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STORY OF THE MONTH
World Bank President Jim Kim Urges Parliamentarians to Invest in Human Capital
Washington DC, April 16-17, 2018 – More than 200 participants, including high-level MPs from 58 countries attended the 2018 Global Parliamentary Conference (GPC) on April 16-17, where they had the opportunity to discuss pressing global concerns directly with the World Bank President Jim Yong Kim and IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde.
This year’s conference focused on youth employment with a special half-day Parliamentary Session on Youth Jobs Creation. World Bank CEO, Kristalina Georgieva addressed the delegation at the start of the session, encouraging legislators to take multifaceted approaches to cope with rapid changes in the employment landscape. Other topics discussed included gender; climate change; fragility conflict and violence; and good governance.
The conference, organized jointly by the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank & IMF, the World Bank, and the IMF, has become an annual milestone at the Spring Meetings. It offers Parliamentarians a unique platform to engage in a dialogue with World Bank Group and IMF Senior development experts and senior officials on how to legislate for meaningful change in their countries.
Full Story
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PARLIAMENTARY ENGAGEMENT
Liberia: New Parliamentary Network Officers Inducted into Office
Monrovia, April 2018 – Fourteen new officials of the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank and IMF Liberia Chapter have been inducted into office by Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Prince K. Moye. The induction comes after a major political transition during October 2017 elections in Liberia that ushered in 73 members of the House of Representatives and voted out all past officials.
World Bank Country Director for Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, Dr. Henry Kerali, welcomed the strengthening of the Parliamentary Network Liberia Chapter, especially after the peaceful transition of power during elections. He stressed the significance the World Bank Group attaches to partnering with stakeholders for the growth and development of Liberia. IMF Resident Representative in Liberia, Geoffrey Oestreicher challenged Liberian parliamentarians to be better equipped to monitor and insist upon transparency.
The new chairperson of the Network, Representative Munah E. Pelham Youngblood, said the Liberia Chapter will engage in advocacy, oversight, research, as well as providing valuable information towards the realization of Liberia’s development goals under the pro-poor agenda of the new administration. She added that they will rely heavily on the relationship with the World Bank Group and donors.
The World Bank in Liberia
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PARLIAMENTARY ENGAGEMENT
Dominican Republic: Chamber of Deputies President and World Bank Country Manager Discuss Hurricane Preparedness and other Natural Disasters Ahead
Santo Domingo, May 9, 2018 – The World Bank Country Manager for the Dominican Republic, Alessandro Legrottaglie, was received by the President of the Lower Chamber, Ruben Maldonado, to discuss the recently WB-approved contingency line of credit for the Dominican Republic. The Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option (CAT-DDO) Project – the first instrument of its kind in the Caribbean – will allow the Dominican State to access resources to cope with possible emergencies related to natural disasters and health crises.
The Dominican Republic is one of the most exposed countries in the world to climatic events. Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 were a stark reminder that natural disasters represent a real threat to development in the Caribbean. Mr. Legrottaglie explained that the approval of this loan by Congress would permit fast funds disbursement in case of a disaster, including health emergencies, allowing the Government to effectively face immediate financing needs and preserve scarce fiscal resources for other much-needed social or development programs. "This funding will help assist the most vulnerable segments of the population, which always pay the highest price, and mitigate risks derived from climate events and natural disasters, as well as pandemics," said Legrottaglie. President Maldonado reaffirmed his commitment to speed up the loan approval process in the present legislature.
The World Bank in the Dominican Republic
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PARLIAMENTARY ENGAGEMENT
Pan African Parliament Holds Sixth Ordinary Session of the Fourth Parliament
Johannesburg, May 8, 2018 – 250 Parliamentarians from 52 countries attended the Sixth Ordinary Session of the Fourth Parliament of the Pan African Parliament (PAP), including 72 new members who were sworn in during the session. The theme of the session was “Winning the Fight Against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa’s Transformation,” in line with the World Bank’s zero tolerance policy on corruption. The Parliamentary Engagement team attended the session and explored opportunities to strengthen the World Bank’s alliance with PAP, particularly on the topics of Human Capital and jobs.
The PAP is an organ of the African Union that ensures the full participation of African peoples in governance, development and economic integration of the African continent. As the only continental parliamentary body in the world, it is a valued partner to the World Bank.
Pan African Parliament
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PARLIAMENTARY ENGAGEMENT
World Bank Parliamentary Team at Assemblée Parlementaire de la Francophonie Committee Meeting
Rome, May 3, 2018 – The World Bank Parliamentary Engagement team attended the Assemblée Parlementaire de la Francophonie’s (APF) Meeting of the Committee on Cooperation and Development in Rome on May 2-3, 2018. The meeting, held in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) at the headquarters of the FAO in Rome, focused on agricultural development in French-speaking countries. Many high-level representatives of international organizations were in attendance, as well as nearly 50 Parliamentarians from about 30 countries.
The meeting was opened by Maria Helena Semedo of the FAO. Moncef Follain of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie then spoke about economic and digital development in French-speaking countries, followed by several representatives of the FAO who discussed food security and digitalization in agriculture. After a presentation of the World Trade Organization (WTO) by Said El Hachimi, Nayé Bathily, Head of Parliamentary Engagement presented the World Bank’s mission, parliamentary engagement activities, and the importance of the World Bank’s partnership with APF.
Following the speeches, topics discussed included the use of digital technologies to promote sustainable agriculture, health systems in French-speaking countries, corruption, and international trade negotiations within the WTO. Exchanges were also held on the future work of the Committee. The APF will be issuing reports on “The Impact of the Digital Revolution on Jobs in the French-speaking World” and “The Economic Impact of Transportation and Tourism as a Source of Development,” for which they will seek World Bank input. The World Bank will also partner with the FAO for the Global Parliamentary Summit Against Hunger and Malnutrition on October 29-30, 2018 in Madrid, Spain, with a focus on food security and nutrition.
Assemblée Parlementaire de la Francophonie
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PARLIAMENTARY ENGAGEMENT
Rallying Forces: World Bank Group Consults with Kazakhstan MPs
Astana, April 12, 2018 – As part of the new Country Partnership Framework (CPF) public consultation process, World Bank Group (WBG) representatives met with members of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan to solicit their views on a strategic approach and explore possibilities for taking a role in supporting Kazakhstan’s vision for development and growth. Represented by two major parties – the "Nur Otan" Democratic People's Party and the “Akzhol” Democratic Party – MPs discussed results and lessons learned from the previous five-year Country Partnership Strategy as well as the Systematic Country Diagnostics that will lay grounds for shaping a new partnership program. “To move to a new growth model Kazakhstan needs to unleash the potential of the non-oil sectors since ‘business as usual’ will prevent further progress and would even contribute to an erosion of past gains” stated WB Country Director for Central Asia Lilia Burunciuc.
Overall, the WBG received broad support for the proposed priorities and objectives of the draft CPF. Parties agreed on a closer cooperation in the new CPF period covering 2019-2023. Kazakhstan has transitioned from lower-middle income to upper-middle income status in less than two decades. The country moved to the upper-middle income group in 2006. Since 2002, GDP per capita rose six-fold and poverty has fallen sharply, showing significant progress in country performance in the World Bank’s indicator of shared prosperity -- a commendable result that the WBG supports all over the world.
The World Bank in Kazakhstan
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PARLIAMENTARY ENGAGEMENT
Procurement Team in Brazil Helping Improve Public Bidding
Brasilia, April 11, 2018 – As part of the overall policy dialogue on public governance, the Procurement team in Brazil is helping improve the country’s public bidding. After meetings with the Civil House, the Ministry of Planning, and the Federal General Controller, procurement specialist Sinuê Aliram contributed to the discussions on a new bill being drafted in the House of Representatives. Mr. Sinuê presented suggestions for changes and improvements to the text proposed so far, based on the regulations governing World Bank Acquisitions.
Macro-fiscal team supports Brazil’s Federal Senate
The Macro-Fiscal team in Brazil is supporting the Senate in developing its macroeconomic and fiscal assessment capacity by sharing the World Bank’s detailed macro-economic model for Brazil and training Senate staff on its use. These activities will enable the Federal Senate and the Congress to have a much better set of macro-fiscal projections on which to base discussions on macroeconomic and fiscal outlook as well as policy changes. The support activities will be led by the Macro, Trade and Investment team, namely Fabiano Colbano, Cornelius Fleishhaker and Antonio Nucifora. At the Senate, the counterpart will be the Independent Fiscal Institution (IFI), the watchdog of financial issues.
The World Bank in Brazil
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PARLIAMENTARY ENGAGEMENT
The World Bank at the Commonwealth Parliamentarians’ Forum
London, February 27, 2018 – Samuel Maimbo, Head of Finance for Development Unit and Senior Adviser to the CFO, addressed the Commonwealth Parliamentarians’ Forum in London. The Forum took place ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in April 2018, and offered parliamentarians from all 52 Commonwealth countries the opportunity to discuss the CHOGM themes, shape their national debates on those themes, and thus influence CHOGM and its outcomes. The four themes of the Forum were:
- A more Sustainable future
- A Fairer future
- A more Secure future
- A more Prosperous future
Mr. Maimbo made a presentation to the assembled group on the topic of “Mobilizing Finance for Development.” A lively discussion followed his presentation, with questions addressing both his talk as well as wider issues of development and the role of the World Bank. He made a second presentation on “Outlook and Predictions” which covered economic growth prospects.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK
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PUBLICATION
Fair Progress? Economic Mobility Across Generations Around the World
The report looks at intergenerational mobility over half a century in 148 countries across the globe to explore the ease with which children can improve their economic circumstances from those of their parents. Findings show that mobility has stalled in the last 30 years in most parts of the world, although gender gaps are closing.
Publication | Press Release
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PUBLICATION
South Africa Systematic Country Diagnostic Published as Book
The South African Systematic Country Diagnostic (SCD) was published by the Cape Town University Press as a book entitled An Incomplete Transition: Overcoming the Legacy of Exclusion in South Africa. The SCD explores the key development challenges and opportunities for the country, identifying five binding constraints to overcoming poverty and inequality: (i) Insufficient skills; (ii) Skewed distribution of land and assets, and weak property rights; (iii) Low competition and integration in global and regional value chains; (iv) Limited or expensive connectivity, with under-serviced, disadvantaged settlements; and (v) Climate shocks as the country shifts to a low-carbon economy and deals with increasing water insecurity.
The SCD will be placed in bookshops and presented to Parliament as well as Universities in the coming months. Its key messages will enhance ongoing national discussions towards forging a new social contract promoted by South African President Ramaphosa. The SCD will also open a new era for the partnership between the WBG and South Africa as they formulate the next Country Partnership Framewok for 2019-23.
The World Bank in South Africa | Publication
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MULTIMEDIA
The World Bank Spring Meetings 2018: Big Ideas. Moving Forward, Together
The 2018 Spring Meetings gathered World Bank development experts and management with leaders from government, the private sector, CSOs, and more to share ideas and make progress on development issues. This year’s meetings announced big news: a paid-in capital increase to the World Bank and IFC of US$13 billion and the first ever US$1.5billion IDA bond.
Watch the video
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DATA
More than 85% of People Worldwide Have Access to Electricity
Global access to electricity has steadily risen in recent decades, although some gaps still exist, namely in Africa. The April 2018 Africa’s Pulse focuses on accelerating electrification of Sub-Saharan Africa to address this problem.
Full Data | Africa’s Pulse April 2018
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April 8, 2018
Hungary
The national conservative Fidesz party won the Hungarian parliamentary election garnering 133 of the 199 seats in parliament and keeping Prime Minister Viktor Orban in office for a third consecutive term. Orbán is Hungary’s longest-serving leader since the fall of communism in 1989. The opposition party Jobbik came in second place with 26 seats, with the Social-Democrats placing third with 20 seats.
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May 6, 2018
Lebanon
Lebanon held its first general election since 2009 with some major shifts across party lines. The Shiite Hezbollah maintained 13 seats, while its ally, Amal took 15 seats, giving them a total of 28 seats together. The President’s Christian Free Patriotic Movement also increased its seats from 18 to 22. The Future Movement, Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s Sunni Muslim party, shrank by nearly a third from 33 to 21 of the 128 seats. Conversely, the anti-Hezbollah Christian party Lebanese Forces nearly doubled its seats from 8 to 16. Finally, the Progressive Socialist Party dropped from 11 to 9 seats. Other parties won between 1 and 4 seats.
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May 9, 2018
Malaysia
Malaysian general elections saw a huge upset as the ruling Barisan Nasional party, which had held onto power for 61 years, lost to the opposition. Pakatan Harapan, the opposition coalition party, won 113 of the 222 seats in the Dewan Rakyat, Malaysia’s lower house. The Sabah Heritage Party, which won 8 seats, aligned itself with Pakatan Harapan for a total of 121 seats, enough to form a government. This has placed 92-year-old opposition leader Mahathir Mohamed in the role of prime minister, making him the oldest head of government in the world.
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