Originally published on the CGS blog on May 23, 2007.
Krishna Guha reports in today’s FT that the Brazilian Executive Director at the World Bank, who represents the Philippines, Colombia and five other Latin American and Caribbean states, in addition to Brazil on the Bank’s Board, submitted a memo to the Board calling for “an open, democratic and transparent process…based on the merits of a plurality of candidates regardless of nationality.” The Board, which meets today to discuss the selection process, should take this proposal very seriously because it may be a good compromise. A key factor will be how open the U.S. will be, all signs are that the U.S. remains steadfast in its prerogative to choose the head of the World Bank.
Despite the resolution of the Wolfowitz crisis, the World Bank is in an increasingly tenuous position. Amongst many NGOs, the outcry over Wolfowitz was more about getting rid of him than about saving the World Bank. Reforming the leadership selection process would be an important first step in building up the Bank’s credibility as an institution that aims to reduce poverty in the poorest countries and around the world.
