Reaction to World Bank president Jim Kim's plenary speech at the Annual Meetings

In reaction to the plenary remarks delivered by World Bank President Jim Kim, Oxfam’s head of Washington office, Nicolas Mombrial, said:

Universal access to financial services

“We welcome today’s announcement of an effort to provide universal financial access to all working-age adults by 2020, and hope it will really reach the poorest and most disadvantaged among us, especially women.”

Beneficiary feedback

“Listening to feedback from beneficiaries of all World Bank projects, and adjusting efforts based on this feedback is critical to delivering for poor people. This is a big step forward for the Bank and we applaud it. For too long, it was unclear how the Bank's work on the ground was contributing to poverty reduction outcomes. The new commitment to measure how the Bank's work is reducing poverty is absolutely critical and the Bank cannot achieve its new vision without this change.”

New interim goal

“The recently announced interim goal signals that World Bank President Kim is committed to make good on his vision of a world free of poverty quickly. But ambitious targets must be quickly be paired with ambitious actions.”

Streamlining the World Bank

“President Kim's move to make the Bank more effective and streamlining bureaucracy in its work to fight poverty is taking things in the right direction. We can only hope that prioritizing increased efficiency within the institution will lead to increased availability of funds for much-needed development projects. And as the Bank increases its efficiency, it is also time for donors to fulfill their obligations and prove their trust in the strategy by funding the International Development Association’s 17th Replenishment.”