World Bank Office Opens in Baghdad--Donor Conference to Be Held in October

The World Bank will support Iraq’s reconstruction and its transition to a market economy," Country Director Joseph Saba told a UN-sponsored workshop held in Baghdad on July 19. He announced that following recent assessment missions, the Bank is establishing an office in Baghdad and has hired a security adviser and local staff to support work on the ground. The Bank will soon appoint a head of mission who will reside in the Iraqi capital. The Bank and UN are also cosponsoring 11 further assessment missions that will serve as the basis for a report to be distributed at a donors conference in October. Covering 14 sectors, the assessment process will focus on determining Iraq’s emergency requirements and on the possibilities of donor financing.

The July discussions in Baghdad focused on the Bank’s activity and experience in the transition countries. "A big challenge will be creating jobs," Saba said. "Fifty percent of the population is under 16 years old. So the challenge is to translate resource wealth into productive, efficient employment and create proper jobs for these young people," he pointed out. The Office of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Iraq moderated the meeting. Attendees included Iraqi journalists, business people, former government officials, Iraqi and international advisers to the Coalition Provisional Authority, and UN staff.