The Next World Bank President

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In The Media

The Next World Bank President

The new World Bank president, an American once again, was selected through a process that was far from competitive. However, the presence of two developing world candidates in this year's field may be a sign that the tide is turning.

By Uri Dadush

Published on Apr 16, 2012

Source: BBC World News

Speaking on BBC World News Today, Carnegie's Uri Dadush explained that, in keeping with tradition, the American nominee for World Bank president, Jim Yong Kim, was selected to head the organization when current president Robert Zoellick steps down in June. This year's selection process for the World Bank's top job was subject to unprecedented competition, with the participation of two developing country candidates—including Nigeria's finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. Dadush noted that, while Okonjo-Iweala's loss was disappointing—given that he and many development professionals believe she was the most qualified candidate—her presence in the competition will hopefully open the doors to a more transparent, merit-based process in the future, at both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The viability of both institutions, he said, rests in part on their capacity to better represent a world in which the economic weight of emerging markets is growing.

About the Author

Uri Dadush

Former Senior Associate, International Economics Program

Dadush was a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He focuses on trends in the global economy and is currently tracking developments in the eurozone crisis.

Recent Work

Commentary
The Labors of Tsipras
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In The Media
Greece, Complacency, and the Euro
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Economy North America United States Southern, Eastern, and Western Africa

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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