World Bank/IMF 2016 Civil Society Policy Forum Convened in Washington, DC

Report by JPIC Staff

From October 4-7, 2016 Oblate JPIC staff attended the World Bank Group and IMF annual meeting in Washington DC. They attended sessions hosted by the Bank group and Civil Society Policy Forum.  

The event included an orientation session; a Civil Society town hall meeting with World Bank President Jim Yong Kim and IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde; sessions on a variety of topics; and a reception with senior World Bank Group and IMF officials.

The World Bank announced the release of a new flagship study, Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2016: Taking on Inequality, which found that 767 million people globally were living on less than $1.90 per day in 2013.

Some of the sessions JPIC staff attended were the following:

Delivering on the Paris Agreement and the SDGs: What Kind of Energy Investment Would It Take?

This session explored how to accelerate the shift to clean energy, including in fast-developing economies such as India and for energy access in Africa, and the role of multilateral development banks in facilitating this shift. Rev. Suzanne Matale, a Christian Aid partner from Zambia passionately addressed the audience. She said what faith-based groups bring to the table in these discussions is their vast experience working closely with vulnerable populations. She noted that segments of sub Saharan Africa are already suffering the effects of climate change through excessive rainfall or droughts. 'Some things are beyond human control,' she said, 'which is why implementing the Paris agreement is so critical'.

Delivering on the Paris Agreement and the SDGs: What Kind of Energy Investment?  Session notes visually summarized

• Religion and Sustainable Development: Evidence for the Capacities, Activities, and Contributions of Faith Groups Towards Achieving the SDGs. 

During a lively discussion panelists talked about the capacities, activities, and contributions of faith-based and religious organizations in combating extreme poverty, working with various partners. Panelists included representatives from Islamic Relief USA, World Vision, the United Methodist Church and a peace network working with Buddhists in Thailand and Myanmar.

• Next Steps on Sovereign Debt Restructuring included Oblate JPIC partners Jubilee USA and Jubilee Germany. 

This session aimed to identify possible next steps in continued reform of the sovereign debt of nations, financial crisis response mechanisms and how to enhance momentum on this critical policy issue.