View source for World Bank Group

{{Short description|Group making loans to developing countries}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{mergefrom|World Bank|date=May 2025|discuss=Talk:World Bank#Overlap with World Bank Group}}
{{Infobox organization
| logo                     = World Bank Group logo.svg
| image                    = The World Bank Group (53844804648).jpg
| caption                  = The World Bank Group building (Washington, DC)
| map                      = 
| motto                    = 
| established              = {{start date and age|1944|07|4|df=y}}
| extinction               = 
| type                     = [[Intergovernmental organization]]
| status                   = Treaty
| purpose                  = [[Economic development]], [[extreme poverty|poverty]] elimination
| headquarters             = 1818 H Street Northwest,<br/>[[Washington D.C.]], U.S.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About the World Bank |url=http://www.worldbank.org/en/about |website=World Bank}}</ref>
| leader_title             = [[President of the World Bank Group|President]]
| leader_name              = [[Ajay Banga]]<ref>{{Cite news |title=U.S. Businessman Ajay Banga Approved to Lead World Bank|work=scroll.in |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-businessman-ajay-banga-approved-to-lead-world-bank-adb5f1ad |access-date=19 June 2023}}</ref>
| leader_title2            = MD & CFO
| leader_name2             = [[Anshula Kant]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/sbi-md-anshula-kant-appointed-as-md-cfo-of-world-bank-group/1599829964995 |access-date=13 July 2019 |website=antopedia.org|title=SBI MD Anshula Kant appointed as MD, CFO of World Bank Group }}</ref>
| main_organ               = Board of Directors<ref>{{Cite web |title=Board of Directors |url=http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTABOUTUS/ORGANIZATION/BODEXT/0,,pagePK:1262504318911~theSitePK:281079,00.html |access-date=31 May 2010 |publisher=Web.worldbank.org }}{{Dead link|date=March 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
| parent_organization      = [[United Nations]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=UN System | url=https://www.un.org/en/about-us/un-system |access-date=17 February 2024}}</ref>
| membership_type          = [[List of World Bank members|Member states]]
| membership               = 189 states (188 [[United Nations member states|UN countries]] and [[Kosovo]])<ref name="WBG Member Countries">{{Cite web |title=Member Countries |url=http://www.worldbank.org/en/about/leadership/members |access-date=2016-06-03 |publisher=World Bank Group}}</ref>
| website                  = {{URL|https://www.worldbank.org/ext/en/home|worldbank.org}}
}}

The '''World Bank Group''' ('''WBG''') is a family of five [[international organization]]s that make [[leveraged loan]]s to [[developing countries]]. It is the largest and best-known [[development bank]] in the world and an observer at the [[United Nations Development Group]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=RDSI Sign Gold |url=http://www.antopedia.org/index.cfm?P=13 |access-date=2012-05-27 |publisher=United Nations Development Group}}{{dead link|date=December 2021}}</ref> The bank is headquartered in [[Washington, D.C.]], in the [[United States]]. It provided around $98.83&nbsp;billion in loans and assistance to "developing" and transition countries in the 2021 fiscal year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldbank.org/en/about/annual-report/fiscal-year-data|title=Fiscal year data|access-date=7 December 2021|publisher=World Bank}}</ref> The bank's stated mission is to achieve the twin goals of ending extreme poverty and building shared prosperity.<ref name="bicusa1">The World Bank, Press release: "World Bank Group Commitments Rise Sharply in FY14 Amid Organizational Change", [http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2014/07/01/world-bank-group-commitments-rise-sharply-in-fy14-amid-organizational-change July 1 2014, http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2014/07/01/world-bank-group-commitments-rise-sharply-in-fy14-amid-organizational-change]</ref> Total lending as of 2015 for the last 10 years through Development Policy Financing was approximately $117&nbsp;billion.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2015 Development Policy Financing Retrospective – Results and Sustainability |url=http://www.worldbank.org/en/projects-operations/products-and-services/publication/dpfretrospective2015 |website=worldbank.org}}</ref> Its five organizations have been established over time:

* [[International Bank for Reconstruction and Development]] (IBRD), 1944
* [[International Development Association]] (IDA), 1960
* [[International Finance Corporation]] (IFC), 1956
* [[International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes]] (ICSID), 1965
* [[Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency]] (MIGA), 1988

The first two are sometimes collectively referred to as the [[World Bank]].

The activities of the World Bank (the IBRD and IDA) focus on [[Developing country|developing countries]], in fields such as human development (e.g. education, health), agriculture and [[rural development]] (e.g. irrigation and rural services), environmental protection (e.g. pollution reduction, establishing and enforcing regulations), infrastructure (e.g. roads, urban regeneration, and electricity), large industrial construction projects, and governance (e.g. anti-corruption, legal institutions development). The IBRD and IDA provide loans at preferential rates to member countries, as well as grants to the poorest countries. Loans or grants for specific projects are often linked to wider policy changes in the sector or the country's economy as a whole. For example, a loan to improve coastal environmental management may be linked to the development of new environmental institutions at national and local levels and the implementation of new regulations to limit pollution.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://ppp.worldbank.org/public-private-partnership/sites/ppp.worldbank.org/files/documents/PPPCCSA_WBGGuarantees_Final%20_%20English%20_Printed%20Oct%202016.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://ppp.worldbank.org/public-private-partnership/sites/ppp.worldbank.org/files/documents/PPPCCSA_WBGGuarantees_Final%20_%20English%20_Printed%20Oct%202016.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |title=World bank – structured financial products |date=5 April 2016 |publisher=World bank |location=Washington |access-date=5 November 2018}}</ref> Furthermore, the World Bank Group is recognized as a leading funder of climate investments in developing countries.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Climate Solutions that Work |url=https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/immersive-story/2023/12/01/climate-solutions-that-work |access-date=2024-05-26 |website=World Bank |language=en}}</ref>

==History==
===Founding===
The WBG came into formal existence on 27 December [[1946]] following international ratification of the [[Bretton Woods system|Bretton Woods]] agreements, which emerged from the [[Bretton Woods Conference|United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference]] (1–22 July 1944). It also provided the foundation of the [[Osiander Committee]] in 1951, responsible for the preparation and evaluation of the [[World Development Report]]. Commencing operations on 25 June 1946, it

==Membership==
[[File:World Bank Group.png|thumb|right|upright=1.5|World Bank Group: {{legend|#008000|Member states of all five WBG organizations}} {{legend|#00FF00|Member states of four WBG organizations}} {{legend|#00FFFF|Member states of three WBG organizations}} {{legend|#0000FF|Member states of two WBG organizations}}{{legend|#800080|Member states only of the IBRD}}]]

All of the [[member states of the United Nations|188 UN members]] and [[Kosovo]] that are WBG members participate at a minimum in the IBRD. As of May 2016, all of them also participate in some of the other four organizations (IDA, IFC, MIGA, and ICSID).

WBG members by the number of organizations in which they participate:<ref name="WBG Member Countries" />
#Only in the IBRD: 
#The IBRD and one other organization: [[San Marino]], [[Nauru]], [[Tuvalu]], [[Brunei]]
#The IBRD and two other organizations: [[Antigua and Barbuda]], [[Suriname]], [[Venezuela]], [[Namibia]], [[Marshall Islands]], [[Kiribati]]
#The IBRD and three other organizations: India, Mexico, Belize, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Bolivia, Uruguay, Ecuador, Dominica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, South Africa, Seychelles, Libya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Bahrain, Qatar, Iran, Malta, Bulgaria, Poland, Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Palau, Tonga, Vanuatu, Maldives, Bhutan, Myanmar
#All five WBG organizations: the rest of the 138 WBG members

Non-members are [[Andorra]], [[Cuba]], [[Liechtenstein]], [[Monaco]], [[Palestine]], the [[Holy See]] ([[Vatican City]]), Taiwan, and [[North Korea]].

The [[Taiwan|Republic of China]] joined the World Bank on December 27, 1945.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.worldbank.org/en/about/leadership/members|title=Member Countries|website=World Bank|language=en|access-date=2019-12-10}}</ref> After the [[Chinese Civil War]], the government fled to Taiwan and continued its membership in the WBG until April 16, 1980, when the People's Republic of China replaced the ROC. Since then, it uses the name "[[Taiwan, China]]".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/country/TW|title = Taiwan, China &#124; Data}}</ref>

Excluded from the list are the following de facto states: [[Abkhazia]], [[Northern Cyprus]], the [[Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic]], [[Somaliland]], [[South Ossetia]], and [[Transnistria]].

==Organizational structure==
[[File:The World Bank Group Building.jpg|thumb|The World Bank Group Building in [[Washington, D.C.]]]]
[[File:The World Bank Group.jpg|thumb|The World Bank Sign on the building]]
Together with four affiliated agencies created between 1957 and 1988, the IBRD is part of the World Bank Group. The group's headquarters are in [[Washington, D.C.]] It is an international organization owned by member governments; although it makes profits, they are used to support continued efforts in poverty reduction.<ref>[http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTSITETOOLS/0,,contentMDK:20147466~menuPK:344189~pagePK:98400~piPK:98424~theSitePK:95474,00.html#13 FAQ-About The World Bank] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130312012211/http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTSITETOOLS/0,,contentMDK:20147466~menuPK:344189~pagePK:98400~piPK:98424~theSitePK:95474,00.html#13 |date=12 March 2013 }}, Worldbank.org.</ref>

Technically the World Bank is part of the United Nations system,<ref>[http://www.colorado.edu/StudentGroups/mun/docs/unsystem.jpg The United Nations system: Principal Organs] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303231222/http://www.colorado.edu/StudentGroups/mun/docs/unsystem.jpg |date=3 March 2016 }}, Colorado.edu.</ref> but its governance structure is different: each institution in the World Bank Group is owned by its member governments, which subscribe to its basic share capital, with votes proportional to shareholding. Membership gives certain voting rights that are the same for all countries but there are also additional votes that depend on financial contributions to the organization. The president of the World Bank is nominated by the president of the United States and elected by the bank's Board of Governors.<ref name=WBA/> As of 15 November 2009, the United States held 16.4% of total votes, Japan 7.9%, Germany 4.5%, the United Kingdom 4.3%, and France 4.3%. As changes to the bank's Charter require an 85% supermajority, the U.S. can block any major change in the bank's governing structure.<ref>[http://www.globalpolicy.org/socecon/bwi-wto/wbank/2003/0626blocks.htm US Blocks Stronger African Voice At World Bank]  Retrieved 7 August 2007.</ref> Because the U.S. exerts formal and informal influence over the bank as a result of its vote share, control over the presidency, and the bank's headquarters location in Washington, D.C., friends and allies of the U.S. receive more projects with more lenient terms.<ref>Clark Richard and Lindsay Dolan. "Pleasing the Principal: U.S. Influence in World Bank Policymaking." 2021. ''American Journal of Political Science'' 65(1): 36-51. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajps.12531</ref>

===World Bank Group agencies===
The World Bank Group consists of
* the [[International Bank for Reconstruction and Development]] (IBRD), established in 1944, which provides debt financing based on sovereign guarantees;
* the [[International Finance Corporation]] (IFC), established in 1956, which provides various forms of financing without sovereign guarantees, primarily to the private sector;
* the [[International Development Association]] (IDA), established in 1960, which provides concessional financing (interest-free loans or grants), usually with sovereign guarantees;
* the [[International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes]] (ICSID), established in 1965, which works with governments to reduce investment risk;
* the [[Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency]] (MIGA), established in 1988, which provides insurance against certain types of risk, including political risk, primarily to the private sector.

The term "[[World Bank]]" generally refers to just the IBRD and IDA, whereas the term "World Bank Group" or "WBG" is used to refer to all five institutions collectively.<ref name="WBA">[http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTABOUTUS/0,,contentMDK:20040580~menuPK:1696997~pagePK:51123644~piPK:329829~theSitePK:29708,00.html "About Us"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120611073612/http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTABOUTUS/0,,contentMDK:20040580~menuPK:1696997~pagePK:51123644~piPK:329829~theSitePK:29708,00.html |date=11 June 2012 }}, ''wordbank.org'', accessed 30 May 2007.</ref>

The [[World Bank Institute]] is the capacity development branch of the World Bank, providing learning and other capacity-building programs to member countries.

The IBRD has 189 member governments, and the other institutions have between 153 and 184.<ref name="WBG Member Countries" /> The institutions of the World Bank Group are all run by a board of governors meeting once a year.<ref name=WBA/> Each member country appoints a governor, generally its minister of finance. Daily, the World Bank Group is run by a board of 25 executive directors to whom the governors have delegated certain powers. Each director represents either one country (for the largest countries), or a group of countries. Executive directors are appointed by their respective governments or the constituencies.<ref name=WBA/>

The agencies of the World Bank are each governed by their Articles of Agreement that serves as the legal and institutional foundation for all their work.<ref name=WBA/>

The activities of the [[International Finance Corporation|IFC]] and [[Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency|MIGA]] include investment in the private sector and providing insurance, respectively.

===Presidency===
Traditionally, the bank president has been a U.S. citizen nominated by the president of the United States, the bank's largest shareholder. The nominee is subject to confirmation by the executive directors, to serve a five-year, renewable term.<ref name=WBA/>

====Current president====
[[Ajay Banga]] is the current and 14th [[President of the World Bank Group]].

===Managing director===
The managing director of the World Bank is responsible for organizational strategy; budget and strategic planning; information technology; shared services; Corporate Procurement; General Services and Corporate Security; the Sanctions System; and the Conflict Resolution and Internal Justice System. The present managing director, Shaolin Yang, assumed the office after [[Sri Mulyani]] resigned to become finance minister of [[Indonesia]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=More Chinese at helm of international organisations |work=The Straits Times |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/more-chinese-at-helm-of-international-organisations |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003181820/https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/more-chinese-at-helm-of-international-organisations |url-status=live |archive-date=3 October 2018 |access-date=3 October 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Indonesia's president appoints World Bank's Sri Mulyani as finance minister |work=The Star |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/business/business-news/2016/07/27/indonesia-president-appoints-world-bank-sri-mulyani-as-finance-minister/ |access-date=3 October 2018}}</ref> The managing director and World Bank Group chief financial officer is Anshula Kant since 7 October 2019.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.worldbank.org/en/about/people/a/anshula-kant | title=Anshula Kant }}</ref>

===Extractive Industries Review===
After longstanding criticisms from [[civil society]] of the bank's involvement in the oil, gas, and [[mining industry|mining]] sectors, the World Bank in July 2001 launched an independent review called the ''Extractive Industries Review'' (EIR—not to be confused with [[Environmental impact assessment|Environmental Impact Report]]). The review was headed by an "Eminent Person", [[Emil Salim]] (former Environment Minister of Indonesia). Salim held consultations with a wide range of stakeholders in 2002 and 2003. The EIR recommendations were published in January 2004 in a final report, "Striking a Better Balance".<ref name="SBB">[http://go.worldbank.org/PIW55278X0 "Striking a Better Balance"], ''worldbank.org'', January 2004, accessed 30 May 2007.</ref> The report concluded that fossil fuel and mining projects do not alleviate poverty, and recommended that World Bank involvement with these sectors be phased out by 2008 to be replaced by investment in [[renewable energy]] and [[Sustainable energy|clean energy]]. The World Bank published its Management Response to the EIR in September 2004<ref>[http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTOGMC/Resources/finaleirmanagementresponse.pdf "Striking a Better Balance"], {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051113021620/http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTOGMC/Resources/finaleirmanagementresponse.pdf |date=13 November 2005 }}, "World Bank Group Management Response" to "The World Bank Group and Extractive Industries: The Final Report of the Extractive Industries Review: World Bank Group Management Response",17 September 2004, accessed 30 May 2007.</ref> after extensive discussions with the board of directors. The Management Response did not accept many of the EIR report's conclusions, but the EIR served to alter the World Bank's policies on oil, gas, and mining in important ways, as the World Bank documented in a recent follow-up report.<ref name="OGMC">[http://go.worldbank.org/BE8FH2VK40 "Oil, Gas, Mining, and Chemicals" (follow up report)]{{Dead link|date=January 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, accessed 30 May 2007.</ref> One area of particular controversy concerned the rights of indigenous peoples. Critics point out that the Management Response weakened a key recommendation that indigenous peoples and affected communities should have to provide 'consent for projects to proceed; instead, there would be 'consultation'.<ref>[http://www.newint.org/columns/currents/2004/11/01/sustainability/index.php "The Energy Tug of War"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930183611/http://www.newint.org/columns/currents/2004/11/01/sustainability/index.php |date=30 September 2007 }}, ''[[The New Internationalist]]'', No. 373 (November 2004), accessed 30 May 2007.<!--This citation was to a vague index and not to a specific article; what source at this site? The URL given pointed to a webpage headed "Hannah Arendt" with an index of items none of which seemed to pertain.???--></ref> Following the EIR process, the World Bank issued a revised Policy on Indigenous Peoples.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080507073514/http://wbln0018.worldbank.org/Institutional/Manuals/OpManual.nsf/B52929624EB2A3538525672E00775F66/0F7D6F3F04DD70398525672C007D08ED?OpenDocument "World Bank Operational Manual: Operational Policies: Indigenous Peoples" (Op 4.10)], ''worldbank.org'', July 2005, accessed 30 May 2007. Archived version from 7 May 2008</ref>

==Criticism==
{{Main|World Bank#Criticisms and controversy}}
[[File:Worldbank protest jakarta.jpg|thumb|A young World Bank protester in [[Jakarta, Indonesia|Jakarta]], Indonesia]]
[[File:IMF and World Bank protests - damage in Logan Circle.jpg|thumb|[[World Bank]]/[[International Monetary Fund|IMF]] protesters smashed the windows of this [[PNC Financial Services|PNC Bank]] branch located in the [[Logan Circle, Washington, D.C.|Logan Circle]] neighbourhood of Washington, D.C.]]
[[World Bank#Criticisms|The World Bank has long been criticized]] by a range of non-governmental organizations and academics, notably including its former chief economist [[Joseph Stiglitz]], who is equally critical of the [[International Monetary Fund]], the [[US Treasury Department]], and the US and other developed country trade negotiators.<ref name="stiglitz">See [[Joseph Stiglitz]], ''[[The Roaring Nineties]]'', ''[[Globalization and Its Discontents]]'', and ''[[Making Globalization Work]]''.<!--These sources need fuller citations, inc. places and dates of publication, page numbers as applicable, and ISBN nos.--></ref> Critics argue that the so-called [[free market]] reform policies—which the bank advocates in many cases—in practice are often harmful to [[economic development]] if implemented badly, too quickly ("[[shock therapy (economics)|shock therapy]]"), in the wrong sequence, or in very weak, uncompetitive economies.<ref name=stiglitz /><!--"Stiglitz op. cit." was a too-vague insufficient citation; specifically in what sources by Stiglitz and on what pages do these statements come from? op. cit. is incorrect; the ref. to Stiglitz is in the directly preceding note: "Ibid." used to be used, but pref. is now to cite the last name and specific book or article or chapter in the book and a full citation.--> World Bank loan agreements can also force procurements of goods and services at uncompetitive, non-free-market, prices.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Microsoft Word - IFI Watch Bangladesh_Vol_1 No_1.doc |url=http://www.unnayan.org/Other/IFI_Watch_Bangladesh_Vol_1%20No_1.pdf |access-date=31 May 2010 |archive-date=8 November 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041108100213/http://www.unnayan.org/Other/IFI_Watch_Bangladesh_Vol_1%20No_1.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{Rp|5}} Other critical writers, such as [[John Perkins (author)|John Perkins]], label the international financial institutions as 'illegal and illegitimate and a cog of coercive American diplomacy in carrying out financial terrorism.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Perkins |first=John |title=[[Confessions of an Economic Hit Man]] |year=2004 |isbn=0-452-28708-1 |pages=259|publisher=Plume }}</ref>

Defenders of the World Bank contend that no country is forced to borrow its money. The bank provides both loans and grants. Even the loans are concessional since they are given to countries that have no access to international [[capital market]]s. Furthermore, the loans, both to poor and middle-income countries, are below market-value [[interest rate]]s. The World Bank argues that it can help development more through loans than grants because money repaid on the loans can then be lent for other projects.

Criticism was also expressed towards the IFC and MIGA and their way of evaluating the social and environmental impact of their projects. Critics state that even though IFC and MIGA have more of these standards than the World Bank, they mostly rely on private-sector clients to monitor their implementation and miss an independent monitoring institution in this context. This is why an extensive review of the institutions' implementation strategy of social and environmental standards is demanded.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Korinna Horta |date=February 2013 |title=Most relevant review |url=http://www.dandc.eu/en/article/world-bank-reviewing-its-social-and-environmental-safeguards-and-civil-society-organisations |publisher=dandc.eu}}</ref>

===Allegations of corruption===

[http://www.worldbank.org/en/about/unit/integrity-vice-presidency The World Bank's Integrity Vice Presidency (INT)] is charged with the investigation of internal fraud and corruption, including complaint intake, investigation, and investigation reports.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Integrity Vice Presidency - The Investigative Process |url=https://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTABOUTUS/ORGANIZATION/ORGUNITS/EXTDOII/0,,contentMDK:22641983~menuPK:2452528~pagePK:64168445~piPK:64168309~theSitePK:588921,00.html |access-date=2012-05-27 |publisher=Web.world bank.org |archive-date=10 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111210055132/http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTABOUTUS/ORGANIZATION/ORGUNITS/EXTDOII/0,,contentMDK:22641983~menuPK:2452528~pagePK:64168445~piPK:64168309~theSitePK:588921,00.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Investments===
The World Bank Group has also been criticized for investing in projects with human rights issues.<ref name="upside down">{{Cite web |last=Mychalejko |first=Cyril |title=Beyond Reform: It's Time to Shut Down the World Bank |url=http://upsidedownworld.org/main/honduras-archives-46/4660-beyond-reform-its-time-to-shut-down-the-world-bank- |access-date=5 April 2014 |website=Upside Down World|date=23 January 2014 }}</ref>

The [[Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman]] (CAO) criticized a loan the bank made to the palm oil company Dinant after the [[2009 Honduran coup d'état]]. There have been numerous killings of Campesinos in the region where Dinant was operating.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Malkin |first=Elisabeth |date=10 January 2014 |title=World Bank Is Criticized for Honduran Loan |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/11/world/americas/world-bank-is-criticized-for-honduran-loan.html |access-date=5 April 2014}}</ref>

Other controversial investments include loans to the [[Chixoy Hydroelectric Dam]] in Guatemala while it was under military dictatorship, and to [[Goldcorp]] (then Glamis Gold) for the construction of the [[Marlin Mine]].

In 2019, the [[Congressional-Executive Commission on China]] questioned the World Bank about a loan in [[Xinjiang|Xinjiang, China]], that was used to buy high-end security gear, including surveillance equipment.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Allen-Ebrahimian |first=Bethany |date=August 27, 2019 |title=The World Bank Was Warned About Funding Repression in Xinjiang |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/08/27/the-world-bank-was-warned-about-funding-repression-in-xinjiang/ |access-date=2019-08-28 |website=[[Foreign Policy]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Allen-Ebrahimian |first=Bethany |date=December 11, 2019 |title=Scoop: China tried to get World Bank to fund surveillance in Xinjiang |work=Axios |url=https://www.axios.com/china-world-bank-xinjiang-ai-huawei-surveillance-263c5753-1cb8-4366-aad3-c9be9b285fa5.html |access-date=August 14, 2020 |archive-date=22 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922080415/https://www.axios.com/china-world-bank-xinjiang-ai-huawei-surveillance-263c5753-1cb8-4366-aad3-c9be9b285fa5.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The bank launched an internal investigation in response to the allegation. In August 2020, U.S. lawmakers questioned the continued disbursement of the loan.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Allen-Ebrahimian |first=Bethany |date=August 14, 2020 |title=Lawmakers demand answers from World Bank on Xinjiang loan |work=Axios |url=https://www.axios.com/lawmakers-malpass-about-world-bank-xinjiang-loan-china-f5c832cb-72d8-4fd9-8cea-9cc7e47d85cc.html |access-date=August 14, 2020 |archive-date=24 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200824081440/https://www.axios.com/lawmakers-malpass-about-world-bank-xinjiang-loan-china-f5c832cb-72d8-4fd9-8cea-9cc7e47d85cc.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==List of presidents==
{{Main|President of the World Bank Group}}

*[[Eugene Meyer (financier)|Eugene Meyer]] (18 June 1946 – 18 December 1946)
*[[John J. McCloy]] (17 March 1947 – 30 June 1949)
*[[Eugene R. Black, Sr.]] (1 July 1949 – 31 December 1962)
*[[George David Woods|George D. Woods]] (1 January 1963 – 31 March 1968)
*[[Robert McNamara]] (1 April 1968 – 30 June 1981)
*[[Alden W. Clausen]] (1 July 1981 – 30 June 1986)
*[[Barber Conable]] (1 July 1986 – 31 August 1991)
*[[Lewis Thompson Preston|Lewis T. Preston]] (1 September 1991 – 4 May 1995) (on leave from February)
*Ernest Stern (1 February 1995 – 31 May 1995) (Interim)
*[[James Wolfensohn]] (1 June 1995 – 31 May 2005)
*[[Paul Wolfowitz]] (1 June 2005 – 30 June 2007)
*[[Robert Zoellick]] (1 July 2007 – 30 June 2012)
*[[Jim Yong Kim]] (1 July 2012 – 1 February 2019)
*[[Kristalina Georgieva]] (1 February 2019 – 8 April 2019) (Interim)
*[[David Malpass]] (9 April 2019 – 1 June 2023)
*[[Ajay Banga]] (2 June 2023 – Present)

==List of chief economists==
{{Main|World Bank Chief Economist}}

*[[Hollis B. Chenery]] (1972–1982)
*[[Anne Osborn Krueger]] (1982–1986)
*[[Stanley Fischer]] (1988–1990)
*[[Lawrence Summers]] (1991–1993)
*[[Michael Bruno (economist)|Michael Bruno]] (1993–1996)
*[[Joseph Stiglitz|Joseph E. Stiglitz]] (1997–2000)
*[[Nicholas Stern, Baron Stern of Brentford|Nicholas Stern]] (2000–2003)
*[[François Bourguignon]] (2003–2007)
*[[Justin Yifu Lin]] (June 2008 – June 2012)
*[[Martin Ravallion]] - (June 2012 – October 2012)
*[[Kaushik Basu]] (October 2012 – July 2016)
*[[Paul Romer]] (August 2016 – January 2018)
*[[Shanta Devarajan]] (January 2018 – November 2018) (Acting)
*[[Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg]] (November 2018 – February 2020)
*Aart Kraay (March 2020 – June 2020) (Acting)
*[[Carmen Reinhart]] (June 2020 – June 2022)
*[[Indermit Gill]] (September 2022 – present)

==List of World Bank Directors-General of Evaluation==
{{Main|World Bank Director-General Evaluation}}
*Christopher Willoughby, Successively Unit Chief, Division Chief, and Department Director for Operations Evaluation (1970–1976)
*Mervyn L. Weiner, First Director-General, Operations Evaluation (1975–1984)
*Yves Rovani, Director-General, Operations Evaluation (1986–1992)
*Robert Picciotto, Director-General, Operations Evaluation (1992–2002)
*Gregory K. Ingram, Director-General, Operations Evaluation (2002–2005)
*Vinod Thomas, Director-General, Evaluation (2005–2011)
*Caroline Heider, Director-General, Evaluation (2011–present)

==See also==
* [[Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group]]
* [[Architecture of Washington, D.C.]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Library resources box}}
* {{commons-inline}}
* {{Official website}}

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