Sanjaya Baru Quotes

Since I came to the World Bank in 2007, I have argued that we must 'modernize multilateralism.'

A new sense of shared international responsibility is unmistakable in the voices of the United Nations and its agencies, and in the civil society of thousands of supra-national NGOs.

I don't think that developing countries gained from a two-stage process. A single phase summit (which is, after all, a two year process, not a three day event) would have built awareness, and would probably have led to more substantive conclusions at the end of the first summit meeting. Civil society may have gained a bit more from the networking experience, but it was less effective at networking in the second phase.

Sadly, I do my homework. I've a soft spot for the boring minutiae. I read the Charter of the United Nations before meeting with Kofi Annan. I read the Meltzer report, and then I'll read C. Fred Bergsten's defense of institutions like the World Bank and the I.M.F. It's embarrassing to admit.

Where there is an absence of international political leadership, civil society should step in to fill the gap, providing the energy and vision needed to move the world in a new and better direction.

Foreign aid is neither a failure nor a panacea. It is, instead, an important tool of American policy that can serve the interests of the United States and the world if wisely administered.

We must focus much more on developing countries' own policies and priorities, and increase policy and operational coherence between national, regional and multilateral actors.

My dad's main client was the World Bank, and he spent most of his time traveling to Third World countries. His particular interest lay in the eradication of poverty through development and business.

Of course, aid is only one small part of international development. Some of the greatest benefits to the world's poorest can be achieved through policy changes by developed countries.

Business is one of the most powerful institutions on Earth for creating wealth and opportunity and helping to lift people out of poverty. When you think about it that way, then business is not separate from development policy.

Global governance cannot be limited to the crafting of instruments related to the promotion of democracy. A key component must be the creation of fair and equitable rules to enhance the development prospects of developing countries.

To claim the World Bank is just an extension of U.S. foreign policy is just wrong.

It is vital that the World Bank Group continually challenges itself to refresh our development thinking. It is vital that a modernized multilateralism be open to new ideas.

The World Bank is just a sponge for every do-good idea of relieving poverty.

For every nongovernmental organization that has been granted hard-won observer status at a UN meeting, thousands more have been shot out by the state [national] gatekeepers of the curren international system.

Governments, the investor and business community, and civil society organizations and public representatives need to work together to ensure the necessary foundations are in place to align private finance to guarantee sustainable and equitable development and poverty reduction.

The G7 doesn't have a permanent secretariat. The OECD can help the G8 and set the agenda for them. The secretary general of the OECD should be going to them proactively and discussing issues and priorities.

I do believe we can do more to bring the U.N. closer to the world's citizen and make a real difference in their lives.

The United Nations should serve as a forum to address our common challenges. And it must also be a space to generate solutions for mutual benefit. This is the very essence of what the United Nations is about. We must position the multilateral system to better serve our people and deliver on their aspirations.

Global governance needs recalibrating so it works in the public interest of all the world's citizens - not just for the few.

The European vision is the United Nations' vision.

A new forum is needed that reflects the realities of today's globalised world and the rising importance of emerging markets.

It should be underscored that our goal is not, and should not, be a crusade against the ICC but a solemn call for the organisation to take Africa's concerns seriously.

The United Nations has an irreplaceable role in dealing with global issues. While other international bodies play important roles, the U.N. is the only truly global arena where we can achieve results for the global good.

Without American leadership at the U.N., countries just continue to talk and socialize and spend taxpayer dollars.