interesting?
umesh
PS: a classmate of mine whose father is in IMF and aunt at World Bank said he
can never work there till they retire -close relatives are not allowed to work
-so now after seeking jobs at many places he is finally at Brookings
Institution.
World Bank Civil Society Team <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
From: World Bank Civil Society Team <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: WB Executive Directors' Statement and Release of Documents
Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2007 12:35:19 -0400
Dear Colleagues:
Many of you have been following in the press the recent stories concerning
World Bank President Wolfowitz. For those of you who haven't seen it, a
statement by the WB Executive Directors was posted on the Bank's website late
last night in Washington, along with links to the Board's Ethics Committee
report and case notes. The text of that statement and the links are provided
below, along with the text of the statement made earlier yesterday on the
matter by the President. We will keep you posted of further developments as
they become available.
The World Bank Civil Society Team
Statement - Executive Directors Review Report, Release Documents
Washington, April 12, 2007 - The Executive Directors of the World Bank Group
at a meeting on April 6 formed an ad hoc group to investigate the facts
concerning a contract for a staff member closely associated with the President.
The Executive Directors met today, April 12, to review the report and the
documents obtained by the ad hoc group. The Executive Directors welcomed the
report, which they are disclosing publicly immediately together with the
associated documents reviewed by the ad hoc group.
The Executive Directors recalled that, in negotiations between the President
and the Board concerning his employment contract, he revealed a conflict of
interest involving a staff member. At the request of the Executive Directors,
the President sought guidance from the Ethics Committee. The guidance given on
an informal basis was that the employee should be re-located to a position
beyond potential supervising influence by the President or assigned to external
service and compensated for the potential disruption to her career by an in
situ promotion as consistent with the practice of the Bank, and that the
President, with the General Counsel, should communicate this advice to the Vice
President, Middle East and North Africa, and the Vice President, Human
Resources, so as to implement it with immediate effect. The President then sent
the Vice President, Human Resources, a written memorandum directing him to
reach an agreement with the staff member and specifying in detail
the terms and conditions.
The Executive Directors noted that the group found that the Ethics Committee,
including its Chairman, had not been involved in the discussions with the
concerned staff member. Neither did it find that the terms and conditions of
the agreement had been commented on, reviewed or approved by the Ethics
Committee, its Chairman or the Board.
The Executive Directors will move expeditiously to reach a conclusion on
possible actions to take. In their consideration of the matter the Executive
Directors will focus on all relevant governance implications for the Bank.
*********************************************************************************************************************
Statement of President Paul Wolfowitz -- April 12, 2007
Let me just say a few words about the issue on everyones mind. Two years
ago, when I came to the Bank, I raised the issue of a potential conflict of
interest and asked to be recused from the matter. I took the issue to the
Ethics Committee and after extensive discussions with the Chairman, the
Committees advice was to promote and relocate Ms. Shaha Riza.
I made a good faith effort to implement my understanding of that advice, and
it was done in order to take responsibility for settling an issue that I
believed had potential to harm the institution. In hindsight, I wish I had
trusted my original instincts and kept myself out of the negotiations. I made a
mistake, for which I am sorry.
Let me also ask for some understanding. Not only was this a painful personal
dilemma, but I also had to deal with it when I was new to this institution and
I was trying to navigate in uncharted waters. The situation was unprecedented
and exceptional. This was an involuntary reassignment and I believed there was
a legal risk if this was not resolved by mutual agreement. I take full
responsibility for the details. I did not attempt to hide my actions nor make
anyone else responsible.
I proposed to the Board that they establish some mechanism to judge whether
the agreement reached was a reasonable outcome. I will accept any remedies they
propose.
In the larger scheme of things, we have much more important work to focus on.
For those people who disagree with the things that they associate me with in my
previous job, Im not in my previous job. Im not working for the U.S.
government, Im working for this institution and its 185 shareholders. I
believe deeply in the mission of the institution and have a passion for it. I
think the challenge of reducing poverty is of enormous importance. I think the
opportunities in Africa are potentially historic. We have really been able to
call attention to the progress thats possible in Africa, and not just the
despair and misery in the poorest countries. I think together weve made some
progress in enabling this institution to respond more effectively and rapidly
both in poor countries and in middle income countries to carry on the fight
against poverty. I also believeeven more strongly now than when I came to this
jobthat the world needs an effective multilateral institution
like this one that can responsibly and credibly manage common funds for common
purposes, whether it is fighting poverty or dealing with climate change or
responding to avian flu. I ask that I be judged for what Im doing now and what
we can do together moving forward.
Umesh Sharma
Washington D.C.
1-202-215-4328 [Cell]
Ed.M. - International Education Policy
Harvard Graduate School of Education,
Harvard University,
Class of 2005
---------------------------------
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