of partners.  It can help address crises while building the foundations for longer-term, sustainable development.

The evolution of the Bank Group has also been reflected in the diversity of its multidisciplinary staff, who include economists, public policy experts, sector experts, and social scientists, based at headquarters in Washington, D.C., and in the field.

IBRD Mission

To end extreme poverty:

By reducing the share of the global population that lives in extreme poverty to 3 percent by 2030.

To promote shared prosperity:

By increasing the incomes of the poorest 40 percent of people in every country.

One World Bank Group:

Five institutions have their own country membership, governing boards, and articles of agreement, they  work as one to serve the partner countries. 

IBRD

The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development

IDA

The International Development Association

IFC

The International Finance Corporation

MIGA

The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency

ICSID

The International Centre for Settlement of I Pic Courtesy :worldbank.org

Where does IBRD Work?

The World Bank Group works in more than 170 countries, working with partners in the public and private sectors in their efforts to end poverty and tackle some of the most pressing development challenges.

President of IBRD:

David R. Malpass, an American economist was selected as 13th President of the World Bank Group by its Board of Executive Directors on April 5, 2019.  His five-year term began on April 9.


David R. Malpass

Boards of Governors:

The Boards of Governors consist of one Governor and one Alternate Governor appointed by each member country. The office is usually held by the country's minister of finance, governor of its central bank, or a senior official of similar rank. The Governors and Alternates serve for terms of five years and can be reappointed.   

If the country is a member of the Bank and is also a member of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) or the International Development Association (IDA), then the appointed Governor and his or her alternate serve ex-officio as the Governor and Alternate on the IFC and IDA Boards of Governors. They also serve as representatives of their country on the Administrative Council of the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) unless otherwise noted. Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) Governors and Alternates are appointed separately.

-/-/-/-

 

 

Notes compiled from
https://www.worldbank.org/


click here to attempt MCQhttps://forms.gle/fo13fVC1PKjRHngW9


No comments:

Post a Comment