Today we begin blog coverage of the 2011 World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings, set for April 15-17. Though we’re two weeks out, activities around the meetings’ key themes—food insecurity and food price volatility, conflict, anti-corruption and open development—are already ramping up.
Among the events and announcements we’ll report on here:
- World Bank President Robert Zoellick’s April 6 speech, “A New Social Contract for Development,” on recent instability in the Middle East and North Africa and lessons for development;
- April 11 release of the 2011 World Development Report, which focuses on conflict, security and development;
- An International Corruption Hunters Alliance meeting on April 13;
- Announcement of the winners of the Bank’s ‘Apps for Development’ competition on April 14; and
- An April 15 Open Forum on the food crisis, to include a moderated live chat and webcast panel discussion held at the Bank’s Washington, D.C. headquarters (submit your ideas now to “put food first”).
The Spring Meetings aren’t open only to finance ministers, civil society groups and journalists. Over the next two weeks, you can engage on the issues in a number of ways. Write a blog post, post to Facebook or Tweet on the food crisis. Tune in to webcasts and follow live Tweets (#wblive) from events including panel discussions on conflict and development. Test out the 100+ apps submitted for the Bank’s competition to enlist software developers in addressing the Millennium Development Goals.
Your comments on this blog are welcome as well. Watch this space for commentary and analysis from World Bank experts on the themes listed above. Or catch our updates on Facebook and Twitter.
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