Bank Assistance

Bank Support

Poverty Challenge

Progress toward the Goal

An Agenda for Action

The Role of IBRD

The Role of IDA

Meeting the Poverty Challenge: The World Bank’s Strategy
…and that the World Bank sharpen its strategy…

World Bank Mission

Poverty reduction is the World Bank’s mission, guided by the international development goals. In pursuit of poverty reduction, the World Bank will rely on its business approach and institutional strengths.

• A long-term, comprehensive, country-led approach to development
• Participatory development and partnership
• A focus on operational quality, development effectiveness, and outcomes
• Knowledge sharing and capacity building
• Increasing selectivity within countries, across countries, and at the global level

• Financial strength
• Global reach
• Broad diagnostic capabilities
• Operational knowledge
• Strong partnerships with clients, other donors, and civil society

Bank Assistance will be Delivered Primarily at the Country Level, Focused on:

Building the climate for investment, jobs, and growth

• Private investment climate
• Public sector governance

Empowering poor people to participate in development, and investing in them

• Empowerment, security, and social inclusion
• Education
• Health

For low-income countries, priority areas of assistance will be:

• Where poverty is concentrated
• Where the policy environment is favorable for poverty reduction
• Where post-conflict challenges are urgent

For middle-income countries, priority themes of assistance will be:

• Policy and institutional reform for reducing poverty
• Well-targeted, high-impact investments
• Promoting competitiveness in the global knowledge economy

Bank Support for International Efforts to Provide Critical Global Public Goods will Focus on:

• Communicable diseases
• Environmental commons
• Trade and integration
• Information and knowledge
• International financial architecture