2. INTRODUCTION
The
World Bank, established in 1944, is
headquartered in Washington, D.C
The World Bank is a vital source of financial
and technical assistance to developing
countries around the world.
Its mission is to fight poverty with passion
and professionalism for lasting results and to
help people help themselves and their
environment by providing resources, sharing
knowledge, building capacity and forging
partnerships in the public and private
sectors.
3. OVERVIEW
1.
2.
The World bank is made up of two unique
development institutions owned by 186 member
countries:
the International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (IBRD) and the
International Development Association (IDA).
Each institution plays a different but collaborative
role in advancing the vision of inclusive and
sustainable globalization. The IBRD aims to reduce
poverty in middle-income and creditworthy poorer
countries, while IDA focuses on the world's poorest
countries.
4. OVERVIEW
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
vii.
It provides low-interest loans, interest-free
credits and grants to developing countries
for various purposes that include
investments in education,
health,
public administration,
infrastructure,
financial and private sector development,
agriculture,
environmental and natural resource
management.
5. ORGANIZATION
Its 186 member countries are shareholders.
The shareholders are represented by a Board of
Governors, who are the ultimate policy makers at the
World Bank.
Generally, the governors are member countries'
ministers of finance.
They meet once a year at the Annual Meetings of the
Boards of Governors.
France, Germany, Japan, U. K and the United States
are five largest shareholders
The President of the World Bank is Robert B.
Zoellick.
6. MEMBERS
Total member countries in each institution:
i. The International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (IBRD): 186
ii. The International Development Association (IDA): 169
iii. The International Finance Corporation (IFC):182
iv. The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA):
175
v. The International Centre for Settlement of Investment
Disputes (ICSID): 144
7. OPERATIONS
The
World Bank's two closely affiliated
entities—the (IBRD) and the (IDA)—provide
low or no interest loans (credits) and grants
to countries that have unfavorable or no
access to international credit markets.
It does not operate for profit. The IBRD is
market-based, and it uses its high credit
rating to pass the low interest it pays for
money on to its borrowers—developing
countries.
8. FUND GENERATION
IBRD lending to developing countries is
primarily financed by selling AAA-rated bonds in
the world's financial markets. While IBRD earns
a small margin on this lending, the greater
proportion of its income comes from lending out
its own capital.
9. LOANS
i.
ii.
Through the IBRD and IDA, we offer two
basic types of loans and credits:
investment operations: Countries use
investment operations for goods, works and
services in support of economic and social
development projects in a broad range of
economic and social sectors.
development policy operations:
Development policy operations (formerly
known as adjustment loans) provide quickdisbursing financing to support a country’s
policy and institutional reforms.
10. TRUST FUNDS AND GRANTS
Donor governments and a broad array of private and public
institutions make deposits in Trust funds that are housed at the
World Bank.
These donor resources are leveraged for a broad range of development
initiatives, varying significantly in size and complexity, ranging from
multibillion dollar arrangements—such as Carbon Finance; the
Global Environment Facility; the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries
Initiative; and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and
Malaria—to much smaller and simpler freestanding ones.
IDA grants are used to:
Relieve the debt burden of heavily indebted poor countries
Improve sanitation and water supplies
Support vaccination and immunization programs to reduce the
incidence of communicable diseases like malaria
Combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic
Support civil society organizations
Create initiatives to cut the emission of greenhouse gases
11. ANALYTICAL & ADVISORY SERVICES:
i.
ii.
It provides analysis, advice and information to member countries through:
economic research and data collection on broad issues such as the environment,
poverty, trade and globalization;
country-specific, non-lending activities such as economic and sector work,
where it evaluates a country's economic prospects by examining its banking
systems and financial markets, trade, infrastructure and poverty.
It draws upon the resources like wealth of contacts, knowledge, information
and experience to educate clients so they can equip themselves to solve their
development problems and promote economic growth.
Its analyses, advice and knowledge are made available to client countries, their
government and development professionals, and the public through
Poverty Assessments
Public Expenditure Reviews
Country Economic Reports
Sector Reports
Topics in Development
12. CAPACITY BUILDING
Another core Bank function is to increase the capabilities of our
partners, the people in developing countries, and its own staff. It has
set up linkages to knowledge-sharing networks like:
Advisory Services and Ask Us help desks make information available by
topic via telephone, fax, email and the web.
Global Development Learning Network is an extensive network of distance
learning centers that uses advanced information and communications
technologies to connect people working in development around the world.
Knowledge for Development offers policy advice to client countries on
economic and institutional regime, education, innovation, and information
and communication technologies (ICTs)
Capacity Development Resource Center is a repository of literature, case
studies, lessons learned.
B-SPAN is an Internet-based broadcasting station. The station presents
World Bank seminars, workshops and conferences on sustainable
development and poverty reduction via streaming video.
13. KEY ACTIVITIES
poverty reduction and the sustainable growth in the
poorest countries, especially in Africa;
solutions to the special challenges of post-conflict
countries and fragile states;
development solutions with customized services as well
as financing for middle-income countries;
regional and global issues that cross national borders-climate change, infectious diseases, and trade;
greater development and opportunity in the Arab world;
pulling together the best global knowledge to support
development.
