Voice for the World's Poor: Selected Speeches And Writings of World Bank President James D. Wolfensohn, 1995-2005

by Wolfensohn, James D.

• ISBN13: 9780821361566
• ISBN10: 0821361562
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-05-01
• Publisher: World Bank

Summary

As president of the World Bank, James Wolfensohn managed operations in almost 150 countries and was responsible for tens of billions of dollars in aid to the world's poorest nations. Voice for the World's Poor brings together the most important speeches and writings by Wolfensohn during his time as World Bank president. Spanning all ten years of his presidency (1995-2005), the book covers critical global issues including poverty, debt relief, corruption, HIV/AIDS, climate change, human rights, and globalization. Written during some of the most tumultuous times in recent history, Wolfensohn addresses and examines key global events and issues, from Bosnia's reconstruction, the Asian financial crisis, and the rise of the anti-globalization movement to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the aftermath of the Iraq war, and the outpouring of help for the victims of the tsunami of December, 2004. Over 100 speeches, essays, and letters chart Wolfensohn's thinking on development and his emergence as an advocate and voice for the world's poor.

Table of Contents

In Recognition	xvii
Abbreviations	xix
Introduction	1	(10)
PART ONE Including People in Development, June 1995-May 2000	11	(214)
Working as a Family	13	(4)
Letters to World Bank staff on first day as president, Washington, D.C.|June 1, 1995
"We're Here for One Reason Only, and That Is To Change the World"	17	(6)
Remarks at an open house for World Bank staff, Washington, D.C.|June 2, 1995
Women and the Transformation of the 21st Century	23	(5)
Address at the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing|September 15, 1995
New Directions and New Partnerships	28	(13)
Address to the Board of Governors at the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, Washington, D.C.|October 10, 1995
Education: The Best Investment	41	(2)
With Federico Mayor, James G. Speth, Carol Bellamy, and Nafis Sadik, published in the International Herald Tribune, May 11, 1996
Economies in Transition-From Plan to Market	43	(2)
Foreword to World Development Report 1996, published for the World Bank by Oxford University Press, May 31, 1996
People and Development	45	(10)
Address to the Board of Governors at the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, Washington, D.C.|October 1, 1996
1996: A Stronger, More Agile, More Effective World Bank	55	(3)
Message from the president and chairman from the 1996 World Bank Annual Report, October 1996
The Banking Community in an Interdependent World: Opportunities and Challenges	58	(6)
Address to the Bankers' Club, London|February 3, 1997
The World Bank and the Evolving Challenges of Development	64	(6)
Address at a Congressional Staff Forum sponsored by the Overseas Development Council, Washington, D.C.|May 16, 1997
Helping China Grow	70	(3)
Published in The Asian Wall Street Journal, September 19, 1997
The Challenge of Inclusion	73	(12)
Address to the Board of Governors at the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, Hong Kong SAR, China|September 23, 1997
1997: The Strategic Compact and a More Effective Fight Against Poverty	85	(2)
Message from the president and chairman from the 1997 World Bank Annual Report, published September 1997
Do We Have the Courage to Grab Our Chance in Asia?	87	(3)
Published in The Australian|September 30, 1997
A New Bank Strategy for Rural Development	90	(2)
Foreword to Rural Development: From Vision to Action, published by the World Bank, October 1997
The Message of Kampala	92	(11)
Address to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Addis Ababa|January 27, 1998
The World Needs a Strong and Internationally Active Japan	103	(6)
Address at the Annual Dinner of the Japan Society, New York|June 10, 1998
The Other Crisis	109	(12)
Address to the Board of Governors at the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, Washington, D.C.|October 6, 1998
1998: Changes Bearing Fruit	121	(2)
Message from the president and chairman from the 1998 World Bank Annual Report, October 1998
West Bank and Gaza: Without Economic Hope There Cannot Be Peace	123	(2)
Remarks for the Prime Minister's Jubilee Business Summit, Jerusalem|October 13-15, 1998
"Our Working Together...Is a Matter of Necessity"	125	(3)
Remarks at the World Bank-NGO Conference on Participatory Development, Washington, D.C. November 19, 1998
A Proposal for a Comprehensive Development Framework	128	(10)
Excerpts from a memorandum to the Board of Executive Directors and staff of the World Bank, Washington, D.C.|January 21, 1999
The Right Wheel: An Agenda for Comprehensive Development	138	(7)
Remarks at the International Conference on Democracy, Market Economy, and Development, Seoul|February 26, 1999
More Focus on the Social Sector	145	(6)
Remarks at the Bretton Woods Committee Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C.|June 9, 1999
How Do You Spell "Debt Relief'?	151	(3)
With George Carey, published in The Globe and Mail (Toronto), June 17, 1999
Coalitions for Change	154	(12)
Address to the Board of Governors at the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, Washington, D.C.|September 28, 1999
1999: Facing the New Millennium with Clarity of Mission	166	(2)
Message from the president and chairman from the 1999 World Bank Annual Report, October 1999
Culture Is the Base of Development	168	(7)
Remarks at Culture Counts: A Conference on Financing, Resources, and the Economics of Culture in Sustainable Development, Florence, Italy|October 4, 1999
Fighting Corruption Is Central to Development	175	(6)
Remarks at the Ninth International Anti-Corruption Conference, Durban, South Africa|October 11, 1999
Postconffict Countries and Defining New Cooperation in the Humanitarian Agenda	181	(9)
Remarks at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, D.C.|November 2, 1999
Global Trade and the Development Round: Seizing the Day	190	(4)
Remarks at the Third Ministerial Meeting of the World Trade Organization, Seattle|November 30, 1999
War Against AIDS in Africa	194	(5)
Excerpts from an address to the United Nations Security Council, New York|January 10, 2000
Empowerment and Voices of the Poor: Can Anyone Hear Us?	199	(2)
With Clare Short, foreword to Volume I of Voices of the Poor, published for the World Bank by Oxford University Press, March 2000
Ensuring Safe Water for All Through Participation, Innovation, and Inclusion	201	(7)
Remarks at the Second World Water Forum: From Vision to Action, The Hague|March 22, 2000
"It Is Difficult to Talk Reason When People Are on the Barricades"	208	(5)
Remarks at the Multilateral Development Banks' Meeting on the HI PC Initiative, Washington, D.C.|April 4, 2000
Investing in our Children	213	(3)
Excerpts from an address at the World Bank Early Childhood Development Conference 2000, Washington, D.C.|April 10, 2000
New Challenges for Development in the Middle East	216	(9)
Remarks at the 30th-Anniversary International Board of Governors Meeting, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel|May 23, 2000
PART TWO Peace and Poverty, June 2000-August 2002	225	(138)
Developing Countries in an Evolving World Financial System	227	(6)
Remarks to the Harvard Business School Global Alumni Conference on "Business Without Walls," Berlin|June 14, 2000
The Role of Information Technology in a Knowledge-Based Global Economy	233	(7)
Address to the United Nations Economic and Social Council, New York|July 5, 2000
Poverty Amid Plenty the World's Greatest Challenge	240	(4)
Foreword to World Development Report 2000/2001, published for the World Bank by Oxford University Press, August 2000
Winning the War on Biodiversity Conservation	244	(3)
With Peter Seligmann and Mohamed T. El-Ashry, published in Business World (Manila), August 29, 2000
Building an Equitable World	247	(11)
Address to the Board of Governors at the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, Prague|September 26, 2000
2000: We Have Embarked on a Path of Change	258	(3)
Message from the president and chairman from the 2000 World Bank Annual Report, published October 2000
Why Public-Private Partnerships Matter for Development-and Are Good for Business	261	(4)
Keynote speech at the Fifth German World Bank Forum, Berlin|November 27, 2000
"Educating a Woman Is Educating a Family"	265	(4)
Remarks at a reception to celebrate International Women's Day, Washington, D.C.|March 8, 2001
Africans Are Ready for Bold Change, With Help	269	(3)
With Horst Kohler, published in the International Herald Tribune, March 14, 2001
Local Action in a Globalizing Economy: Important Roles for Mayors and City Administrations	272	(4)
Remarks delivered by videoconference from Washington, D.C.|March 21, 2001
The Challenges of Globalization: The Role of the World Bank	276	(11)
Address to the Bundestag, Berlin|April 2, 2001
Partnership to Fight Malaria	287	(4)
Address at the Fourth Global Partnership Meeting to Roll Back Malaria, Washington, D.C. April 18, 2001
Infrastructure and the World Bank's Mission: Building a Foundation for Poverty Reduction	291	(5)
Remarks at the World Bank Group Infrastructure Forum 2001, Washington, D.C. May 2, 2001
Turning the Tide on AIDS	296	(4)
Published in The Washington Times, June 24, 2001
A Vision of Development and Peace on the Nile	300	(5)
Keynote address at the launching of the International Consortium for Cooperation on the Nile, Geneva|June 26, 2001
"It Is a Different World Today"	305	(6)
Closing remarks at Public Sector Day, World Bank headquarters, Washington, D.C. September 12, 2001
2001: The Urgency for Action on Poverty is Pressing	311	(3)
Message from the president and chairman from the 2001 World Bank Annual Report, October 2001
The Greatest Long-Term Challenge	314	(3)
Published in Business World (Manila), October 15, 2001
A Growing International Recognition of Global Interdependence	317	(6)
Statement at the International Monetary and Financial Committee Meeting, Ottawa|November 17, 2001
Creating Better Lives for Poor People: PRSPs	323	(6)
Remarks at a townhall meeting at World Bank Group headquarters, Washington, D.C. January 14, 2002
A Partnership for Development and Peace	329	(9)
Keynote address delivered at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington, D.C.|March 6, 2002
Financing Development for Peace Through Enduring Partnerships	338	(4)
Address at the International Conference on Financing for Development, Monterrey, Mexico|March 21, 2002
Parliamentary Actions and Cooperation for Poverty Reduction	342	(6)
Address at the Third Annual Conference of the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank, Bern, Switzerland|May 10, 2002
Timor-Leste: The Struggle Against Poverty Ahead	348	(2)
Letter from Dili, Timor-Leste, posted May 21, 2002
Toward Education For All: What Can the G-8 Do?	350	(3)
Remarks at a press conference at the Council on Foreign Relations, Washington, D.C. June 12, 2002
"United in the Dream of...a Better World"	353	(3)
Remarks at a reception for new staff, World Bank headquarters, Washington, D.C. June 27, 2002
"Remember the Past, But Build for the Future"	356	(4)
Address to the Rwandan National Assembly, Kigali, Rwanda|July 15, 2002
Rich, Poor Should Join Hands for Sustainable Development	360	(3)
Published in China Daily, August 26, 2002
PART THREE Securing the 21st Century, September 2002-May 2005	363	(166)
A Time to Act	365	(6)
Address to the Board of Governors at the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, Washington, D.C.|September 29, 2002
2002: There Are Not Two Worlds-There Is Only One	371	(4)
Message from the president and chairman from the 2002 World Bank Annual Report, October 2002
Lifelong Learning and the Knowledge Economy	375	(5)
Keynote address at the Lifelong Learning Conference, Stuttgart, Germany|October 9, 2002
Development Evaluation and Aid Efficiency	380	(2)
Remarks at a seminar of the Operations Evaluation Department, Washington, D.C.|November 6, 2002
Cooperation and Partnership: Harmonizing the Activities of Development Agencies for Poverty Reduction	382	(4)
Remarks at the High-Level Forum on Harmonization, Rome|ebruary 24, 2003
Scale Up the Global Fight Against Tuberculosis: A Killer Returns	386	(2)
With Gro Harlem Brundtland, published in the International Herald Tribune, March 25, 2003
Trade, Development, and the Doha Round	388	(5)
Statement at the World Trade Organization General Council Meeting on Coherence, Geneva|May 13, 2003
Promoting the Knowledge Economy	393	(9)
Keynote address at the German World Bank Forum, Bonn, Germany|May 20, 2003
A Matter of Passion and Commitment	402	(7)
Remarks at the Bretton Woods Committee Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C.|June 12, 2003
MIGA's Key Role in the Bank's Mission	409	(2)
Foreword to the 2003 Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency Annual Report, published June 30, 2003
"A True Partnership with the Roma People"	411	(4)
Remarks at the conference on Roma in an Expanding Europe: Challenges for the Future, Budapest|July 1, 2003
The Inspection Panel: Transparency and Accountability	415	(2)
Foreword to Accountability at the World Bank: The Inspection Panel 10 Years On, published by the World Bank, July 2003
Making Services Work for Poor People	417	(2)
Foreword to World Development Report 2004, published for the World Bank by Oxford University Press, August 2003
Small Business and Creating Jobs	419	(2)
Foreword to 2003 Annual Review: Small Business Activities, published by the International Finance Corporation, September 2003
"We Recognize a Need to Come Together"	421	(8)
Remarks at the Youth, Development, and Peace conference, Paris|September 16, 2003
A New Global Balance: The Challenge of Leadership	429	(8)
Address to the Board of Governors at the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, Dubai|September 23, 2003
2003: Building on the Monterrey Consensus	437	(3)
Message from the president and chairman from the 2003 World Bank Annual Report, October 2003
The Reconstruction of Iraq-and Beyond	440	(7)
Remarks to the Council on Foreign Relations, Washington, D.C.|October 29, 2003
"We Must Each of Us...Lift Our Game"	447	(2)
Address to the United Nations High-Level Dialogue on Financing for Development, New York|October 30, 2003
A New Deal for the World's Poor	449	(3)
With Gordon Brown, published in The Guardian (Manchester), February 16, 2004
Human Rights and Development: Toward Mutual Reinforcement	452	(7)
Remarks at a dialogue organized by the Ethical Globalization Initiative and New York University Law School, New York|March 1, 2004
Measuring Progress in Achieving the 2015 Millennium Development Goals	459	(2)
Foreword to World Development Indicators 2004, published by the World Bank, March 2004
Press Freedom Helps Fight Poverty	461	(3)
Published in the Toronto Star, May 3, 2004
Peace and Development	464	(4)
Closing remarks at the Annual Bank Conference on Development Economics, Brussels|May 11, 2004
The Search for Values in a World Out of Balance	468	(5)
Commencement address at Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts|May 23, 2004
Scaling Up the Fight Against Poverty	473	(6)
Opening remarks at the Shanghai Conference on Scaling Up Poverty Reduction, Shanghai|May 26, 2004
Russia's Development Potential	479	(4)
Address at the First International Conference on Corporate Governance and Economic Growth in Russia, Moscow|June 3, 2004
Ensuring Accountability in Achieving the Millennium Development Goals	483	(2)
With Rodrigo de Rato, foreword to Global Monitoring Report 2004, published by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, June 2004
Faith and Development Institutions Working Together to Better the Lives of the Poor	485	(3)
Foreword to Mind, Heart and Soul in the Fight Against Poverty, published by the World Bank, June 2004
Energy Needs for the Next 25 Years and Climate Change	488	(5)
Excerpts from remarks at a conference sponsored by the Brookings Institution and the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, Washington, D.C.|June 25, 2004
A Better Investment Climate for Everyone	493	(2)
Foreword to World Development Report 2005, published for the World Bank by Oxford University Press, September 2004
Securing the 21st Century, Protecting the Planet	495	(10)
Address to the Board of Governors at the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, Washington, D.C.|October 3, 2004
2004: Signs of Hope and Signs of Concern	505	(3)
Message from the president and chairman from the 2004 World Bank Annual Report, October 2004
"We Have To Come Together to Deal with Poverty"	508	(7)
Address at the High-Level Encounter of the World Council of Churches, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund, Geneva|October 22, 2004
Tryst with Destiny: Globalisation Can Be India's Hour of Glory	515	(3)
Published in the Times of India, November 18, 2004
Helping Disabled People Out of the Shadows	518	(3)
With Amartya Sen, published in The Jakarta Post, December 3, 2004
After the Tsunami: Rebuilding Lives, Assets, Confidence	521	(3)
Address to the ASEAN Leaders' Meeting on the Aftermath of the Earthquake and Tsunami, Jakarta|January 6, 2005
Merging Global Knowledge with Local Knowledge	524	(5)
Remarks transmitted by videoconference to the Knowledge Economy Forum, Abuja, Nigeria|January 30, 2005
Index	529	(16)
Credits	545