Under President Ajay Banga, the World Bank’s dual-purpose new motto — “to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet” — has become gospel as the poverty-fighting lending institution broadens its remit to tackle climate change. But not everyone is a fan of this expanded new battlefront.
“My view is to stay focused on the core mission of development, and fighting poverty through development and … not have mission creep,” said Rep. French Hill, a Republican from Arkansas who was the featured speaker at Devex’s most recent U.S. Global Leadership Series discussion.
“Let's stay focused on the mission at hand, which is the health and well-being of people in our poorest countries in the world, and not be caught up with fads in New York, Washington, or Paris,” added Hill, who serves as vice chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, which oversees U.S. relations with multilateral development banks such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
About the author
Anna Gawel
Anna Gawel is the Managing Editor of Devex. She previously worked as the managing editor of The Washington Diplomat, the flagship publication of D.C.’s diplomatic community. She’s had hundreds of articles published on world affairs, U.S. foreign policy, politics, security, trade, travel and the arts on topics ranging from the impact of State Department budget cuts to Caribbean efforts to fight climate change. She was also a broadcast producer and digital editor at WTOP News and host of the Global 360 podcast. She holds a journalism degree from the University of Maryland in College Park.
