Switzerland joined the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) in May 1992. Switzerland is also a member of the International Development Association (IDA, which it joined in 1992), the International Finance Corporation (IFC, 1992), the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA, 1988), and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID, 1998). Together, these five institutions make up the World Bank Group.
The Switzerland desk at the World Bank Geneva office works to promote consensus around the international development agenda and build a platform for collaboration between the World Bank Group and Switzerland. It does this by promoting better understanding of the World Bank Group’s mission and activities and by building relationships with key stakeholders such as government, legislators, civil society organizations, the private sector, academia, and the media.
It also supports outreach activities, often in collaboration with Swiss partners, such as organizing and supporting conferences, seminars, and other events on development-related topics. The office serves as an entry point for groups in Switzerland wishing to contact World Bank staff across the world or access the plethora of information the Bank publishes, and it responds to media queries. It also seeks to increase opportunities for collaboration between Switzerland and the World Bank Group through co-financing, trust funds, and joint analytical work in sectors and regions of mutual interest
World Bank Governor
Guy Parmelin, Federal Councilor and head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research, represents Switzerland on the World Bank Board of Governors, the Bank’s senior decision-making body. The Governors, usually Ministers of Finance or Development, meet twice a year. They have the power to admit and suspend members of the World Bank Group, increase or decrease the authorized capital stock, determine the distribution of the net income of the Bank, and decide on the World Bank Group’s overall strategic direction. Ignazio Cassis, Federal Councilor and head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, serves as Alternate Governor.
World Bank Executive Director
The Governor delegates responsibility for overseeing the day-to-day business of Switzerland’s interests at the Bank to the Executive Director (ED) for Switzerland. EDs reside in Washington and normally meet twice a week to decide on borrowing and financial questions, projects, and policies that impact World Bank Group general operations. Switzerland’s ED also represents Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Poland, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Katarzyna Zajdel-Kurowska (Poland) is the current ED representing the constituency on the 25-member World Bank Board of Executive Directors, and Dominique Favre (Switzerland) is the Alternate Executive Director.
Shares and Voting Power
The World Bank Group has a weighted system of voting. All members of the Bank receive votes consisting of share votes (one vote for each share of the Bank's capital stock held by the member) plus basic votes (calculated so that the sum of all basic votes is equal to 5.55% of the sum of basic votes and share votes for all members). The voting power distribution differs from agency to agency within the World Bank Group.
For the latest voting status, please visit the Voting Powers page.
For information on Switzerland’s aid flows as a donor, please visit the Aid Flows Switzerland donor page.
Last Updated: Nov 13, 2020
