This post is also available in: Arabic
The Bank Information Center welcomes the World Bank’s initative to open up and create a larger space for civil society from the MENA region.
In October 2011, Mr. Zoellick, the president of the World Bank, appointed Inger Andersen as the Bank’s Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa region. Andersen expressed early on in her appointment her understanding that the underlying motivation for change in the region is citizens’ strong yearning to have a say in the future of their countries. On her second day in office, and in the midst of the World Bank/IMF Annual Meetings in Washington DC, Andersen organized a meeting with visiting Arab civil society leaders where she made clear that creating a space for civil society in the region would be at the top of her agenda.
In January 2012, Andersen hosted an open online live discussion in English and Arabic under the title “Share your views: What does the Middle East & North Africa region need now?” Amongst the lively discussion, the three main topics that were brought up by participants repeatedly were jobs, education, and good governance. It was a rich and thought-provoking session and Andersen promised to follow up with issue or country-focused discussions down the road.
The Bank Information Center welcomes the World Bank’s step to open up and create this space for civil society in the region. We look forward to future discussions and hope that there will be a system to ensure that input from civil society is taken seriously and incorporated into Bank operations in the region.
Click here to replay the discussion