Inside the World Bank

Speaking on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal, Uri Dadush provided a primer on the World Bank’s mission and operations. He discussed how the bank’s approach to development has evolved over the years; outgoing president Robert Zoellick’s achievements at the bank; and the institution’s intense engagement with Africa. Over the past several decades, Dadush noted, the World Bank has broadened its approach to growth and poverty reduction, shifting from “projects” to “programs” and moving beyond hard infrastructure initiatives—the construction of roads, bridges, and power stations—to systemic reforms in education and health care and the development of social safety nets. The bank has made mistakes, but also learned from them, Dadush added; it has played a critical role, moreover, in launching the green revolution, which helped increase agricultural productivity and reduce poverty, and eradicate river blindness, among other accomplishments.