Heads of World Bank and IMF in DC Insult UN Summit on Financing for Development
The heads of the World Bank and the IMF decided to snub a UN summit conference on financing for development.
Their rebuff was not greeted with diplomatic acceptance.
From a report at IPS News: "The chief executive officers of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), two financial institutions based in Washington, have come under heavy fire for their decision to skip a major U.N. conference on Financing for Development (FfD), scheduled to take place in the Qatari capital Doha over the weekend.
" 'They are not coming,' Father Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, president of the 192-member General Assembly, told reporters Tuesday.
Without identifying the United States by name, he said the two Bretton Woods institutions "are controlled by a member of the United Nations who is anti-United Nations."
" 'It's a shame,' he added.
"World Bank President Robert Zoellick and IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn have both opted to skip the U.N. conference, even though it has been upgraded to a summit meeting.
"The conference, which is a meeting of the General Assembly, will be attended by over 40 heads of state and heads of government, and is scheduled to take place in Doha, Nov. 29-Dec. 2.
"As of last week, the list included political leaders from France, Spain, South Korea, Turkey, South Africa, Japan, Australia, Mexico, and possibly Brazil, Indonesia and Italy, along with the head of the European Commission.
" 'They are not coming,' Father Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, president of the 192-member General Assembly, told reporters Tuesday.
Without identifying the United States by name, he said the two Bretton Woods institutions "are controlled by a member of the United Nations who is anti-United Nations."
" 'It's a shame,' he added.
"World Bank President Robert Zoellick and IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn have both opted to skip the U.N. conference, even though it has been upgraded to a summit meeting.
"The conference, which is a meeting of the General Assembly, will be attended by over 40 heads of state and heads of government, and is scheduled to take place in Doha, Nov. 29-Dec. 2.
"As of last week, the list included political leaders from France, Spain, South Korea, Turkey, South Africa, Japan, Australia, Mexico, and possibly Brazil, Indonesia and Italy, along with the head of the European Commission.
"The relevant U.N. resolution on FfD calls for the conference to "be held at the highest possible political level, including with the participation of Heads of State or Government, ministers, special representatives and other representatives, as appropriate."
"Asked why Zoellick and Strauss-Kahn were not attending the Doha summit, the executive secretary of FfD, Oscar de Rojas, said the IMF managing director had cited "pressing work-related reasons in a personal letter to the secretary-general".
"But the World Bank president had not sent any direct communication, although the organisation had notified the United Nations that its chief economist would head the delegation.
"But the World Bank president had not sent any direct communication, although the organisation had notified the United Nations that its chief economist would head the delegation.
"An Asian diplomat told IPS that nothing should be more important for the two officials than to make their presence felt at a conference which will also discuss the impact of the global financial crisis on developing nations.
" 'Their excuse is not good enough,' he said, pointing out that the U.N. secretary-general had placed a high priority on the Doha summit and will address the meeting.
" 'Their excuse is not good enough,' he said, pointing out that the U.N. secretary-general had placed a high priority on the Doha summit and will address the meeting.
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