On April 9 and 10, the World Bank Group and the IMF organized their regular workshop for Parliamentarians, in cooperation with the Parliamentary Network (on the World Bank and IMF). Over 30 MPs attended the workshop, which took place just ahead of the Bank and Fund Spring Meetings and focused on key themes of the meetings. Swedish MP Göran Petterson moderated the workshop in his capacity as Treasurer of the Parliamentary Network (read programme in PDF).
The participating parliamentarians had a chance to discuss current issues with experts from the two Bretton Woods institutions. Chief Economist Kaushik Basu talked about the global economy, shared prosperity and inequality, while the incoming Sr. Director for Social Protection and Labour, Arup Banerji, spoke about the challenges around youth and employment, and the approach the World Bank Group is taking to create jobs. Edward Mountfield, Manager, Operations Policy & Quality and Astrid Manroth, Operations Adviser, Results, Openness and Effectiveness briefed participants on the new Country Partnership Framework and the Systematic Country Diagnostics which underpins it, followed by a discussion on the need for strong citizen and parliamentary engagement. Participants were also given briefings by the IMF, amongst others on its work on redistribution, inequality and growth.
In addition to the workshop programme, the participating MPs also had the chance to attend other Spring Meeting events, including the Civil Society Forum, notably a session on Reducing Corruption through Interaction with Parliamentarians. MPs also participated at the launch of the #End Poverty 2030 campaign, where UN Secretary General Bank Ki-moon and World Bank President Jim Yong Kim were among the speakers. MPs also participated in a seminar on Enhancing Global Safety Nets to Strengthen in Emerging Markets.
The Parliamentary workshop is traditionally organized the Wednesday and Thursday prior to the WBG and IMF Meetings. Future meetings will take place at the following dates:
October 10-12, 2014 - 2014 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group, Washington, D.C. Tentative Parliamentary workshop dates are October 8-9, 2014.
April 17-19, 2015 2015 Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund, Washington, D.C. Tentative Parliamentary workshop dates are April 15-16, 2015.
October 9-11, 2015 2015 Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund, Lima, Peru. Tentative Parliamentary workshop dates are October 7-8, 2015.
The report prepared by the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank and the IMF will soon be available on their website at www.pnowb.org
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The Workshop is designed to afford parliamentarians the opportunity to discuss firsthand with senior officials from the World Bank and IMF current issues related to the global economy, international finance, and development. This program attests to the importance that both organizations attach to their dialogue with parliamentarians worldwide and the central role that parliamentarians play in their countries in the context of economic decision-making and poverty reduction. This includes parliamentarians’ role in devising a response to the recent global crisis but also to develop sustainable strategies for growth, deliberations on the budget, and designing poverty reduction strategies in their countries. The workshop is, at the same time, an opportunity for World Bank and IMF staff to hear from parliamentarians about their concerns and improve these organizations’ understanding of the political and social contexts in which economic decisions in the respective countries are undertaken.
