Catalog

	Table of Contents
p. 6 of 9 BACK | NEXT I. Introduction II. Strengthened Bank Representation in Donor Countries III. Bank Representative Offices in Donor Countries IV. Bank Resident Representation for Europe, Japan and North America V. Representation of Other Multilateral Financial Institutions in Donor Countries VI. Proposal for a North American Representative Office VII. Cost of the Bank's Representative Office in North America VIII. Organizational Arrangements IX. Recommendations

Bank Representative Offices in Donors Countries: Establishment of a North American Office

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VI. Proposal for a North American Representative Office¹⁰

A. Importance of Early Resident Representation in Washington, D.C.

23. Considering Bank interests that would be served by representation in donor member countries and the stated roles and responsibilities of representative offices, it is considered timely for the Bank to establish a representative office for North America in Washington, D.C. This office would have the advantage of close proximity and access to governments and agencies of two principal donor countries, the Bretton Woods institutions, UN Headquarters, and several of the world's most prominent and influential NGOs.

24. It is important that the Bank move now to establish resident representation in Washington, D.C. The end of the Cold War has resulted in three interrelated changes in the external environment of the Bank. First, there is a significantly larger and more definitive role given to economic development in the interests of the DECD countries. Therefore, this has, in the Bank's view, increased America's stake in the Bretton Woods institutions and in regional development banks. Second, the governments of North America have a very substantial and important role in mobilizing policy leadership and resources for global multilateral development assistance. Third, and as a consequence of the first and second, the Bretton Woods institutions are currently making efforts toward improvements in the multilateral development assistance process, in part through much greater cooperation and collaboration with the regional development banks, with the World Bank Group assuming an expanded role in global aid coordination. The importance of these changes as influences on the future role and operations of the Bank cannot be overstated. Therefore, the Bank should now make provision for directly engaging through its presence, assistance, and support the policy and decision- making processes of North American governments and their agencies, and of the Bretton Woods institutions.

B. Responsibilities and Terms of Reference

25. A principal responsibility of NARD would be to provide the Bank with a critical means for effecting resource mobilization efforts with the American and Canadian Governments.¹¹ NARD would also provide a service for various constituencies that is regular and easily accessible. It would serve as a center that legislators, NGOs, academicians, the media, and other interested parties could draw upon for timely information and dialogue on Bank policies and operations. The Bank's institutional presence in North America would provide an opportunity to establish working relationships on an ongoing basis with the relevant constituencies, and thereby enhance their support for and confidence in the Bank.

26. The proposed specific terms of reference for NARO are:

1. Bank-Government Cooperation

   1. to assist policy makers in the American and Canacjian governments and their agencies through the provision of timely information and dialogue on matters that directly affect the Bank;
   2. to collect information of interest to the Bank on legislation relating to the Bank's capital subscriptions and ADF contributions and to respond directly and promptly to queries from the US Congress and relevant parliamentary cornmittees in Ottawa; and
   3. to keep the Bank informed in a timely and comprehensive manner of the views, concerns and interests of the American and Canadian governments and their agencies, and to provide advice on initiatives that may need to be taken by the Bank to influence as well as respond to them.

2. Bank-MFI/UN Cooperation

   to assist the decision making processes of the Bretton Woods institutions and UN agencies located in North America as regards strategic, policy, and resource mobilization issues that directly concern the Bank.

3. Bank-NGO Cooperation

   to keep the Bank informed of the views, concerns, and interests of the major NGOs (including the media, academia and other interested parties} in respect of the Bank, and of initiatives that the Bank may need to take to influence as well as respond to them.

27. The governments of both Canada and the United States have indicated their desire for Bank resident representation in North America.

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