AfDB Alternate Governor for France Visits Bank Group

The AfDB Alternate Governor for France, Benoît Coeuré, was at the Bank Group’s Temporary Relocation Agency (TRA) on Thursday, February 13, 2009, in Tunis, Tunisia, at the invitation of Bank Group President, Donald Kaberuka, within the framework of efforts by the G20 to find solutions to the prevailing global economic and financial crises. As co-chair of Working Group No. 4 constituted by the G20, Mr. Coeuré presented a progress report on ways and means of mobilizing MDBs to come up  with appropriate measures to mitigate the effects of the crisis and prevent similar occurrences to Mr. Kaberuka and the institution’s Board. South Africa’s representative on Work Group 4, Ms. Cleo Rose-Innes, designated along with France as contact point with the AfDB, also participated in the discussions. The progress report’s presentation was aimed at keeping African countries abreast of ongoing work guidelines, in particular, to seek the views of AfDB member countries, especially the institution’s regional member countries.

Discussions at the meeting with board members were particularly far-reaching and fruitful. They focused on the adjustment of financial instruments, resources and MDB governance. The meeting drew the attention of the co-chair of the G20 Group of 4 to issues of special concern to the Board’s regional chairs. Mr. Coeuré thanked Mr. Kaberuka for facilitating the discussions, which will significantly enrich the work of the G20 on the role of MDBs in devising response strategies to contain the crisis in a more inclusive approach.