The 77th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 77) convened on September 13, 2022 and ran through September 26, 2022. As the world faces broad crises driven by the global slowdown, the war in Ukraine, shortages of energy, fertilizer and food, rising interest rates and debt levels, and climate change, the World Bank Group was proud to join leaders from around the globe to discuss these pressing development issues and work with our global partners to find solutions to these challenges. 

During UNGA, World Bank Group President David Malpass, along with World Bank Managing Directors Mari Pangestu and Axel Van Trotesenburg, participated in several, high-level events – starting with the Transforming Education Summit on September 19 and continuing with events on digital transformation, climate, data, jobs and social protection and others.

Throughout his engagement in and around UNGA, President Malpass held meetings with more than 20 heads of state and government, ministers, and partners from around the world,  participated in high-level events to discuss the crises facing development and climate, and gave remarks on education, access to grains and fertilizer in Africa, and the future of digital resilience. The President also joined the heads of FAO, IMF, World Food Program, and the World Trade Organization in producing a joint statement on the global food security and nutrition crisis.

In his remarks at the Transforming Education Summit, President Malpass identified four steps needed to recover from the education losses brought on during the COVID-19 pandemic, urging countries to keep schools open and increase hours of instruction, match student’s levels of learning to their instructional needs, focus on foundational learning, and secure funding to support educational recovery.

During the high-level event on access to grains and fertilizers in Africa, the President spoke on the toll the global food, energy, and fertilizer crises were taking on developing countries and looked at the interconnectedness of these sectors in exploring actions to respond to these challenges. He highlighted the challenge of meeting the immediate demand for fertilizers to support next seasons crops and outlined three priority actions countries could take to meet these demands: supporting efficient production and trade, addressing the financing needs of countries, manufacturers, traders, and importers, and increasing the efficiency of fertilizer use.

When addressing the Future of Digital Cooperation: Building Resilience through Safe Trusted, and Inclusive Digital Public Infrastructure, President Malpass emphasized the role digital public infrastructure can play in responding to the reversals in development we have seen in recent years. In his remarks, the President pointed to the need for trusted, quality, and inclusive public infrastructure – along with access to affordable intranet and the development of digital skills – to ensure a successful digital transformation can be achieved.

Strategic Engagement by the World Bank Group at UNGA 77

Remarks by World Bank Group President David Malpass

• Remarks by World Bank Group President David Malpass at the Transforming Education Summit during UNGA 77
• Remarks by World Bank Group President David Malpass at the High-Level event on access to grains and fertilizers in Africa during UNGA 77
• Remarks by World Bank Group President David Malpass at the Future of Digital Cooperation Event: Building Resilience Through Safe, Trusted, and Inclusive Digital Public Infrastructure
• Second Joint Statement by the Heads of FAO, IMF, WBG, WFP, and WTO on the Global Food Security and Nutrition Crisis