It’s Annual Meetings week, which means the Center for Global Development is the place to be as the development community comes together to consider today’s most pressing questions, from the challenges facing the multilateral development banks to the promise of digital governance—all focused on the people development is meant to serve.
Join us this week in person or online for these important conversations alongside the World Bank and IMF Annual Meetings.
Live, recorded webcasts are available for all these events through the links below and on CGD’s main events page. Register below so you can join the discussion anytime, anywhere in the world.
Wednesday, October 16
Technology and Development Conference
10:00AM–2:00PM ET, Wednesday October 16
Keynote address: Jason Furman
Panelists: Pam Dixon, Carl Frey, Mary Hallward-Driemeier (TBC), Benno Ndulu, Bright Simons, Dhanaraj Thakur, and Priya Vora with moderators Charles Kenny and Michael Pisa
New technologies continue to challenge traditional paths to industrialization, such as export-led manufacturing. But at the same time, they may offer new routes for development in services and the knowledge economy. Over the last 18 months, CGD has convened a group of experts to assess how rapidly these changes will emerge, whether potential positive or negative consequences will dominate, and under what circumstances.
Thursday, October 17
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in the MDB System: Reflections from the First Three Years
9:30–10:30 a.m. ET, Thursday, October 17
Featuring: Jin Liqun in conversation with Masood Ahmed
Now a well-accepted member of the MDB system, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is confronting many longstanding MDB challenges. What is the appropriate role for the bank in middle- and upper-middle-income countries? What does MDB cooperation look like, and is there a meaningful division of labor that could prevail within the system? How can the AIIB work effectively with other sources of development finance, including bilateral donors and the private sector? AIIB President Jin Liqun takes stock of the bank’s first three years and the challenges ahead.
A View of the New Debt Landscape for Developing Countries
11:00AM–12:30 p.m. ET, Thursday, October 17
Featuring: Ceyla Pazarbasioglu, Odile Renaud Basso, Vera Songwe, and Wencai Zhang, with moderator Scott Morris
Rising levels of external debt among developing countries has raised concerns about debt risks and revealed the degree to which the debt picture has grown increasingly complex. From questions about new creditors to exploring whether the system of debt forgiveness and rescheduling is still up to the task, this panel will tackle the big questions about debt sustainability in the developing world.
How Can Multilateral Development Banks Best Engage Middle-Income Countries?
2:00–3:30 p.m. ET, Thursday, October 17
Featuring: Mauricio Cárdenas, Suma Chakrabarti, Nick Dyer, Luis Alberto Moreno, Takehiko Nakao, and Clare Walsh with moderator Masood Ahmed
As countries grow to middle-income status and gain access to commercial lending, how should multilateral development banks continue to lend to middle-income countries—or should they at all? This panel will discuss the issues confronting MDBs and their middle-income clients for the next 10-20 years.
Rails and Guardrails of an Inclusive Digital Economy: Identity, Payments and Data Empowerment
4:00–5:30 p.m. ET, Thursday, October 17
Keynote Address: Nandan Nilekani
Panelists: Amani Abou-Zeid and Christian Wulff Søndergaard with moderator Caroline Atkinson
India has been a leader in using digital technology for governance and service delivery—and is being closely watched by countries around the world. Nandan Nilekani, the first chairman of the government agency that implemented Aadhaar, India’s massive biometric identity program, joins CGD to discuss lessons from India’s experience at the digital forefront.
Friday, October 18
Gender Lens Investing in Practice: A Conversation with Investors and Investees
9:00–10:30 a.m. ET, Friday, October 18
Featuring: Rosario Bazan, Priya Krishnan, Viola Llewellyn, Suzanne Gaboury, Kathryn Kaufman, and Graham Wrigley with moderator Nancy Lee
Extensive international evidence demonstrates that investing in women makes good business sense–yet women continue to be under-represented and under-valued as entrepreneurs, workers, and consumers. The panel will bring together development finance institutions and women entrepreneurs from developing countries to discuss gender lens investing strategies.
Liberia's Economic Challenges and Opportunities
10:00–11:30 a.m. ET, Friday, October 18
Featuring: Samuel D. Tweah in conversation with W. Gyude Moore
Samuel D. Tweah Jr., Liberia’s Minister of Finance and Development Planning, joins the Center for Global Development to discuss the challenges and opportunities Liberia is facing in the next decade.
Do We Still Care About Principles and Measures of ‘Aid Effectiveness’?
12:30–2:00 p.m. ET, Friday, October 18
Featuring: Ibrahim Elbadawi, Gargee Ghosh, Jon Lomøy, Ian Mitchell, and Matthew Rycroft with moderator Masood Ahmed
More than a decade ago, donor countries agreed to a set of principles on aid effectiveness but a great deal has changed since then. With the emergence of new development actors and the increasing importance of fragile states, is there still value in agreeing and measuring donor behaviors, and can comparisons drive improvements?
Financing Universal Health Coverage: Opportunities and Challenges on the Road to 2030
2:30–4:00 p.m. ET, Friday, October 18
Featuring: Henrietta Fore, Mohamed Ahmed Maait, and Muhammad Ali Pate with moderator Amanda Glassman
Universal Health Coverage is high on the global development agenda, with several recent global mobilizing moments and calls to action–yet forward movement has been slow. Experts take stock of the progress and examine the challenges on the way to universal health coverage by 2030.
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Disclaimer
CGD blog posts reflect the views of the authors, drawing on prior research and experience in their areas of expertise. CGD is a nonpartisan, independent organization and does not take institutional positions.