who will be next World Bank President What will they do
 
 

     
 

Hilary Benn's fighting words. Will the UK live up to them? In response to written questions from British Liberal Democrat MP Lynne Featherstone, UK secretary of state for international development Hilary Benn has said that "picking the heads of the World Bank and the IMF based on nationality should end".

The full transcript from the 8 May questions, for which responses were just posted on the hansard:

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent representations he has received on the selection process for the position of President of the World Bank. [135706]

Hilary Benn: In the past month DFID has received representations from a number of civil society organisations calling for a comprehensive reform of the selection process for the position of the president of the World Bank. The UK has a long-standing commitment to support developing country calls for a stronger say at the World Bank. As last year's UK White Paper on International Development makes clear, the practice of picking the heads of the World Bank and the IMF based on nationality should end and both presidents should be chosen on merit.

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if the Government will make it its policy to establish an open and merit-based selection process for the President of the World Bank. [135745]

Hilary Benn: The UK has a long-standing commitment to support developing country calls for a stronger say at the World Bank. As last year’s UK White Paper on International Development makes clear, the practice of picking the heads of the World Bank and the IMF based on nationality should end and both presidents should be chosen on merit.

Note Benn pointing to the heat that he is feeling from UK civil society groups over this. We can only hope that his convictions are as strong as his words. Colleagues in other European countries need to re-double their efforts on this front. Worrying signs that the Germans are crumbling - allowing the Americans to maintain their stranglehold over the Bank.

Jeff Powell ~ May 11, 2007


 
 
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