It’s spring in Washington during a pivotal year in development. Thousands of government officials, journalists, civil society representatives, academics, and CEOs are arriving for the Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund the week of April 13.
It’s one of the last such gatherings before decisions are made on the world’s development priorities and goals over the next 15 years – and how to finance them. In fact, the only item on the April 18 agenda of the Development Committee concerns these post-2015 goals and financing for development.
Outside of the formal meeting, more than 20 events are being webcast on World Bank Live and cover a range of development issues – from the economy, oil prices, and water security, to Ebola, big data, and universal access to finance. Find a selection of events – and their hashtags – below. More events are listed in the full schedule.
The Power of Faith to Help End Extreme Poverty
World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim joins leaders of faith-based organizations to discuss the role of faith in fighting poverty and a recently launched "Moral and Spiritual Imperative to End Extreme Poverty." 10-11 a.m. ET/14:00-15:00 GMT, #faith2endpoverty
Big Data for a More Resilient Future
What is the potential of big data and Internet of Things technologies to solve development challenges related to risk? The question will be pondered by a panel of representatives from tech firms such as Google and Intel, among others. 1-2:30 p.m. ET/17:00-18:30 GMT, #BigData
Chief Economists Roundtable: Responding to Oil and other Global Developments
World Bank chief economists from six developing regions will weigh in on low oil prices and an uneven global economy. 3:30-5 p.m. ET/19:30-21:00 GMT, #WBLive
The Power of Nutrition
Finance ministers and partner organizations discuss an innovative financing facility dedicated to unlocking up to $1 billion of new private and public financing to improve child nutrition. 9:30-10:30 a.m. ET/13:30-14:30 GMT, #PowerOfNutrition
Future of Food: A Conversation with Jim Yong Kim and David Chang
How can the world create a sustainable food system that will feed a projected 9 billion people by 2050? Guests — including a development banker, a renowned chef, and a farmer — explore the future of food. 11 a.m.-noon ET/15:00-16:30 GMT, #Food4All
The Duality of Falling Oil Prices: Boon or Bust?
A panel including ministers from Egypt and Kazakhstan and the deputy governor of the Central Bank of Turkey discuss the economic impact of fluctuating oil prices. 1-2:30 p.m. ET/17:00-18:30 GMT, #OilPrices
Water Security for All in a World of Scarcity
A panel addresses water security as potentially the No. 1 global risk in terms of development impact. 3:30-5 p.m. ET/19:30-21:30 GMT, #WaterSec4all
Ebola: The Road to Recovery
World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim chairs this high-level roundtable at which the heads of state of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone will present their Ebola recovery plans to finance and development ministers and international partners. 7:30-9 a.m. ET/11:30-13:00 GMT, #EbolaRecovery
Launch Event: Global Initiative to End Routine Gas Flaring
The World Bank and numerous government, industry, and development partners launch a global initiative to accelerate the elimination of routine flaring at oil production sites around the world. 9-10:30 a.m. ET/13:00-14:30 GMT, #EndRoutineFlaring
Universal Financial Access 2020
An expert panel including the CEOs of Mastercard and Visa, Jim Yong Kim, Ban Ki-moon and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands discuss why financial inclusion is key to post-2015 development goals. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. ET/15:30-17:00 GMT, #FinAccess2020
Changing the Conversation on Development Finance
Development organizations, governments, the private sector, and civil society will discuss what it will take to finance development in a post-2015 world. 3-4:30 p.m. ET/19:00-20:30 GMT, #Fin4Dev
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