Global Public Policy Institute
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30 May 2007
GPPi publishes op-ed on challenges for new World Bank president
GPPi Associate Director Thorsten Benner published an op-ed on the challenges facing the incoming World Bank President Robert Zoellick for Tagesspiegel/DIE ZEIT Online on 30 May 2007. Benner argues that despite his central role in the Bush camp, Zoellick could turn out to be an effective World Bank president. In order to be successful, Zoellick needs to avoid the two key mistakes of his predecessor, Paul Wolfowitz, who both antagonized the highly-skilled and demanding World Bank staff through an uncooperative leadership style while relying on a closed circle of US advisors, as well as failed to provide the world's leading development organization with a vision for its future direction. Benner argues that, together with the World Bank staff and the Bank's shareholders, Zoellick should develop a vision for the ailing World Bank that focuses on revamping the Bank's credit business, strengthening its grant programs to the poorest countries as well as energizing the Bank's role in the provision of global public goods. Zoellick should also make sure emerging powers such as China, India as well as developing countries are able to exert more voice and assume more responsibilities within the World Bank's governance structure.
To read the full article (in German), please click here. For further information please contact Thorsten Benner