Seminar on World Bank’s New Radical Debt Transparency Report

The new Radical Debt Transparency report—an update to 2021’s Debt Transparency in Developing Economies — shows that despite significant improvements in recent years, major debt transparency deficiencies continue to plague many developing countries. As the global financing environment tightens, several governments are turning to off-budget and increasingly complex debt instruments such as collateralized loans, private placements, and central bank swaps, that risk giving rise to new hidden debts. Gaps in legislative frameworks, institutional fragmentation, and limited oversight can contribute to debt reporting challenges, as seen in recent experiences. Transparency in debt restructuring processes also remains uneven. This report calls for a radical shift toward debt transparency as critical to debt sustainability, urging legislative reforms, stronger oversight of unconventional debt, broader loan-level reporting, and greater use of automation and reconciliation tools.

At this seminar, the new Radical Debt Transparency report will be launched, featuring Pablo Saavedra, Vice President for Prosperity and Manuela Francisco, Global Director for Economic Policy.

Program

Opening Remarks

Masahiro Matsuura
Deputy Dean, Graduate School of Governance Studies, Meiji University

Opening Remarks

Hiroshi Takami
Special Representative, Japan, World Bank

Fire-side Chat

Pablo Saavedra
Vice President for Prosperity, World Bank

Takahiro Tsuda
Director, Multilateral Development Banks Division, International Bureau, Ministry of Finance

Panel Discussion

Manuela Francisco
Global Director for Economic Policy, World Bank 

Bambang Brodjonegoro
Dean and CEO, Asian Development Bank Institute

Yuichi Sasaoka
Professor, Graduate School of Governance Studies, Meiji University　

And others (to be confirmed)

To participate

Please register by online form posted on the following webpage, by indicating your preferred mode of participation (in-person participation, or online participation by Webex).  For the online participants, the Webex link will be sent on June 19. 

If the registration form does not work, please email to the contact address with your full name, company name, division name and email address.