Long Story Short #31: Inside the World Bank Annual Meetings

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Guest: Sophie Edwards and Michael Igoe, Devex reporters
Host: Kate Midden, Devex engagement editor

The world’s central bank governors, multilateral chiefs, and civil society leaders gathered this week in Bali, Indonesia, for the World Bank and International Monetary Fund annual meetings. Between the launch of the highly anticipated human capital index, policy shifts away from coal financing, and a civil society showdown over the World Bank’s new report over the future of work, the meetings have brought forth pointed and at times tense conversations about the trajectory of global development. Against the backdrop is a country reeling from a devastating earthquake and tsunami — and an embattled civil society presence seeking to have their voices heard.

Which countries topped the human capital index list — and which lagged behind? How did civil society respond to the meetings? What does the Bali FinTech agenda mean for global development? In this episode, reporters Sophie Edwards and Michael Igoe take a deeper look at the top stories coming out of the meetings.

Additional reading:
• World Bank launches highly anticipated human capital index
• Opinion: A new IFC vision for greening banks in emerging markets
• World Bank annual meetings face politics, global debt, and climate disasters
• World Bank drops support for Kosovo's controversial coal project
• Civil society groups welcome IFC coal plan but push for more