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Engage on ideas and issues during World Bank meetings and events

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The World Bank Meetings Center provides links and inside access to the information, ideas, and issues being discussed at various events such as the IMF and World Bank spring and annual meetings.

Open Forum: Getting to Equal

World Development Report 2012

Arab World: A New Social Contract

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Stepping up engagement with civil society

“Engagement with civil society has stepped up in so many ways—in terms of quality and also in terms of quantity. This engagement is critical because we have different roles that we can play. I think that there is a realization between civil society and the World Bank that we have a single mission and we need to forge ahead towards that mission.”

Compelling issues of the day drew the highest volume of civil society organizations to register for this year than ever before for Spring Meetings, though volcanic ash caused some panels to be cancelled, according to Edith Grace Ssempala, a World Bank senior advisor.  Talks ranged from the ongoing effects of the financial crisis to the Bank’s energy strategy and new Access to Information policy. 

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala recaps the 2009 Annual Meetings

I'm back from Istanbul today, looking back at some of the important events and messages that came out of the 2009 Annual Meetings. Before we all left Istanbul, however, Alison caught up with World Bank Managing Director Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and asked her to provide a short recap of the Meetings.

 

Videoblog: H1N1 virus in Latin America, an overview

 

In this video, I talk about the current state of Influenza A (H1N1) in Latin America and the people most affected by the virus.

I will be online Tuesday, October 6 at 10:30 a.m. EDT to answer questions about strengthening health care systems in developing countries. You can ask your questions in advance and see other questions on the World Bank Speak Out page.

VOICES: Edith Quintrell

 
We asked Edith Quintrell, Director at MIGA, one question:

"What is and should be the role of the World Bank in the current financial crisis?"

Watch the video above for his answer. See the full VOICES series from the Spring Meetings on Vimeo.

VOICES: Ariel Fiszbein

 
We asked Ariel Fiszbein, World Bank Chief Economist for Human Development, one question:

"What is and should be the role of the World Bank in the current financial crisis?"

Watch the video above for his answer. We'll be featuring more short videos from the Spring Meetings over the next few days.

VOICES: Ishac Diwan

 
We asked Ishac Diwan, World Bank Country Director for Burkina Faso, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea, one question:

"What is and should be the role of the World Bank in the current financial crisis?"

Watch the video above for his answer. We'll be featuring more short videos from the Spring Meetings over the next few days.

VOICES: Marcelo Giugale

 
We asked Marcel Giugale, World Bank Regional Director of Economic Policy and Poverty Reduction, one question:

"What is and should be the role of the World Bank in the current financial crisis?"

Watch the video above for his answer. We'll be featuring more short videos from the Spring Meetings over the next few days.

Global Monitoring Report 2009 Released

Global Monitoring Report 2009 Press Briefing. Justin Lin, WB Chief Economist. Photo: © Simone D. McCourtie / World Bank

Yesterday, the IMF and the World Bank released the 2009 Global Monitoring Report, saying that the global financial crisis is imperiling attainment of the 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and creating an emergency for development.

Justin Lin, World Bank Chief Economist, spoke about the crisis at the launch of the report:

"Worldwide, we have an enormous loss of wealth and financial stability. Millions more people will lose their jobs in 2009, and urgent funding must be provided for social safety nets, infrastructure, and small businesses in poor countries, for a sustainable recovery."

For more information:

VOICES: Ray Offenheiser

 
We asked Ray Offenheiser, President of Oxfam America, one question:

"What is and should be the role of the World Bank in the current financial crisis?"

Watch the video above for his answer. We'll be featuring more short videos from the Spring Meetings over the next few days.

 Open Development

 World Bank Data

Millennium Development Goals