2013年-世界发展银行全球_Speech_at_World_BankIMF_Annual_Meetings_Plenary_Washington_DC_October_11_2013_7页_220kb

Jim Yong Kim's Speech at World Bank Group Annual Meetings (2013)

Core Content

Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank Group, delivered a speech at the 2013 Annual Meetings in Washington, DC, outlining the Group's future direction and its commitment to achieving two major goals: ending extreme poverty by 2030 and boosting shared prosperity for the bottom 40 percent of the population in developing countries.

Main Points

1. Global Economic Uncertainty

• The global economy remains in a period of uncertainty, with slow growth in the US, Europe, and Japan, but positive trends in all three regions.
• Developing countries have seen a slowdown in growth, but there are signs of improvement in the third quarter.
• Political gridlock in the US, particularly around the debt ceiling, poses a risk to global markets and could have catastrophic impacts if not resolved quickly.
• The uncertainty affects developing countries' access to finance, slowing investment and growth, with the poorest and most vulnerable suffering the most.

2. Need for Financial Discipline and Reform

• The World Bank Group must improve its financial efficiency and revenue generation, as it has not followed its own advice in the past.
• The Group aims to cut costs by at least $400 million over three years, focusing on travel, facilities, bureaucracy, and staffing.
• These savings will be redirected toward new loans and programs, enhancing the Group's ability to serve its clients.
• The financial review also includes aligning budgeting with the Group's strategy and exploring new revenue streams through financial tools and the expansion of IFC and MIGA.

3. Reorganization and Cultural Change

• Kim emphasized the need for a more collaborative and responsive organization, moving away from siloed regional units.
• A new organizational model will allow the Group to draw on global knowledge and expertise, improving the quality and reach of its development solutions.
• The Group is committed to changing its internal culture to reward collaboration, performance, and accountability.

4. New Initiatives and Projects

• A major initiative is to provide universal financial access to all working-age adults by 2020, targeting 2.5 billion adults currently without access.
• The Group is creating a Presidential Delivery Unit to improve the effectiveness of its programs through better measurement and outcomes-focused delivery.
• Key performance indicators include:
  • Reducing transaction times by one-third from project conception to first disbursement.
  • Collecting 100% beneficiary feedback for projects with clear beneficiaries.
  • Enhancing transparency by adding detailed information to maps showing where the Group is working and what it is doing.

5. Focus on Fragile and Conflict-Affected States

• The World Bank Group is recommitting to support fragile and conflict-affected states, increasing funding through IFC and IDA.
• IDA17 will play a crucial role in this effort, aiming to accelerate development in these challenging contexts.
• Examples of work in fragile states include:
  • Afghanistan: Supporting education for girls, with nearly 3 million now in primary school.
  • Mali: Scaling clean hydropower, increasing food production, and improving education and governance.
  • Myanmar: Assisting in transitioning to a market-oriented economy and establishing a politically independent central bank.

Key Information

• IDA's Impact: Over the past decade, IDA has supported immunizations for 600 million children and improved access to water and health services for 120 million people.
• IDA17 Replenishment: Kim urged members to increase or at least maintain their contributions to IDA to ensure its continued effectiveness.
• Poverty Statistics: One in three people in extreme poverty globally is a child, with over 400 million children affected.
• Goal of 2030: The World Bank Group aims to reduce the percentage of people living in extreme poverty to 3% by 2030, which requires achieving 9% by 2020.
• Cultural Shift: The Group is committed to becoming a more responsive and collaborative institution, aligning with the values of its clients and partners.

Conclusion

Kim concluded by reaffirming the World Bank Group's mission to advocate for the poor and powerless, and to act boldly and without fear in pursuit of its goals. He emphasized the moral imperative to end extreme poverty and the importance of collective action to achieve this vision.