Brookings and the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) are hosting an off the record lunch seminar on the “World Bank Leadership Selection Process” to be held on Friday, March 30, 2012 from 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. in the Brookings Stein room (1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW). This seminar will feature discussions by Nancy Birdsall, President of the Center for Global Development; Amar Bhattacharya, Director of the G24 Secretariat; and Jo Marie Griesgraber, Executive Director of the New Rules for Global Finance Coalition.
President of the World Bank, Robert Zoellick, recently announced he will not be seeking reappointment when his current term expires this June. Accordingly, the selection process for the new president has already begun. Amongst numerous calls and recommendations for reform in the international financial institutions leadership selection, the two leading candidates – Dr. Jim Yong Kim and Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala – represent the potential for a more open, merit-based and geographically inclusive selection process.
This lunch seminar will look to highlight and discuss several aspects of the selection process, including the procedures of the selection process, the demands to be faced by the next president and the political dynamics of the selection process. Nancy Birdsall will provide a background on the selection process, Amar Bhattacharya will discuss the perspectives of emerging markets and developing countries and Jo Marie Griesgraber will discuss the selection process as it relates to the concerns of non-governmental organizations.
A buffet lunch will be served at 12:00 p.m. and the program will begin promptly at 12:15 p.m.