1. World Bank Group President
Jim Yong Kim
Transcript of recorded speech delivered Oct 9
2013 Partnerships against Poverty Summit | Manila, Philippines | October 9-11, 2013
Greetings and a warm welcome to participants at the Partnerships against Poverty Summit. It’s an honor
to speak to you. You've devoted your lives to helping the poor and we share a common goal: to end
extreme poverty.
Just 6 months ago, our 188 member governments endorsed our 2 goals for the World Bank Group. First,
to end extreme poverty by the year 2030, and second, to increase the incomes of the poorest 40%.
These goals are now the central purpose and the moral underpinning of our institution. More than a
billion people live in extreme poverty. We must lift them out of poverty—without delay—no matter the
circumstance, no matter the locale.
In a few days, we will present to our board of governors our new strategy, which has forced us to align
all our work with our two goals. This means we’re changing our structure, looking for greater
efficiencies, and exploring bold ideas that will have the greatest impact on the poor and the vulnerable.
This is the first World Bank Group strategy to encompass all our units under one common plan. To
achieve this bold vision, all of us will have to work together, including civil society, as well as our public
and private sector partners. The many organizations involved in the Microcredit Summit Campaign and
the 100 Million Project are making important contributions to these goals. We value your dedication to
reaching those who have no access to financial services.
Your partnership with the World Bank group and CGAP has been fruitful for many years through sharing
knowledge and tracking progress on financial inclusion. Financial services, such as savings and payments,
can have an impact on poverty reduction. We need to increase citizens’ access to financial services to
help us reach our goals. This is why we are committed to reaching the 2.5 billion adults who currently
are financially excluded.
When a poor family has access to something as simple as mobile phone payments or a savings account,
it can open the door to services such as water, electricity, and education. At the World Bank Group, we
believe that basic universal access to financial services is within reach, thanks to new technology, data,
business models, and ambitious reforms. We will continue to provide policy advice and technical
assistance for legal and regulatory reforms.
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2. Currently, we work with more than 70 country authorities and with about 900 banks and other financial
institutions. To end extreme poverty, we must help people where they are. It means that we have to
reach out to people who live in the most difficult circumstances in the world, like fragile and conflictaffected states. Partnerships between microfinance providers and those providing essential services can
ensure that the poor have access to the services they need. This builds resilience against vulnerability
and takes advantage of opportunities to escape poverty.
We look forward to working with all of you on a common agenda to help provide access to credit and
financial services for everyone. Working together, we can help create the jobs needed to lift millions
from poverty, provide women equal opportunities to make their living and save their earnings, and
ensure that the gains poor people make in the coming years are sustainable. Together, we can achieve
an important milestone in human history. A world that is free—truly free—from extreme poverty.
Thank you very much.
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