UN and World Bank strengthen partnership on crisis and post-crisis assistance

UNITED NATIONS, October 24 – The United Nations and the World Bank today agreed to strengthen their cooperation in crisis and post-crisis situations. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and World Bank President Robert Zoellick signed a partnership framework which affirms their commitment to work together more effectively in countries affected by conflict and or natural disasters.

The UN-World Bank Partnership Framework for Crisis and Post-Crisis Situations formally recognizes the critical and complementary support the two institutions offer and the importance of integrated political, security and development frameworks in support of countries in crisis. It provides common guiding principles for working with national authorities and partners to support crisis prevention, stabilization and recovery strategies while being cognizant of humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality and independence. It also calls on the World Bank Group and UN system organizations to improve inter-agency communications, strengthen joint planning, increase collaboration on funding mechanisms, and foster a culture of greater collaboration through joint training, evaluation and research.

The principles set out in the UN-World Bank partnership framework will be operationalized through, inter alia, i) a UN Development Group-World Bank operational annex that establishes concrete operational commitments by the World Bank Group and the UN Development Group to strengthen their collaboration, particularly with regard to post-crisis needs assessments and multi-donor trust funds and ii) a Fiduciary Principles Accord, developed by the World Bank and a number of UN agencies, funds and programmes, aimed at facilitating timely transfer of financial resources under trust funds administered by either the World Bank or the UN Development Group in support of crisis and emergency response activities implemented by the other. The objective of both the UN Development Group – World Bank operational annex and the Fiduciary Principles Accord is to deliver results more quickly.

The Partnership Framework, the UN Development Group -World Bank operational annex and the Fiduciary Principles Accord are aimed at reducing transaction costs for partner countries and increasing the coherence and impact of the assistance that the UN and the World Bank provide. By working together more effectively, the World Bank and the UN believe they can do more to help countries consolidate peace and become more resilient to crises, help people recover from conflict and crisis situations, and strengthen national institutions’ capacity for prevention, response and recovery.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (right, seated) and Robert Bruce Zoellick, President of the World Bank, sign the United Nations-World Bank Partnership Framework for crisis and post crisis situations. Location: United Nations, New York. Date: 24 October 2008 (UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe)

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (right) shakes hands with Robert Bruce Zoellick, President of the World Bank, after signing the United Nations-World Bank Partnership Framework for crisis and post crisis situations. Location: United Nations, New York. Date: 24 October 2008 (UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe)

For more information, please contact: Michael Kovrig, Strategic Communications Specialist UN Development Operations Coordination Office Tel: 212-906-5053

Sima Kanaan, Senior Operations Officer Fragile and Conflict-Affected Countries Group Operations Policy and Country Services The World Bank Tel:+1.202.473.8394