From former World Bank staff.
Sir, We are a group of ex-World Bank Group staff who occupied senior positions in the institution (managing directors, senior vice-presidents, vice-presidents, directors), and write in our personal capacities. Some of us have worked under Paul Wolfowitz, some of us have not, but all of us are watching with great concern the ongoing events at the bank because of their impact on development and the interests of the poor. At a time when fighting poverty remains crucial in building a more hopeful, more balanced and more secure world, the World Bank must remain credible if it is to speak with the moral authority necessary to move the poverty agenda forward.
For the bank to succeed, it must be effective, especially on matters of good governance, which Mr Wolfowitz rightly emphasized as crucial to poverty reduction. What staff objected to was not the principle - which they applauded. Rather it was that the policy was implemented with no consultation, and little transparency or apparent consistency. Now, as a result of a process of broad consultation that he was forced to undertake by the board, Mr Wolfowitz has been able to forge a consensus on how to raise the bar on corruption in a practical way. It is this that can serve as a lasting legacy at the bank.
See full Letter.
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