Delay elections in favor of power-sharing agreements in fragile states, David Cameron says
Former British Prime Minister David Cameron is arguing that the international development community must completely rethink the way it approaches fragile states to ensure reforms take hold and such countries do not plunge back into instability. That could include slowing down the holding of elections.
Blended Finance Task Force launches action plan, calls on MDBs to step up leadership
A new blended finance action plan calls on multilateral development banks to step up their efforts to leverage private capital. It lays out a series of eight key initiatives that can help to accelerate blended finance and raise more funds to address the Paris Agreement on climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Facing pressure for coal connections, IFC aims for greater transparency about 'financial intermediaries'
The International Finance Corporation faces a difficult question. On one hand, IFC wants to help build strong financial institutions in developing countries. On the other hand, some of those institutions finance coal-fired power plants.
Q&A: Gates experts on how to beat malaria with data
As the Malaria Summit gathers in London this week, Devex speaks to two Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation experts — Philip Welkhoff, head of the malaria program, and Trevor Mundel, president of global health — about why data and surveillance will be central to overcoming stagnation in the fight against the disease.
Tackling corruption: 6 takeaways from the World Bank Spring Meetings
Public sector corruption costs the world economy up to $2 trillion annually and fighting graft was high on the agenda of the World Bank Spring Meetings. Officials, business leaders, and civil society figures discussed how best to fight it, while World Bank Chief Executive Officer Kristalina Georgieva promised her institution would be "much stronger and proactive." Here are six key takeaways from the debate.
In Cambodia, payments to protect an endangered bird are no simple matter
As direct payments gain traction across the sector, a conservation scheme in Cambodia could hold key lessons.
Concerns raised about World Bank support for private education
Civil society groups have raised concerns about the World Bank's support for private education solutions in developing countries, including lodging a formal complaint against a provider in Kenya, as the institution meets for its Spring Meetings.
Q&A: The World Bank's pivot to fragile states
The World Bank wants to move earlier into conflict-affected and fragile countries with more funding, more staff, and a mandate to focus on prevention, according to the institution's fragility, conflict, and violence director Franck Bousquet.
Trump administration takes aim at World Bank salaries
As negotiations for a multibillion dollar capital increase at the World Bank continue this week, the United States government wants to see employees' salary growth curtailed, according to a source with knowledge of the U.S. position.
Opinion: African experts warn big changes needed to eliminate malaria
A new independent policy study, commissioned by Novartis, reveals controversial views about what African experts think is the best way to push forward progress on malaria eliminations. This guest column details the biggest findings of the Malaria Futures for Africa, or MalaFA study, and explains why we need to take advantage of these African insights and learnings.
Applying to jobs at the World Bank: An insider's guide
Landing a job with the World Bank Group is highly competitive. With only a fraction of applicants being successful, it's important to tailor your application and utilize all the insider knowledge you can get to stand out. Devex spoke with Roberto Amorosino, senior human resources specialist at the bank, to get his advice on increasing your chances of getting hired.
Gender experts offer 5 recommendations to We-Fi as it announces first grants
The Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative, or We-Fi, is to hand out $120 million in funding split between the World Bank, Islamic Development Bank, and Asian Development Bank to support work on women's economic empowerment. At the World Bank Spring Meetings, gender experts came forward with suggestions for how the fund can best operate in the sector.
How DFID plans to use insurance to build resilience in small island states
Speaking on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London this week, development minister Lord Michael Bates offered a look into the Department for International Development's plans to leverage insurance tools to help small island states prepare for and respond to natural disasters.
Opinion: The business case for housing microfinance
There are an estimated 1.6 billion people in the world living in substandard housing. This figure is climbing, but housing microfinance — small, nonmortgage-backed loans for short terms — could be a market solution to address growing housing needs, incremental building patterns, and the land tenure realities of low-income households. Habitat for Humanity explains how.
One woman's fight: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala memoir offers guide to fighting corruption
In her memoir, Fighting Corruption Is Dangerous: The Story Behind the Headlines, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala recounts her time in the Nigerian government and her struggles to combat graft, battle oil companies, and bring in effective government. It is a sobering tale that ends with a rallying cry to the development sector: "Outsiders can only assist. Corruption must be fought by insiders and from the inside."
Leaders challenge Commonwealth countries to halve malaria cases by 2023
The announcement comes during the Malaria Summit London 2018, where commitments will include a range of new interventions in funding, innovation, and data, with strong support from malaria-endemic countries and a special focus on refugees and internally displaced people.
Satellites for survival: Saving lives in Nigeria
Satellite technology is providing health workers in remote communities in Nigeria with better access to training, as well as improved information management systems. In this video, we take a look at how a new partnership is helping to revolutionize health coverage in some of the country's rural areas.
Questions raised about EU climate financing as Turkey takes biggest share
An analysis of European Union climate financing released Wednesday has raised questions about where the funds are going, as it emerged that Turkey was by far the biggest individual recipient.
Inside Development
At Spring Meetings, Michael Bloomberg on sin taxes, 2050, and AI
The billionaire philanthropist says sin taxes are necessary to get people, especially those with fewer resources, to live longer.
Global Views
Opinion: We-Fi’s success cannot come soon enough. Here's how to make that happen.
No, We-Fi isn't just a pet project of Ivanka Trump's, writes Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow Meighan Stone.
