World Bank chief steps down
World Bank chief David Malpass has announced his resignation nearly a year early. He ending a tenure at the head of the development lender that was clouded by questions over his climate stance. The veteran of Republican administrations in the United States was appointed to the role in 2019 when Donald Trump was president and previously served as Under Secretary of the Treasury for international affairs. Malpass’s term would have originally ended in 2024.
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The US traditionally nominates the head of the World Bank, with Europe nominating the heads of its twin Bretton Woods institution, the International Monetary Fund. Names mentioned by analysts as potential Biden administration picks include Samantha Power, head of the the US Agency for International Development, and Rajiv Shah, the president of the Rockefeller Foundation and a former head of USAID.
Up’s and Down’s of Malpass as a head of World Bank
- His tenure at the World Bank saw the organization grapple with global crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and an international economic slowdown.
- Under (Malpass’s) leadership, the Bank Group more than doubled its climate finance to developing countries, reaching a record $32 billion last year
- His work to assist the Afghan people and his commitment to helping low-income countries achieve debt sustainability through debt reduction.
- As head of the anti-poverty lender, he pressured Beijing to provide more debt relief for developing nations.
What is World Bank and how it works?
- IBRD: The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
- IDA: The International Development Association
- IFC: The International Finance Corporation
- MIGA: The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency
- ICSID: The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- World Bank Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States;
- World Bank Founded: July 1944.
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