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STORY OF THE MONTH
World Bank President Jim Kim to Parliamentarians: Human Capital is a “No-Regrets Investment”
Bali Nusa Dua, October 9, 2018 – The World Bank, the IMF, and the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank and IMF co-organized a High-Level Parliamentary Meeting with the overarching theme and development priority “Investing in Human Capital” on October 8-9 during the Annual Meetings in Bali.
This special parliamentary event, co-hosted by the Indonesian Parliament, convened approximately 75 participants from 20 countries across the globe. Also present were several influential representatives of the Indonesian government who gave keynote addresses, including the Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives Bambang Soesatyo, the Coordinating Minister of Economy Dr. Darmin Nasution, the Minister of Finance, Sri Mulyani Indrawati, and the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Retired General Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.
Read the Full Story | Browse through the event’s Pictures
Watch the Town Hall Session with President Kim and Christine Lagarde
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2018 ANNUAL MEETINGS
World Bank VP Sheila Redzepi Sits Down with Parliamentary Network Chair Jeremy Lefroy
Bali Nusa Dua, October 9, 2018 – In addition to a full schedule of inspiring events, the Annual Meetings in Bali were the occasion for several high-level bilateral meetings. One such encounter took place between World Bank Vice President for External and Corporate Relations Sheila Redzepi and Parliamentary Network Chair and UK MP Jeremy Lefroy. They sat down to discuss shared priorities of the World Bank and the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank and IMF, such as investing in Human Capital and creating youth jobs. They explored how the two organizations can continue and improve collaboration to achieve lasting and meaningful development results worldwide.
Parliamentary Network on the World Bank and IMF
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2018 ANNUAL MEETINGS
Meeting with German Parliamentary Delegation to the Annual Meetings
Bali Nusa Dua, October 10, 2018 – On the sidelines of the Annual Meetings in Bali, representatives of the World Bank and the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank & IMF hosted a meeting with the German Parliamentary Delegation composed of 10 influential members of the Bundestag and the Bundesrat. Honorable Yunus Carrim, MP and Chair of the Standing Committee on Finance, South Africa and Board Member of the Parliamentary Network chaired the meeting and opened by presenting the Network and its mission to the German delegation. Roberta Gatti, Chief Economist, Human Development Practice Group at the World Bank followed with a presentation of the Human Capital Project and, in particular, the Human Capital Index. Discussions centered around Human Capital and how to reorient revenues from natural resources to education and healthcare, as well as how to ensure that investments in those areas produce concrete results. The German delegation acknowledged the importance of interparliamentary exchanges and agreed to encourage participation in the upcoming 2019 Global Parliamentary Conference, join the Parliamentary Network, and contribute to discussion topics such as the question of migration.
The World Bank in Germany.
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PARLIAMENTARY ENGAGEMENT
United Kingdom: House of Lords Hosts Event on Explosive Violence
London, October 17, 2018 – The All Party Parliamentary Group on Explosive Threats hosted an event at the House of Lords to mark the launch of Reduce Explosive Violence and Increase Victim Empowerment (REVIVE) as a non-profit organization. REVIVE is an awareness and media campaign created to focus on the rise in casualties of explosive violence and on the individuals and organizations that provide help and support to victims of explosive violence. Members of the Board include parliamentarians, representatives from civil society, the private sector, and the city of London. World Bank Special Representative to the UK and Ireland Jakob Kopperud was invited to speak at the event alongside Dan Carden, MP and Shadow Minister for International Development, UK. Mr. Kopperud touched on the World Bank reports The Changing Wealth of Nations and Pathways for Peace, as well as the Human Capital Project, and IDA’s increased focus on Fragility, Conflict and Violence.
REVIVE | The World Bank in the UK
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PARLIAMENTARY ENGAGEMENT
World Bank President Jim Yong Kim Meets with Japanese MPs
Tokyo, October 16, 2018 – World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim attended a breakfast meeting with members of the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank (PNoWB) in Japan. Twelve members of the Parliamentary Network including Mr. Asahiko Mihara, President of the PNoWB Japan, participated in the meeting. After thanking MPs for their long-term support to the World Bank Group, President Kim explained the recently-announced "Human Capital Project" and the value of investing in people, as Japan has been doing since the Meiji Restoration 150 years ago. Participants then discussed a wide range of development challenges, such as controlling the fiscal costs of universal health coverage, ensuring versatility of the future generation through quality education, engaging new donors, addressing high population growth in developing countries, protecting the liberal trade regime, and reducing food waste. Attending MPs appreciated the opportunity to exchange candidly on development challenges impacting them. President Kim reconfirmed his commitment to working closely with the Japanese presidency of the G-20 next year.
The World Bank in Japan.
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PARLIAMENTARY ENGAGEMENT
Georgia: Country Partnership Framework Presented to Parliament
Kutaisi, September 25, 2018 – A team led by the World Bank Regional Director for the South Caucasus, Mercy Tembon met with the Sector Economy and Economic Policy Committee Chair, Roman Kakulia and other members of the Committee in order to discuss the new Georgia Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for FY 2019-2022. The team presented the CPF priorities and the Bank’s planned support to Georgia in the coming years. Among the topics discussed was the Human Capital Project, of which Georgia will be one of the early adopters. Hon. Kakulia underlined the importance of continuing with the Bank’s Regional Development program given regional disparities and spoke about the results already achieved under this program. It was agreed that additional regions will be selected and the analysis of priorities for regional development determined in coordination with the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development and other donor organizations. Honorable Kakulia noted that the World Bank has developed a clear system for defining the major challenges both countrywide and at the regional level. He pointed out that Education programs planning and possible interventions in particular are a major challenge, which when properly addressed and targeted, will allow Georgia to achieve the desired level of economic development.
The World Bank in Georgia
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PARLIAMENTARY ENGAGEMENT
Argentina: French MP Meets World Bank Team in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, September 12, 2018 – Alain Perea, French MP and Vice President of the Sustainable Development Committee requested a meeting with the World Bank Argentina Country Office to discuss transportation innovations being implemented in Argentina in order to help him prepare a future orientation bill on mobilities. He met with Daniel Benitez, Senior Transport Economist; Veronica Raffo, Senior Infrastructure Specialist; and Santiago Arias, Transport Specialist, World Bank; and David Tinel, Country Manager, IFC. They explained how innovation should play a key role in transportation planning, for instance, using big data analysis to understand mobility patterns. They emphasized the need for flexible transportation systems, spiral rather than linear project development, and collaboration between the public sector and private technology companies. They gave the example of Buenos Aires, where the Ministry of Transport teamed up with tech companies to build an application that surveys mobility patterns. The pilot of the app will soon be launched in the Itati slums to better plan future transportation interventions in the area. In a true example of inter-parliamentary diplomacy, Hon. Perea also met with members of the Argentinian Parliament to exchange on ways Argentina and France can learn from each other, fostering the commercial relationship between the countries in the wine sector, and exchanging about transportation issues faced by each country.
The World Bank in Argentina
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PARLIAMENTARY ENGAGEMENT
South Africa: Systematic Country Diagnostic Presented to Standing Committee on Finance
Cape Town, August 14, 2018 – The World Bank Group in South Africa presented the Systematic Country Diagnostic (SCD) to the Standing Committee on Finance in Parliament. This committee plays a key oversight role in holding the National Treasury, in addition to other departments and public institutions, accountable. The presentation, led by Marek Hanusch, Senior Economist for Macroeconomics Global Practice, comes on the back of talks held in February with the Chairman of the Standing Committee, Mr. Yunus Carrim, to explore issues influencing World Bank engagement with the government of South Africa.
The reaction to the SCD presentation was mixed, and Mr. Carrim told the committee that even if not all members agreed with the World Bank, establishing a dialogue was useful. He suggested institutionalizing this engagement with a presentation by the Bank once a year. It is hoped that annual engagements with Parliament will go a long way toward creating transparency and that discussions will evolve from being purely ideological to more substantive.
The World Bank in South Africa
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PARLIAMENTARY ENGAGEMENT
Guatemalan Parliamentarians Learn from Colombia
Bogota, June 28, 2018 – The World Bank Office in Guatemala and the Social, Urban, Rural and Resilience Global Practice organized a study tour for Guatemalan parliamentarians to Bogotá, Colombia on June 25-28. The purpose was to help them prepare a law for Free, Prior and Informed Consultation of Indigenous peoples. Also present were representatives of the Supreme Court, the Ministry of Labor, and Indigenous authorities and organizations. The Guatemalan delegation met with the Constitutional Court, the Ministry of the Interior, private sector and IP organizations to learn the legal, institutional, budgetary and technical aspects of the Colombian system that will facilitate the work of the Guatemalan Congress in approving a law to regulate consultation with Indigenous peoples.
The World Bank in Guatemala
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UPCOMING EVENT - November 26-28, 2018
Women Leaders Global Forum
Women Political Leaders (WPL) and the Government and Parliament of Iceland will co-host the Women Leaders Global Forum in Reykjavik, Iceland November 26-28, 2018. This year’s theme is on the impacts of digitalization and will be co-chaired by leaders of the OECD, World Bank, World Economic Forum and others, including a Leaders Talk in cooperation with the World Bank on “Digital Leapfrogging Driving Development.” The forum, labeled as “the Davos of women,” will create a platform to foster dialogue between outstanding women leaders from all sectors, public and private: politics, business, academia, arts, civil society. The goal is to network passionate women leaders, who are playing a vital role in their respective fields to share ideas, insights and experience and provide them with the opportunity to inspire and offer counsel to equals.
Women Leaders Global Forum | WPL
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MULTIMEDIA
Human Capital and Technology: Building the New Social Contract
Ahead of the World Bank Group-IMF Annual Meetings, World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim spoke at Stanford University about preparing the next generation for an emerging, disrupted world. Dr. Kim discussed new World Bank research on the changing nature of work and the impact of technology and innovation on people’s lives, especially the poorest. As developing countries prepare for an increasingly complex, digital future, Dr. Kim challenged the technology community to lead in shaping a more prosperous and sustainable world. Jim Yong Kim to students at Stanford University: “We need to build technology where the poorest and the most vulnerable are part of its core architecture —where human solidarity is stamped into the DNA of every new innovation.”
Watch video
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PUBLICATION
World Development Report 2019: The Future of Work
The latest World Development Report explores how rapid technological progress is reshaping the nature of work and requiring urgent action from governments, particularly in developing nations, to remain competitive globally. Investments in human capital throughout the life cycle must be a priority to ensure that workers stay competitive against machines. The newly launched Human Capital Index (HCI) seeks to measure countries’ investments in health and education to inform policymakers on where gaps exist and help them implement reforms to close them and improve. Social protection systems will also need to be updated to redefine private sector policies in areas such as wages, retirement, and the relationship between employers and employees.
Report | Press Release
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DATA
Human Capital Index Launched
The Human Capital Index was launched as part of the Human Capital Project. The index quantifies countries’ contributions of health and education to the productivity of future generations of workers. It can be used by policymakers to assess the losses in income due to human capital gaps and explore methods to turn those losses into gains. Each country’s index scores are put into perspective in a 2-page brief with data. More information about the Human Capital Index can be found in the Human Capital Booklet.
Country Briefs and Data | Human Capital Project Booklet | The Human Capital Project
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DATA
Extreme Poverty Rapidly Falling Globally but Rising in Sub-Saharan Africa
The recently released poverty numbers show that the number of people living on less than $1.90 or less per day is gradually decreasing globally, except in Sub-Saharan Africa. More than half of the world’s poor are currently in Africa, and if current trends do not change, more than 80% of the world’s poor will be in Africa by 2030.
Full Data
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July 25, 2018
Pakistan
General elections were held following a 5-year term for the outgoing government. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), led by Imran Khan, won the majority with 116 out of 272 seats. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, got 64 seats. The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) took 43, with the remaining 44 seats split among other parties.
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July 29, 2018
Cambodia
The Cambodia People’s Party, led by Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has been in power for 33 years, won all 125 seats of parliament. The only viable opposition party, CNRP, was dissolved by the Supreme Court in November 2017, with 118 members being banned from politics for five years.
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July 30, 2018
Zimbabwe
The ruling ZANU-PF party, headed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, won an overwhelming majority of 144 out of 210 seats, while the opposing Movement for Democratic Change party won only 64. With two-thirds majority, ZANU PF has the required numbers to amend the constitution.
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September 3, 2018
Rwanda
The Rwandan Patriot Front, President Paul Kagame’s Nationalist party, won 40 out of 53 directly-elected seats in Parliament. The remaining 13 elected seats were split among four other parties, including 2 candidates from the Democratic Green Party and 2 Social Party Imberakuri, who are entering parliament for the first time. The remaining 27 seats are indirectly elected. Rwanda also broke a world record with 67.5% women in parliament.
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September 9, 2018
Sweden
Prime Minister Stefan Lofven’s center-left bloc took a slight lead with 144 out of 349 seats, while the center-right opposition, Alliance, took 143 seats, and the far-right Sweden Democrats saw a significant increase to 62 seats. With 175 seats needed for a majority government, either a cross-bloc coalition or an agreement about a minority government will need to be formed.
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October 6, 2018
Latvia
The center-left opposition Social Democratic Party “Harmony” won 23 of 100 seats in Latvia’s most recent parliamentary elections. Centre-right party Unity, which was the largest party before the emergence of the Social Democratic Party, lost seats, retaining only 8. The anti-establishment KPV LV Party won 16 seats, entering parliament for the first time, and the New Conservative Party also won 16.
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October 7, 2018
Brazil
Brazilian congressional elections occurred as part of the country’s general elections. Renewal rate was high: 47% in the lower house and an unprecedent 85% in the senate. From the 513 seats in the Chamber of Deputies, the Worker’s Party (PT) and the Social Liberal Party (PSL) elected the largest number of representatives, with 56 seats (losing 13) and 52 seats (gaining 51) respectively. The Progressive Party, the Brazilian Democratic Movement, the Social Democratic Party, the Republic Party, the Brazilian Socialist Party and the Brazilian Republican Party all won between 30 and 37 seats. Female representation is up to 15% from 10% previously. In the Senate, Brazilian Democratic Movement will have the biggest representation, retaining 12 of 81 seats, the Brazilian Social Democracy Party won 9 seats, the Social Democratic Party won 7, while Democrats party and the Worker’s party won 6.
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October 7, 2018
São Tomé and Príncipe
The ruling Independent Democratic Action (ADI) party won 25 of 55 seats under Prime Minister Patrice Trovoada. The main opposition party, the center-left MLSTP/PSD party, led by its newly elected president Jorge Bom Jesus, secured 23 seats. The third most voted party was the coalition PCD-MDFM-UDD which secured 5 seats, while the Movement of Independent citizens have secured two seats. While it won the elections, it is not yet clear if ADI will be invited by the president to form the government, since it will not have a majority in parliament. MLPSTP-PSD and the Coalition PCD-MDFM-UDD have agreed to form the next government and have a majority of 28 seats against the 27 of ADI and the Movement of Independent Citizens.
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October 13, 2018
Czech Republic
Two rounds of Senatorial elections were held to replace one-third, or 27 of the 81 seats of Senate. The opposition Conservative Civic Democratic Party (ODS) won with 10 seats, giving them a total of 16 seats. The Mayors and Independents party, won 5 seats for a total of 10. Prime Minister Andrej Babis’s ANO party and their coalition partner, the Social Democrats, only won 1 seat each for a total of 7 and 13 seats respectively. This election marks the first time in more than two decades that the Communist Party that ruled former Czechoslovakia will have no representation in the Senate.
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October 18, 2018
Bhutan
The second round of voting for the 47 seats in the Bhutanese National Assembly narrowed the competition down to a race between the top two parties from the first round. Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT), a people-centered and pragmatic party moving the nation forward together came out on top with 30 seats and the Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DNT), Bhutan’s Peace and Prosperity Party won 17 seats. The ruling People’s Democratic Party came in third during the first round of voting, disqualifying them for the second round and resulting in a loss of 32 seats. This is only the third election since Bhutan changed from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy in 2008.
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