The World Bank comprises cooperative institutions that mobilize financing from member shareholder equity by borrowing from international capital markets (for IBRD) and by means of outright contributions from the richer member countries (for IDA). It channels these resources to benefit poor people in borrowing countries. See World Bank Lending by Theme and Sector and Share of Total IBRD-IDA Lending by Region, Theme, and Sector. Country Lending Country lending reflects the Bank’s focus on achieving the Millennium Development Goals  (MDGs). It is tailored to meet individual country needs and uses lending instruments that are becoming increasingly flexible. The Bank has eased access to country lending information for country partners by developing a Web site that compiles all country lending data into a user-friendly format. More than 5,000 individuals working for member governments and project-implementing entities (representing more than 75 percent of current Bank lending operations) are accessing information from and conducting business with the World Bank through the site. This secure site, launched with 10 pilot countries in 2003 and opened to all countries in 2004, offers current data on projects, loans, and trust funds and allows users to transmit procurement documents to the Bank for review. (See http://clientconnection.worldbank.org.) Country Assistance Strategies A country assistance strategy (CAS) guides World Bank Group activities within a borrowing member country. Starting with a country’s vision of its development goals, a CAS is prepared in consultation with the government, civil society organizations, development partners, and other stakeholders. It assesses the country’s development situation and suggests a program of support tailored to meet the country’s needs. The objective is to identify areas in which Bank Group support can best assist the country’s own efforts to achieve sustainable development and reduce poverty. During fiscal 2006, the Bank prepared 31 CAS products, including 7 CAS Progress Reports and 6 interim strategy notes, which are prepared when a country assistance strategy cannot be completed because of specific country circumstances. Of these, 17 were prepared jointly with IFC, and two (Bangladesh and Uganda) were prepared collaboratively with other donors. (See www.worldbank.org/cas.) WORLD BANK LENDING BY THEME AND SECTOR SHARE OF TOTAL IBRD-IDA LENDING BY REGION, THEME, AND SECTOR   © 2006 The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank |
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