April 27, 2012

The World needs a World Bank

Sir, as a former Executive Director of the World Bank, 2002-2004 I would like to add to the many insightful comments of Sarah Murray, on the difficulties of being a president of a World Bank, “Leaders face a set of complex challenges” April 26. 

As I see it, and in much as I experienced it, the real problem of the World Bank is that, at its Board of Executive Directors, the World at large, and its humans, are not truly represented, only parochial governmental interests are. 

If we are going to have a chance to rally support for such global critical issues as world-wide sustainability and job creation for our youth, I do believe we need some sort of World’s World Bank, and, a good start, just for starters, could be adding to the Board some independent voices who do not report to a government, or, much worse, to a single ideology. 

Would such a proposal be feasible? I haven’t the faintest! But, if we cannot get the human beings to cooperate and work as one, on some vital issues, across the borders, our chances of all humans making it are much reduced… let’s not kid ourselves.