Building strong, inclusive economies and achieving successful country outcomes together at the 2019 Annual Meetings

Nearly 1.1 billion people escaped extreme poverty between 1990 and 2015, thanks to broad-based economic growth and inclusive approaches to development. But progress is stalling, and we face an urgent challenge; today, one in 10 people still live in extreme poverty. 

To boost action and accelerate progress towards tackling development challenges and reducing extreme poverty, delegates from our member countries, observer organizations, civil society, private sector, and media will convene at the 2019 Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

This year's events will take place in Washington, D.C. from October 14-20, 2019.

What you'll learn

We’ll be discussing the solutions that can trigger inclusive economic growth, why debt transparency is important, what the workable solutions are to tackle the biodiversity crisis, and what are the actions needed to address the education challenge, especially the number of children who can’t read by the age of ten.

The program of events will showcase unique stories that could help inspire others, such as innovations in creating financial and market opportunities for women entrepreneurs, and how investment and innovation in infrastructure have helped deliver sustainable growth and social development for communities and countries.

How to follow

If you’re like those of us global development professionals, you’re anticipating meeting other peers who live and breathe tackling global challenges, attending some great sessions, and hearing some amazing speakers on the mainstage. You’re probably also looking through the schedule trying to figure out which sessions to attend or tune in.

We've got you covered! 

To make that task just a little easier, here's a checklist that you can use to amp up your experience this year. So, start planning. Here are four ways to follow what the #WBGMeetings has to offer. 

1. Connect 

This year’s speakers, delegates and attendees include top thought leaders and experts who will share the best solutions for today’s global development issues. Check out how you can network at the 2019 Annual Meetings.

Don’t miss your chance to connect with them face-to-face or online. If you're attending in person, stop by the Digital Media Zone where you will be able to chat, recharge and connect with others.

If you’re a journalist covering the Annual Meetings, the Press Lounge located at the World Bank Lobby would be your go-to zone to conduct interviews, connect, exchange information and get an inside look at what's new at the Meetings.

Looking for publications? Look no more. The Annual Meetings bookstands will feature World Bank Group and IMF publications for sale. Here’s more information about the World Bank Group publications.

If you need a break, check our World Bank Group Visitor Center and get a hands-on experience with our top-notch Virtual and Augmented Reality tools that will show you the history of the World Bank Group and the work we do throughout the world.

2. Engage

Get social! We'll be live tweeting our World Bank Group events on our social media channels in English, Arabic, French and Spanish. Follow the hashtag #WBGMeetings. Share, like and retweet! Don't forget to join the discussion and submit your questions and remarks for events speakers and experts to answer!

Test your knowledge and find out your score with “Who Wants to Be a Development Genius?” – a fun trivia challenge on development. Discover if you are Novice, Expert or Genius! All you need to do is answer as many questions as you can. Get 1-3 correct and you are a Development Novice, 4-6 correct you are a Development Expert and if you get 7-10 correct, you are a Development Genius! Film yourself taking the challenge and share on Twitter and Instagram using #DevGenius. We will include your video in our end of day highlights at the Annual Meetings.

Ever wondered what goes on at the Annual Meetings? Now you can, whether you are attending in person, or remotely, you can “Picture Yourself” at the Annual Meetings with our custom frame and Instagram stickers. Just show up at the Digital Media Zone if you are attending the meetings in person, pick a power word that expresses your sentiment about development, take a picture and tag it with #WBGMeetings. Online, post your selfies with our stickers and tag us @worldbank in your Instagram stories! Your photo just may be included in our fan collage!

3. Subscribe

Join the mailing list for news and updates about the Annual Meetings. We will keep you informed with emails that include upcoming events, events recap, and highlights of big announcements during the Meetings. Here’s how you can subscribe.

4. Watch online

If you can’t be at the Meetings in person, we’ve got you covered with World Bank Live, the World Bank's digital platform for live-streaming and engaging with global audiences. Block out time now to watch our events live, and in case you miss it, you can still catch up with your favorite events on our events recap page or watch a replay. Don't forget to tune in to our Global Voices interviews with top-notch global development influencers, as well as our short 30-second challenge videos with experts sharing their knowledge on all things global development.

Here's a rundown of some of the events that we'll be live-streaming on World Bank Live. For more, view the full schedule. With our Live Blog, we are also bringing these activities closer to you, so you won't miss a thing!

Bookmark, read, watch, and come back for the recaps.

Economic Inclusion

DECODING DEBT: GETTING TRANSPARENCY RIGHT

October 17, 2019 | 10:30 to 11:30 ET, 14:30 to 15:30 GMT | #Debt4Dev

END OF AN ERA? GLOBAL VALUE CHAINS, TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT

October 17, 2019 | 14:00 to 15:00 ET, 18:00 to 19:00 GMT | #WDR2020

THE INFRASTRUCTURE REVOLUTION: INTEGRATION, INVESTMENT AND INNOVATION

October 17, 2019 | 15:00 to 16:30 ET, 19:00 to 20:30 GMT | #infrarevolution

Investing in People

LEARNING POVERTY: BUILDING THE FOUNDATION OF HUMAN CAPITAL

October 17, 2019 | 12:30 to 14:00 ET, 16:30 to 18:00 GM | #LearningPoverty

UNLEASHING THE POTENTIAL OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS THROUGH FINANCE AND MARKETS

October 18, 2019 | 15:00 to 16:00 ET, 19:00 to 20:00 GMT | #EmpowerWomen

STATE OF THE AFRICA REGION: EMPOWERING WOMEN, TRANSFORMING AFRICA

October 19, 2019 | 9:30 to 11:00 ET, 13:30 to 15:00 GMT | #AfricaSOR

Building Resilience

THE FUTURE OF THE RURAL SPACE

October 16, 2019 | 11:30 to 12:30 ET, 15:30 to 16:30 GMT | #WhyRural

TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE PEACE

October 16, 2019 | 16:30 to 18:00 ET, 20:30 to 22:00 GMT | #dev4peace

PRIVATE SECTOR IN FRAGILE SITUATIONS: GETTING THE JOB DONE!

October 18, 2019 | 11:00 to 12:00 ET, 15:00 to 16:00 GMT | #GettheJobDone

INVEST IN NATURE: UNCOVERING THE HIDDEN VALUE OF BIODIVERSITY

October 17, 2019 | 14:00 to 15:15 ET, 18:00 to 19:15 GMT | #InvestInNature

Technology

CONNECTING AFRICA THROUGH BROADBAND: A ROADMAP FOR INCLUSIVE GROWTH

October 17, 2019 | 11:30 to 13:00 ET, 15:30 to 17:00 GMT | #Broadband4Africa

Private Sector

JOBS FOR ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION

October 18, 2019 | 11:00 to 12:00 ET, 15:00 to 16:00 GMT | #jobs4growth

Got Questions?

We're here to answer them. This is how you can reach us.