VIENTIANE, July 4, 2017 – Jean-Christophe Carret is the new World Bank Country Manager for Lao PDR, based in the World Bank Office in Vientiane. Mr. Carret will be responsible for maintaining the solid partnership between the World Bank and Lao PDR, in order to continue pursuing sustainable development that supports the goals of ending extreme poverty and promoting shared prosperity.
“This is an exciting time as we have just agreed with Lao PDR on the World Bank Group Country Partnership Framework, and I am grateful for the opportunity to further strengthen this partnership,” said Mr. Carret. “Our cooperation with Lao PDR builds upon earlier achievements of the country, while ensuring that development is cleaner, greener, and more efficient.”
Mr. Carret, a French national, most recently served as Country Manager for the Central African Republic. In this role he supported the country’s recovery efforts during a humanitarian and political crisis that resulted in economic and social collapse. Under his leadership, the World Bank became the country’s main development partner and helped start the country on the road to recovery. Previously, he was a program leader in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He joined the World Bank in 2005 as a Natural Resources Economist in Africa, and has since accumulated expertise in many countries across Africa, particularly on large infrastructure project issues.
Mr. Carret holds a PhD in Industrial Economics from Mines ParisTech. Mr. Carret succeeds Ms. Sally Burningham, who managed the Lao PDR program from 2014 to 2017. She will return to the World Bank Group’s Headquarters Office in Washington, DC.
The World Bank is supporting 18 active projects in Lao PDR, with current commitments of over 437 million US dollars. The new Lao PDR Country Partnership Framework, approved in April 2017, will support programs and projects that support inclusive growth, investing in people, protecting the environment, and strengthening institutions. The country recently signed the First Programmatic Green Growth Development Policy Operation, aiming to support cleaner and more environmentally friendly development pathways. The World Bank also supports knowledge and analytical work in Lao PDR in order to inform development policy, including the annual Lao Economic Monitor report.
