The broad functions of the World Bank Group (WBG) Geneva office are as follows:
(i) Representing the WBG with respect to outreach and advocacy;
(ii) Active role in the WBG in the humanitarian-development-peace nexus, offering technical expertise housed within the ECR Geneva team; and
(iii) Facilitate WBG relations with key actors and processes in the Geneva international community.
1. Representing the World Bank Group
The Geneva office facilitates key World Bank Group engagements with Geneva-based partners. It has a representation role vis-à-vis the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) and UN specialized agencies in Geneva. It also maintains strategic relations with other European-based UN agencies, as well as relations with International Geneva beyond the UN, including (but not limited to) the Red Cross movement (IFRC and ICRC), the World Economic Forum, GAVI, the Global Fund, the WMO, and international sports organizations. It also nurtures partnerships with permanent missions, academia, the private sector, and the financial community, including Sustainable Finance Switzerland (SFS) and the impact investing community. UN agencies headquartered in Geneva for which the office facilitates relations with are ILO, IOM, ITU, OHCHR, UNCTAD, UNHCR, UNITAR, WHO, WIPO and WTO; other European agencies include FAO, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, and UNOPS.
2. The 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs.
Given the importance of the UN’s 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, the Geneva office strives to promote various aspects of the 2030 Agenda such as the WBG’s initiative of Maximizing Finance for Development (MFD) among UN agencies, permanent missions, private sector, and other strategic relations. In coordination with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), colleagues facilitate relations with the financial community particularly notable sustainable finance actors and impact investors.
3. Humanitarian-development-peace nexus
Given the increasing WBG footprint in FCV contexts, the Geneva office has assumed an active role in the WBG work linked to the humanitarian-development-peace nexus, with the Geneva office representing the WBG in such processes as co-conveners, sherpa, and/or as focal point. This includes the Grand Bargain, the United Nations Joint Steering Committee to Advance Humanitarian and Development Collaboration, and Inter-Agency Standing Committee.
4. Facilitate WBG relations with Geneva actors and processes
The office facilitates the WBG units’ relations with Geneva actors and processes on key priorities such as:
Digital Development: given the rapidly changing development landscape, digitization is a priority to the WBG. Thus, colleagues forge and sustain strategic relations on digital development for relevant Geneva-based actors such as the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the Internet Governance Forum, the World Summit on Information Society, and the Artificial Intelligence for Good Summit.
Social Protection and Labor: in this dimension, the Office supports relations with the International Labor Organization (ILO) by facilitating dialogue on issues of common interest such as the Future of Work agenda, reflections on Universal Basic Income, Social and Environmental Safeguards, etc.
In line with the WBG priorities, key areas of engagement include: international trade, disaster risk management, climate action, and health. As such, WBG colleagues based in Geneva forge as well as sustain trusted dialogues and close working relations with key stakeholders in the following arenas:
Trade: the MTI Global Practice staff strengthen the Bank’s institutional relationship with three leading international organizations active in trade and investment – the World Trade Organization (WTO), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the International Trade Centre (ITC)
Health: the HNP Global Practice strengthen the Bank’s institutional relationship with the health international organizations based in Geneva – the World Health Organization (WHO), Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), and the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM).
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