Financing and operations of multilateral development banks: a clients’ perspective
Description
Multilateral development banks’ (MDBs) offer for low- and middle-income countries is unique among development agencies. MDBs disburse grants and loans at conditions that are often far more convenient than what financial markets could offer to many governments. Financing is often supported by research, policy advice and technical assistance to accompany project and programme implementation. Many MDBs also have strong convening power. However, in recent years shareholders of global and regional MDBs have increasingly scrutinized the purpose, reach, effectiveness and the demand for the offer of these institutions.
The future of MDB financing and operations is ultimately reliant on the sustained demand from client countries for grants and loans in priority sectors, technical support and policy advice. However, the reality is that we know little about the preferences and views of client countries about the relevance and effectiveness of MDBs.
Building on an ODI publication, Country perspectives on multilateral development banks: a survey analysis, that tries to shed some light on these questions, in this seminar we will learn what client countries and opinion leaders think about the financing and operations of MDBs emerging from large-scale surveys. We will debate what these findings mean for the future strategies and operations of MDBs.
Speakers
-
Kevin Watkins
Visiting Professor of Development Practice, London School of Economics
Chair
-
Annalisa Prizzon
Senior Research Fellow, ODI
Presenter
-
Samantha Custer
Director of Policy Analysis, AidData
Discussant
-
Edward Brown
Senior. Director, Research & Policy Engagements, African Centre for Economic Transformation (ACET)
Discussant
-
Anita Prakash
Senior Policy Advisor Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)
Discussant
-
Paulo Esteves
Director, BRICS Policy Center
Discussant