In a hearing by the House Committee on Financial Services last Tuesday about ” The Role and Effectiveness of the World Bank in Combating Global Poverty “, Nobel Laureate, Joseph Stiglitz argues for appointing an “Interim President, for the next 20 to 24 months” Continue reading
G20 countries call for open selection process
Three finance ministers who have headed the G20 — the talking shop spearheaded by the Canadians, not the maverick grouping that formed at the WTO meeting in Cancun — issued statements on Sunday calling for an open, merit-based process to choose the next WB President. Guido Mantega of Brazil and Trevor Manuel of South Africa were joined by Peter Costello of Australia — which I believe makes Australia the first “Northern” (developed/industrialized/first world) country to publicly call for the U.S. to back off.
Wolfowitz hits media trail to spread blame for exit
Paul Wolfowitz has given an exclusive interview to the BBC World Service to try to explain why he is leaving the World Bank. He says the media and an overheated atmosphere were to blame, and uses his airtime to justify his record at the Bank in general and on the Riza affair. He refuses to be drawn on how his successor should be chosen but agrees that African countries are “under-represented” at the Bank. Continue reading
G20 for open and transparent appointment.
Reuters is reporting that South Africa is pushing the US to abide by an agreement of the Group of 20 economic powers for an open and transparent appointment of the new head of the World Bank. Continue reading
The Post-Wolfowitz Bank: Graeme Wheeler Starts the Rebuilding Process
The Staff Association, which has emerged as the Bank’s own “civil society” has circulated Managing Director Graeme Wheeler’s strong and sensitive statement to the Bank Board’s Personnel Committee. Beyond highlighting the huge emotional cost the Wolfowitz Situation imposed on Bank staff, it hints at a few short-term changes that must be made in important personnel and policy processes. These are: the reporting relationship of the Bank’s Institutional Integrity Department, and the selection process for the next Vice President, Human Resources. Both are thought to have been captured by Wolfowitz cronies. Continue reading