Parliamentarians

Empowering parliamentarians to play a more active and meaningful role in development

External Affairs Europe provides platforms for dialogue with various global constituencies with a specific interest in development issues, including parliamentarians.

Parliamentarians have a critical role to play in the fight against poverty. In developing countries, as elected representatives, parliamentarians can speak on behalf of poor people, champion economic and social reform, and promote good governance. In donor countries, members of Parliaments have the responsibility of allocating foreign aid budgets and shaping the debate on their countries’ development priorities.

The Bank’s External Affairs Europe Development Policy Dialogue Team is the principal point of contact for parliamentarians and parliamentary organizations at the World Bank. It is responsible for facilitating policy dialogue with parliamentarians worldwide and connecting them with relevant Bank units and country offices. The Development Policy Dialogue Team also organizes events, field visits, and seminars for lawmakers in close partnership with various parliamentary assemblies and organizations around the world, including the independent Parliamentary Network on the World Bank (PNoWB).

Interaction between parliamentarians and the World Bank not only encourages broader participation in the development debate, but also promotes parliamentary involvement in countries’ Poverty Reduction Strategies, as well as gives parliamentarians a greater voice in the design and implementation of World Bank-financed projects.

Visit the World Bank Parliamentarians' website.