Watch video of recent IEG Conference on Regional Programs

The Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) hosted a Conference on Unlocking the Potential of Regional Development Programs on Thursday, April 12, 2007, from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m in the Preston Auditorium, 1818 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.

Regional cooperation is of growing importance as an approach for helping countries deal with increasing cross-border challenges (such as water resources management and disease control) and needs for efficiencies in trade and infrastructure development. Yet, regional programs account today for only 3 percent of total international aid. This conference explored conditions under which regional programs offer potential for delivering strong development results. It discussed how individual regional programs should be designed and implemented to ensure country ownership and achieve sustainability of program activities. Drawing on recent program experience, it also discussed how the international aid architecture should be changed to provide support for regional programs.

Following a keynote address by Dr. Donald Kaberuka, President of the African Development Bank, the conference featured three sessions. The first highlighted the main findings of a recent IEG evaluation, “The Development Potential of Regional Programs: An Evaluation of World Bank Support of Multicountry Operations.” The second and third sessions were panel discussions focused on unlocking the development potential of regional cooperation and how to make regional programs effective.

Featured speakers included Dr. Enrique Garcia, President and Chief Executive Officer, Andean Development Corporation, and H.E. Maria Mutagamba, Minister of Water, Uganda.

Questions can be addressed to: ieg_conference@worldbank.org