Category Archives: Uncategorized

Did you know? (2)

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A couple of weeks ago we posted a ‘did you know’ article to recap information we have shared on this blog. We think it’s time to do another one, so here is ‘did you know – part 2’.

  • … the MIGA is one of the five pillars of the World Bank Group? The MIGA provides investment insurance against non-commercial risks.
  • … this blog regularly posts tender opportunities which could be interesting to Dutch companies? In the past few months several World Bank projects in the health, agriculture, water and energy sector have been brought to the attention of our readers!
  • … that in Fiscal Year 2014, measured by budget, the IFC was the largest pillar of the World Bank Group, financing projects for over $22 billion?
  • … that every year the World Bank Group and the IMF organize their Spring Meetings together? From April 17th to 19th, 2015 this event took place here in Washington, DC.
  • …..this year the Annual Meetings will be held in Lima Peru from October 9 – 11, 2015.

Again, just some facts for you to keep in mind when you read about the World Bank and especially when you want to do business with the World Bank Group!

Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

Energy Sector Mission

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The 11th of March we posted an article on our blog to make you aware of the upcoming Energy sector mission to the World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, Asian Development Bank and Millennium Challenge Corporation in Washington, DC from May 4 – 7, 2015.

The joint mission, involving companies from Canada, United States, Austria, France, Spain, the Netherlands and other countries is next week!

The theme of this energy mission is “Integrating Sustainable Energy in Global Development”. The mission is intended for private sector parties – both suppliers and consultants – interested in learning about business opportunities in the energy sector.

This is always a unique opportunity to network with companies and potential partners from around the world and at the same time learn about opportunities in the energy sector from the World Bank and other institutions. For those of you who can’t attend but might be interested in the next Energy Mission, we have attached the Energy Mission 2015 agenda.

For more information on what the efforts of the World Bank, IADB , MMC and ADB entail concerning energy, click the organization.

Slides are available here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9fl3wj3ju2ea9t0/AACl0mpt7-mwTtlziIkfErGha

Huffington Post: How The World Bank Broke Its Promise

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Original article published by the Huffington Post.

How The World Bank Broke Its Promise To Protect The Poor

By Sasha Chavkin, Ben Hallman, Michael Hudson, Cécile Schilis-Gallego and Shane Shifflett

Beneath a gloomy white sky, more than 100 armed police poured into the slum of Badia East in the teeming megacity of Lagos, Nigeria. As they advanced, they cracked their batons on the unpaved streets and against the ramshackle walls of the shanties. “If you love your life, move out!” the officers shouted. Thousands of people grabbed what belongings they could carry and fled. Then a line of hulking excavators moved in, using their hydraulic claws to smash homes into pieces. Within hours, the neighborhood was a ruin.

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SM15 Preview: Water Security for All in a World of Scarcity

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NL4WorldBank's avatarNetherlands for the World Bank

Update: Event now featuring the Netherlands Executive Director Frank Heemskerk!

Date: Thursday, April 16, 2015
Time: 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. | 19:30 – 21:30 GMT or convert time)
Location: World Bank Group Headquarters, Preston Auditorium & Online

Follow the event with #WaterSec4all

Water security is emerging as the number one global risk in terms of development impact. While the impacts are felt most acutely in the arid, water scarce regions of the world, climate change and rapid urbanization have increased water scarcity for other regions, as well. Fast-growing cities in water-scarce environments are the most vulnerable.

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Steward Redqueen / NABC Event: Managing and measuring impact; the private sector in Africa

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Information retrieved from the Steward Redqueen website.

Steward Redqueen invites you for the Africa Business Club.The event will take place on Thursday 23 April 2015 in Amsterdam.

The theme of the event is ‘Managing and measuring impact; the private sector in Africa’. In recent years we have seen a positive trend emerge of companies increasingly measuring their societal impact in Africa. On the one hand this helps companies obtain, maintain and strengthening their license to operate on the other hand these impact assessments help identify new business opportunities.

Two of our business partners will talk about this. First Jacco Knotnerus (FMO) will share FMO’s experience with managing and measuring impact of its investments. Subsequently Suzanne Vlakveld (Dadtco) will talk about Dadtco’s impact in their value chain.

The programme will start around 16:00, will take place at the KIT (Koninklijk Instituut voor de Tropen) and we’ll finish around 17:30 with drinks.

If you are a member of the NABC you can subscribe here, if you’re not a member and want to subscribe please send an email to info@stewardredqueen.com.

Did you know? (1)

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We started the NL4WorldBank blog about 6 months ago, with the first blog post being published on the 22nd of August 2014. Since then we have covered a xAgXKSeZwide range of topics focusing on the World Bank Group: from the ongoing reorganization to a description of the various World Bank Group pillars like the IFC and the MIGA, as well as eConsultant2 tenders to early-stage flagging of pipeline projects.

Six months after our first post, we have now published over 100 blog posts. Therefore, we believe it is time for a recap of some of the information and figures we have presented over time. Without further ado, here is ‘Did you know – 1’ (yes, more to follow):

  • … the Netherlands is represented by Mr. Frank Heemskerk in the World Bank Group Board of Directors? Mr. Heemskerk not only represent the Netherlands, but also 12 other members of our constituency.
  • … the IBRD gets its capital on the market? Just like the IFC, the IBRD raises money on the financial market and lends it to borrowing countries at a slightly higher interest rate. As the IBRD has had a AAA credit rating since 1959, it is considered more creditworthy than the borrowing countries. For example (not real numbers): country X has a poor rating and can borrow at 7% interest rate. However, the IBRD borrows money at only 2%. As the IBRD is willing to borrow money to country X at 2.3%, country X can make important investments in its economy without paying a huge interest rate.
  • … the IFC and IBRD both make a profit? This is then transferred to IDA, the fund for the poorest countries. This fund is periodically replenished by its donors, of which the Netherlands is one.
  • … that World Bank financed projects are tendered via local organizations, usually the local (regional) government or an independent project authority. Although World Bank guidelines on procurement must be met when a project is (partially) financed by the World Bank, the local organization is responsible.
  • … the World Bank is near the end of a process of reorganization, resulting in new thematic Global Practices and Cross-Cutting Solution Areas?
  • … the Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) and Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) are slowly phased out and replaced by the Country Partnership Framework (CPF), based on a Systematic Country Diagnostics?

Just a quick grasp of information for you to keep in mind when you read about the World Bank and especially when you want to do business with the World Bank Group!

Registration open: Annual Energy Sector Mission (4-7 May)

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AnnouncementThe Private Sector Liaison Officers (PSLO) Network invites you to
mark your calendars for May 4 – 7, 2015 for a joint mission focusing on the
energy sector opportunities at the International Financial Institutions
specifically designed to provide an opportunity for the privatesector to:

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Further developing the Netherlands-World Bank Group relationship

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The World Bank is a global entity known for its proactive development efforts. In order to reach its goal of ‘ending poverty’ worldwide, the World Bank needs all the help it can get. The World Bank, primarily a financial institution and secondarily a knowledge institution, therefore relies on local government, civil society, companies and donors to provide the   means, experience, knowledge and capacity to end poverty.

Since the inception of the World BankWB, the Netherlands has been a contributor to the Bank’s cause. The Netherlands was one of the first recipients of a World Bank loan, aimed to modernize and expand the fleet of the Royal Dutch Airlines, and has been a staunch supporter ever since. Today, we are ranked 7th among the development partners in terms of contributions to the WBG Trust Funds between 2009-2014, and are one of the largest contributors to IDA.

Given fiscal restraints in recent years, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sought to ensure an even bigger development bang for each buck. Over the last few years we have refocused our development coordination strategy to several core fields. In early February, policy meetings were held between the Netherlands and the World Bank in which this renewed focus was agreed upon: “[The World Bank Group and the Netherlands] agreed on strengthening their partnership in strategic priorities, finding new ways of working together, and exploring the implications of our partnership in light of the recent organizational changes within the World Bank Group”. The shining example of these partnerships is our cooperation in the field of water.

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Lighting Africa, Kenya – Consumer Education

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Lighting Kenya II is targeting deeper penetration in the remote, last mile market segment by engaging MFIs among other partners as a channel to reach unelectrified communities. Consumer education and specifically, below-the-line engagements such as consumer activations, stakeholder events and forums etc, designed to reach rural consumers and create behavioral change is a critical component for the program to achieve its objectives.

The scope of work will include to:

– Develop a clear BTL strategy and implementation plan for Lighting Africas experiential-driven consumer education campaign in Kenya;
– Provide recommendations for specific activities;
– Execute the plan and undertake regular reviews to align the plan with the dynamic environment.

See full tender here: Lighting Africa, Kenya – Consumer Education.

Expression of Interest Deadline: 12 March 2015.