The Other Global Challenge: Pandemic Risks and the World Bank Roadmap

Описание: At the World Bank and IMF Annual Meetings last fall, shareholders called on the World Bank to develop a plan to better respond to global challenges. (CGD also held dialogues at the 2021 and 2022 Annual Meetings on this very issue.) In December, the Bank delivered a roadmap, which outlines its approach on evolving the mission, operations and resources of the World Bank to better address global challenges including pandemic preparedness and response, and climate change.

Also late last year, the World Bank launched The Pandemic Fund, which has just issued its first call for proposals. G20 leaders called for the creation of the fund, with a proposed capitalization need of $10.5 billion annually to respond to the increasing threat of pandemics. Estimates suggest that extreme novel epidemics and pandemics will likely increase in intensity and frequency in the coming decades, and the next big one could emerge at any time. However, initial contributions to The Pandemic Fund have fallen far short of that mark, at just $1.6 billion to date, with no ambitious resource mobilization plan as of yet.

How can the World Bank and its shareholder countries tackle pandemic risk as a global challenge with the same level of urgency as climate change and rising fragility and conflict? In what ways is pandemic risk intertwined with crises like climate change? What kinds of operational arrangements and incentives could work to address both preparedness and response? How will the next World Bank President, Ajay Banga, carry this agenda forward?

00:00 - Welcome by Amanda Glassman
03:11 - Video Remarks by Tharman Shanmugaratnam
15:29 - Panel Discussion
48:40 - Audience Q&A