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Dutch conference on the future of the Bank

17 June 2008

A conference hosted by the Dutch ministry of foreign affairs and the World Bank July 12-13 in Amsterdam will bring together officials and researchers to discuss “the challenges faced by the Bank in delivering its long-term strategic priorities”. Guest speakers include: Bank president Robert Zoellick, Nobel prize winner Wangari Maathai, former Mexican president Ernesto Zedillo, Cambridge economist Ha-Joon Chang and South African finance minister Trevor Manuel.

The conference will be moderated by Dutch minister for development cooperation, Bert Koenders. Koenders’ Socialist Party put forward a proposition in April that the Bank should refrain from forcing privatisation and liberalisation on developing countries. The proposition was backed by more than 50 Dutch NGOs but was eventually blocked by the Christian Democrats and Liberals.