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World Bank Group Historical Chronology: 1980-1989
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 1980
| | 1980 | International events | Green Party established in West Germany, devoted primarily to ecological concerns. Iraq invades Iran in a war that continues until 1988. In Poland, strikes in the Gdansk shipyard lead to the emergence of the independent Solidarity labor movement. Rhodesia becomes the independent state of Zimbabwe headed by Robert Mugabe. World Health Organization announces the eradication of smallpox. Voyager I space probe returns photos of Saturn and six new moons.
| | 1980 | January 4 | The Board of Governors approves a general capital increase raising the Bank's authorized capital stock to $485 billion, an increase of approximately $44 billion. It becomes operational July 1. | | 1980 | January 7 | IFC Articles of Agreement signed by Niger, becoming the 112th member of IFC. | | 1980 | January 15 | Bank management recommends to Executive Directors that an Administrative Tribunal be established to provide Bank staff some degree of judicial protection. | | 1980 | January 24 | Bank announces that a major review of its compensation policies will be undertaken. Hay Associates will undertake a detailed survey of comparator organizations. | | 1980 | January 25 | First funding for West Africa Region: Credit 0969 - Project Preparation Credit. | | 1980 | March | The Independent Commission in International Development Issues (Brandt Commission), chaired by Willy Brandt, releasesNorth-South: A Program for Survival calling for, among other recommendations, a large-scale transfer of resources on both concessional and market terms to developing countries. | | 1980 | March 4 | Draft statute of the Administrative Tribunal is approved by the Board of Directors. | | 1980 | March 25 | The first structural adjustment loan - for $200 million to Turkey - is approved. | | 1980 | April 1 | World Bank makes staff appointments. William Clark retires as Vice President, External Relations, succeeded by Mr. Munir P. Benjenk. Roger Chaufournier appointed Vice President, EMENA region. Parviz Damry retires as Vice President and Secretary, and is succeeded by Timothy Tahane. | | 1980 | April 11 | Bank announces that property (between 19th and 20th Streets, and G and F Streets) has been purchased from George Washington University to build a new office building (H building). | | 1980 | April 26 | Bangladesh becomes the 76th member of ICSID. | | 1980 | May 2 | New Zealand becomes the 77th member of ICSID. | | 1980 | May 15 | The People's Republic of China assumes representation as China in the World Bank Group. | | 1980 | June 7 | Saudi Arabia becomes the 78th member of ICSID. | | 1980 | June 25 | IFC Articles of Agreement signed by Barbados, becoming the 113th member of IFC. | | 1980 | June 27 | IBRD Articles of Agreement signed by St. Lucia, becoming the 135th member of the Bank. | | 1980 | July 1 | A currency pooling scheme, designed to equalize exchange rate risks among the IBRD's borrowers, becomes operational. | | 1980 | July 1 | World Bank Administrative Tribunal on staff-related personnel issues begins operations. | | 1980 | July 1 | Bank exercise room opens in the basement of the I building. | | 1980 | July 21 | IFC and IDA Articles of Agreement signed by Solomon Islands, becoming the 114th member of IFC and the 122nd member of IDA. | | 1980 | August 1 | Senior staff appointments: Mr. Massaya Hattori appointed Vice President and Controller. Georg Gabriel is appointed Vice President, Programming and Budgeting, and Vice President, Pension Fund. Heinz Vergin is appointed Director, Programming and Budgeting Department. Joseph Wood is Director, Financial Policy and Analysis Department. | | 1980 | August 15 | Moeen Qureshi appointed Senior Vice President Finance, and Ernest Stern appointed Senior Vice President Operations. | | 1980 | September 15 | A. David Knox appointed Regional Vice President, Western Africa. | | 1980 | September 29 | IBRD, IFC and IDA Articles of Agreement signed by Dominica, becoming the 136th member of the Bank, the 115th member of IFC, and the 123rd member of IDA. | | 1980 | September 29 | IBRD Articles of Agreement signed by Seychelles , becoming the 137th member of the Bank. | | 1980 | September 29 | IBRD, IFC and IDA Articles of Agreement signed by Zimbabwe, becoming the 138th member of the Bank, the 116th member of IFC, and the 124th member of IDA. | | 1980 | October 1 | IFC Articles of Agreement signed by Congo (Brazzaville), becoming the 117th member of IFC. | | 1980 | October 1 | IBRD, IFC and IDA Articles of Agreement signed by Djibouti, becoming the 139th member of the Bank, the 118th member of IFC and the 125th member of IDA. | | 1980 | October 1 | Bernard Chadenet retires from the Bank (having left the Bank in 1954 and returning in 1964). Lester Nurick retires as Vice President and General Counsel, and is succeeded by Heribert Golsong. Hugh Scott becomes Associate General Counsel, and David Goldberg becomes Assistant General Counsel. | | 1980 | October 21 | First meeting of the Consultative Group for Mauritius, is convened by the World Bank. |
1981 | | 1981 | International events | Ronald Reagan becomes US president. Iranian hostages are released. Israeli jets destroy Iraqi nuclear power plant near Baghdad. Egyptian president Anwar Sadat is assassinated by Islamic fundamentalists. IRA hunger strikers die in Northern Ireland. Greece joins the EEC. Indonesian Army carries out massive campaign of repression against separatists in East Timor. Martial law declared in Poland. First US space shuttle makes a successful flight. Chinese scientists successfully clone a golden carp fish. IBM introduces the first personal computer. Scientists identify Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
| | 1981 | January 1 | Hans A. Wuttke becomes Executive Vice President of the IFC. | | 1981 | March 9 | IFC organizational appointments: Mr. Jose E. Camacho appointed Vice President and General Counsel; Mr. Makarand V. Dehejia appointed Vice President, Engineering and Technical Assistance. | | 1981 | April 2 | Announcement that Hay Associates Review of Staff Compensation is completed and distributed to Executive Directors. | | 1981 | April 30 | First funding for Solomon Islands: Credit 1115 - Development Bank of the Solomon Islands (DBSI) Project. | | 1981 | May 7 | Ireland becomes the 79th member of ICSID. | | 1981 | June 11 | IFC Articles of Agreement signed by Seychelles, becoming the 119th member of IFC. | | 1981 | June 15 | Administrative Tribunal renders its decision in the "Kafka" cases which challenged the validity of the Bank's adoption of the tax allowance system with the safety net in lieu of the former tax reimbursement policy. The Tribunal decided that the Bank has the unilateral right to change the conditions of employment, subject to limitations derived from general principles of law. The Tribunal decided that the tax allowance system was a reasonable alternative which did not constitute a breach of contract by the Bank. | | 1981 | June 30 | Announcement that the Bank will establish a Resident Mission in Niamey, Niger, headed by Mr. Maurice J. Gervais. | | 1981 | June 30 | Bank reorganization in the financial complex: Treasurer's Vice Presidency reorganized into Financial Operations Department, Investment Department, and Cashier's Department; Controller's Vice Presidency reorganized into Accounting Department and Loan Department; Staff Retirement Plan Department added to the Programming and Budgeting Department. | | 1981 | July 1 | A. W. Clausen, former president of Bank of America, becomes the sixth President of the Bank. | | 1981 | July 22 | Appointment of Percy Mistry as Senior Financial Adviser to the Senior Vice President, Finance. | | 1981 | August 10 | Accelerated Development in Sub-Saharan Africa: An agenda for Action (known popularly as the "Berg Report"), the first in a series of Bank reports that focus on the development problems of sub-Saharan Africa, is published. | | 1981 | September 14 | John E. Merriam, Director Information and Public Affairs, retires from Bank. He joined the Bank in 1971. He is replaced by Frank Vogl, November 2, 1981. | | 1981 | September 28 | IBRD, IFC and IDA Articles of Agreement signed by Vanuatu, becoming the 140th member of the Bank, the 120th member of IFC, and the 126th member of IDA. | | 1981 | September 28 | IBRD and IDA Articles of Agreement signed by Bhutan, becoming the 141st member of the Bank and the 127th member of IDA. | | 1981 | October | Benjamin B. King, Director Development Economics Department, retires from Bank. King joined the Bank in 1947. | | 1981 | October 8 | Solomon Islands becomes the 80th member of ICSID. | | 1981 | November 1 | Medical Department established in the Bank, headed by Dr. Andre Lebrun. | | 1981 | December 8 | The position of ombudsman is established, with Mr. Eugene C. Webb appointed to this role. | | 1981 | December 15 | Reorganization of economic analysis, research, and policy activities in the Bank is announced. | | 1981 | December 23 | IDA Articles of Agreement signed by United Arab Emirates, becoming the 128th member of IDA. |
1982 | | 1982 | International events | Argentina and Britain go to war when Argentina invades the Falkland Islands. Israel completes withdrawal from Sinai Peninsula begun in 1974. Israeli forces invade Lebanon. US-led negotiations result in withdrawal of PLO and Syrians from Beirut and the insertion of an international peacekeeping force. Christian Phalangists massacre Palestinian refugees. Spain joins NATO. Fall in oil prices causes Mexico to default on international debts; beginning of world debt crisis. Record deficits are projected for the US budget; interest rates and the dollar climb sharply. Bolivian military regime returns power to a civilian democratically elected government. China speeds up its liberalization program. First use of genetic engineering comes on the market in the form of insulin manufactured from bacteria.
| | 1982 | January 5 | Executive Directors agree to increase IBRD lending program by $800 million to offset the shortfall in IDA's commitment authority. | | 1982 | January 11 | Announcement that Mahbub ul Haq, Director of Policy Planning and Program Review, is retiring from the Bank to become Minister of Planning for Pakistan. | | 1982 | January 11 | Announcement that the first Attitude Survey will be undertaken in the World Bank. | | 1982 | January 22 | United Arab Emirates becomes the 81st member of ICSID. | | 1982 | February 3 | President Clausen announces organizational changes. Creation of Vice Presidency, Economics and Research (replacing Development Policy Staff); Vice President Operations Policy, Warren Baum as Vice President (replacing Projects Staff); Vice President Energy and Industry, Ernest Stern as Acting Vice President. | | 1982 | February 18 | US Treasury issued report United States Participation in the Multilateral Development Banks in the 1980s, giving some recommendations for improvement to the World Bank, but providing general approval of its activities, and a pledge for continued funding (although funding will be decreased due to pressures on the US budget). | | 1982 | February 19 | Announcement of the establishment of the Information Resource Management Department. | | 1982 | February 26 | In the face of budgetary constraints and adverse economic conditions, President Clausen announces that the Bank will undertake a retrospective study of IDA, to survey its accomplishments and to argue for its continued funding. The Study will be guided by Javed Burki, Percy Mistry and Alexander Shakow, with the assistance of Robert Asher, Robert Ayres, and others. | | 1982 | March 19 | IFC and IDA Articles of Agreement signed by Belize, becoming the 121st member of IFC and the 129th member of IDA. | | 1982 | March 19 | IBRD Articles of Agreement signed by Belize, becoming the 142nd member of the Bank. | | 1982 | March 23 | Appointment of William S. Humphrey as Secretary to the Managing Committee and the Senior Management Council. | | 1982 | April 28 | IFC and IDA Articles of Agreement signed by St. Lucia, becoming the 122nd member of IFC and the 130th member of IDA. | | 1982 | May 10 | Anne Krueger is appointed Vice President of economics and research, replacing Hollis B. Chenery (who retirees August 31, 1982). | | 1982 | May 12 | First funding for Dominica: Credit 1221 - Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Project. | | 1982 | May 21 | First funding for Djibouti: Credit 1232 - Technical Assistance Project. | | 1982 | June 15 | Vice President Paijmans announces that "staffing adjustments" will take place as a result of reductions in IDA financing. | | 1982 | July 2 | President Clausen summarizes the fiscal year to staff: reduced budget contributions to IDA-6 meant an austere budget for World Bank; planning for IDA-7 commenced; front-end fee on IBRD loans was introduced; changes in borrowing operations approved; continued lending toward the poorest segments of society: agriculture and rural development and energy constitute 50% of the lending program; the Bank will have a stronger catalytic role of mobilizing resources in its cofinancing operations; reorganization of several vice presidencies; issuance of an Attitude Survey; establishment of the Office of Ombudsman. | | 1982 | July 7 | IBRD Articles of Agreement signed by Hungary, becoming the 143rd member of the Bank. | | 1982 | July 30 | Announcement that Heribert Golsong is to retire as Vice President and General Counsel. | | 1982 | August | People's Republic of China joins the United Nations. | | 1982 | August 10 | Announcement that the Bank has established a Resident Mission in Kampala, Uganda, headed by Ms. Hillegonda Goris. | | 1982 | August 12 | Mexico's finance minister, Jesus Silva Herzog, informs US Treasury Secretary Regan, Federal Reserve chairman Volcker, and IMF Managing Director Jacques de Larosiere that Mexico will not be able to meet payments on debt due on August 15. The public announcement on August 13 marks the onset of the "debt crisis". | | 1982 | August 24 | Sixth replenishment of IDA resources for fiscal 1981-1983, in the amount of $12 billion, becomes effective. The twenty-six countries that contributed to the funding of the fifth replenishment are joined by seven first-time donors: Argentina, Brazil, Greece, Mexico, Portugal, Romania, and Venezuela. US funding is spread out over four years instead of three, meaning a 35% reduction in IDA funding for fiscal 82. | | 1982 | August 31 | IBRD and IDA Articles of Agreement signed by St. Vincent and the Grenadines, becoming the 144th member of the Bank and the 131st member of IDA. | | 1982 | September 6 | Annual Meetings open in Toronto, Canada, with continuity of IDA funding as the major issue. | | 1982 | September 8 | Legislative delays in approval of the United States contributions to sixth IDA replenishment lead other IDA donors to agree to provide special contributions in an amount equal to one third of their total contributions to IDA's sixth replenishment. | | 1982 | September 8 | Publication of IDA in Retrospect: The First Two Decades of the International Development Association. The study was commissioned to garner support for IDA. | | 1982 | October 20 | Vice President Paijmans announces that "staffing adjustments" due to IDA shortfalls have been completed, with nearly all staff satisfactorily re-assigned. | | 1982 | October 22 | IFC Articles of Agreement signed by Guinea, becoming the 123rd member of IFC. | | 1982 | October 25 | Appointment of Ibrahim F. I. Shihata as Vice President and General Counsel. | | 1982 | November 15 | Announcement that a position of Special Representative IDA, responsible for handling the negotiations for the replenishment of IDA resources, is established. Andre de Lattre is appointed to the position. | | 1982 | December 27 | Announcement that a Resident Mission will open in early 1983 in Antananarivo, Madagascar, headed by Mr. Paul Blay. |
1983 | | 1983 | International events | The military regime in Argentina, discredited by the Falklands war, allows elections, and newly elected President Raul Alfonsin tries to restore democracy. US President Reagan denounces the USSR as an "evil empire", and announces the Strategic Defense Initiative ("star wars") missile defense system. US forces respond to an earlier left-wing coup by invading the island of Grenada. PLO finally withdraws from Lebanon, relocating in Tunisia. Brunei becomes fully independent from United Kingdom. France tests the neutron bomb. World's first artificially created chromosome created at Harvard University.
| | 1983 | January 11 | A new set of cofinancing instruments ("B-loan"), linking part of commercial-bank flows to IBRD operations, is inaugurated. | | 1983 | February | A Special Action Program (SAP) for Bank borrowers affected by adverse external conditions, is approved by the Executive Directors for two years. The resulting increase in IBRD disbursements is estimated at $2 billion. | | 1983 | February | World Debt Tables, compiled annually for internal Bank use since 1972, are published and made available to the general public for the first time. | | 1983 | February 2 | IFC Articles of Agreement signed by Maldives, becoming the 124th member of IFC. | | 1983 | February 6 | Paraguay becomes the 82nd member of ICSID. | | 1983 | February 16 | Announcement that the position of Vice President Cofinancing has been established, with Mr. Teruyuki Ohuchi as the first incumbent. | | 1983 | March 17 | First funding for Cape Verde: Credit 11322 Praia Port Project. | | 1983 | April 27 | First Meeting of the Consultative Group for Madagascar, convened by the World Bank, meets in Paris. It is attended by representatives from eight governments and seven international aid organizations. | | 1983 | May 13 | First funding for Belize: Loan 2273 - Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Project. | | 1983 | June 1 | William J. Cosgrove is appointed Director of Administrative Services, replacing James E. Twining who retires after 33 years of service. | | 1983 | June 16 | Bank announces establishment of Resident Mission for Benin and Togo, with offices in Cotonu, Benin and Lome, Togo. Mr. Sven Kjellstrom is appointed Resident Representative. | | 1983 | July 1 | IFC establishes Representative Office in New Delhi, India, headed by Mr. Athishdam Tharmaratnam. | | 1983 | July 5 | President Clausen sends end-of-fiscal-year summary to staff: new cofinancing techniques - "B loans"; Special Action Program adopted; improved pubic relations; successful borrowing program; flexible lending rate system; uncertain IDA funding; poverty alleviation is central mission; job grading initiative and improved work environment. | | 1983 | July 6 | First funding for Hungary: Loans 2316, B002, B003 – Grain Storage and Agriculture Mechanization Development Project. | | 1983 | July 18 | Gregory Ingram is appointed Director, Development Research Department. | | 1983 | July 22 | Israel becomes the 83rd member of ICSID. | | 1983 | August 5 | First funding for Vanuatu: Credit 1407 - Agricultural Extension and Training Project. | | 1983 | September 1 | Establishment of Vice Presidency, Financial Policy, Planning and Budgeting, with D. Joseph Wood as Vice President. | | 1983 | September 19 | IFC Articles of Agreement signed by The Gambia, becoming the 125th member of IFC. | | 1983 | September 22 | IBRD Articles of Agreement signed by Antigua and Barbuda, becoming the 145th member of the Bank. | | 1983 | September 24 | IFC Articles of Agreement signed by Mozambique, becoming the 126th member of IFC. | | 1983 | September 26 | IBRD Articles of Agreement signed by Malta, becoming the 146th member of the Bank. | | 1983 | November 1 | C. Eugene Webb retires as Ombudsman, and is succeeded by Mr. James B. Hendry. | | 1983 | December 1 | Barbados becomes the 84th member of ICSID. |
1984 | | 1984 | International events | Famine again becomes acute in Ethiopia, leading to worldwide efforts at fundraising for famine relief. South Africa and Mozambique sign the Nkomati Peace Accord. Sikh separatist movement gains ground in Punjab, India. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi orders assault against Sikh militants occupying holiest Sikh shrine, the golden Temple in Amritsar. Gandhi is assassinated in retaliation by her Sikh bodyguards. Britain and China agree on procedures to return Hong Kong to China in 1997. American and French medical research teams independently discover HIV, the virus believed to cause AIDS. Genetic research and the artificial fertilization of human eggs gives rise to ethical concerns over control of human evolution.
| | 1984 | January 1 | Warren C. Baum retires as Chairman of Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), and is succeeded by Mr. S. Shahid Husain. | | 1984 | January 14 | President Clausen makes statement on the recently concluded IDA-7 negotiations, in which the US limited and delayed its contribution, calling the results "inadequate" and "disappointing". | | 1984 | February 29 | First funding for Bhutan: Credit 1416 - Technical Assistance Project. | | 1984 | February 16 | Senior staff changes announced: Vice President External Relations Munir P. Benjenk, Vice President EMENA Roger A Chaufournier, and Mervyn L. Weiner Director General Operations Evaluation to retire from the Bank in June, 1984; Edward V. K. Jaycox appointed Vice President Eastern Africa; Wilfried P. Thalwitz appointed Vice President Western Africa. | | 1984 | March 8 | Announcement that a Bankwide compensation review will be undertaken. | | 1984 | April 5 | El Salvador becomes the 85th member of ICSID. | | 1984 | May 30 | Bolivia suspends payments on its debts. Ecuador follows on June 4. | | 1984 | June 21 | First funding for St. Vincent and the Grenadines: Credit 1479 – Power Project (01). | | 1984 | July 4 | St. Lucia becomes the 86th member of ICSID. | | 1984 | July 16 | First meeting of the Consultative Group for Maldives held in Paris, attended by representatives of nine governments and seven aid organizations. | | 1984 | August | Bank member countries agree to a selective capital increase of approximately $8 billion and propose to increase IFC's capital by $650 million to $1,300 million. | | 1984 | August 1 | Portugal becomes the 87th member of ICSID. | | 1984 | August 15 | IBRD Articles of Agreement signed by St. Kitts and Nevis, becoming the 147th member of the Bank. | | 1984 | September 23 | President Clausen establishes a Special Office for African Affairs, to serve as the focal point for the World Bank's coordination, consultation, and action on development issues. Xavier de la Renoudiere is appointed the Special Adviser. Also, the report Toward Sustained Development in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Joint Program of Action is released, announcing a new World Bank program for action in Sub-Saharan Africa. | | 1984 | September 24 | IBRD and IDA Articles of Agreement signed by Mozambique, becoming the 148th member of the Bank and the 132nd member of IDA. | | 1984 | September 24 | President Clausen opens the 39th Annual Meetings in Washington, D.C. saying that although the worst of the debt crisis seems to be over, the future prospects for international aid to the developing countries appear bleak. | | 1984 | October 1 | Sir William Ryrie becomes Executive Vice President of IFC. | | 1984 | December | Board of Directors agrees to allow the IFC to raise funds directly from international capital markets. First issue succeeds through private placement. | | 1984 | December | Nicaragua becomes the first country to go into nonaccrual status with the IBRD. | | 1984 | December 13 | First meeting of the Consultative Group for Senegal meets in Paris, attended by representatives of nine governments and twelve aid organizations. |
1985 | | 1985 | International events | Reformer Mikhail Gorbachev comes to power in USSR; inaugurates perestroika (restructuring of economic and political systems) and glasnost (openness). South African troops withdraw from Angola. French secret agents sink Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior in Auckland harbor, New Zealand, in response to Greenpeace protests against French nuclear testing in the Pacific. US and UK withdraw from UNESCO. British Antarctic survey team discover a hole in the earth's ozone layer.
| | 1985 | January | Three vice-presidencies are created at the IFC: Investment Operations, Development Syndications, and Public Affairs. | | 1985 | January 25 | World Bank donates a grant of $3 million to the World Food Program for emergency food supplies to drought-stricken Sub-Saharan Africa. It is the second donation within the space of a single year ($2 million was granted in April 1984.) | | 1985 | January 31 | World Bank convenes meeting in Paris for the Special Facility for Sub-Saharan Africa, and raises $1.1 billion from donor countries and organizations. The Special Facility is to provide fast-disbursing financing in support of reform programs. | | 1985 | February 26 | President Clausen addresses the Institute of Directors in London, and calls for a shift in the sources of development aid from the public sector to the private sector. | | 1985 | March 31 | Seventh replenishment of IDA resources goes into effect with a commitment authority of $9 billion for the three-year period fiscal 1985-1987. | | 1985 | April 29 | IFC and IDA Articles of Agreement signed by Hungary, becoming the 127th member of IFC and the 133rd member of IDA. | | 1985 | May 9 | First funding for Seychelles: Loan 2492 - Transport (01). | | 1985 | June 20 | First funding for Grenada: Credit 1558 - Agricultural Rehabilitation and Crop Diversification Project. | | 1985 | June 30 | Lending commitments in fiscal 1985 fall by nearly $1 billion from the previous year. | | 1985 | July 1 | IDA becomes administrator of, and is authorized to accept contributions to, the Special Facility for Sub-Saharan Africa, which will run for three years. The program is a one-time multilateral fund designed to provide untied and quick-disbursing assistance for African governments undertaking reform programs. | | 1985 | July 1 | World Bank opens Resident Mission in Beijing, China, headed by Mr. Edwin Lim. | | 1985 | July 1 | World Bank opens Resident Mission in Lilongwe, Malawi, headed by Mr. Peter A. Hall. | | 1985 | July 23 | First funding for Mozambique: Credit 1610 - Rehabilitation Program Project. | | 1985 | August 1 | World Bank opens Resident Mission in Harare, Zimbabwe, headed by Mr. Mahmud Burney. | | 1985 | August 2 | Announcement that the IRMD applications development and maintenance functions will be decentralized to individual Bank Group units. | | 1985 | August 8 | Announcement and explanation of new grade and salary structures disseminated throughout Bank. | | 1985 | August 14 | First funding for Sao Tome and Principe: Credit 1590 – Economic Rehabilitation and Modernization Project. | | 1985 | September 13 | IBRD Articles of Agreement signed by Tonga, becoming the 149th member of the Bank. | | 1985 | September 24 | World Bank opens Resident Mission in Nouakchott, Mauritania, headed by Mr. Etienne Baranshamaje. | | 1985 | October 1 | New grade and salary structure implemented in World Bank. | | 1985 | October 8 | At the World Bank and IMF annual general meetings in Seoul, President Clausen reaffirms his decision to not accept a second term as Bank President. Also, US Secretary of the Treasury James A. Baker suggests a new strategy for the major indebted countries, calling for increased lending by the World Bank and commercial banks. | | 1985 | October 23 | IFC and IDA Articles of Agreement signed by Tonga, becoming the 128th member of IFC and the 134th member of IDA. | | 1985 | November 25 | First meeting of the Mauritania Consultative Group, convened by the World Bank, and attended by representatives of eight governments and nine international aid organizations. |
1986 | | 1986 | International events | Uruguay Round of GATT sets up the World Trade Organization. Nuclear disaster at Chernobyl (26 April). South Africa declares a state of emergency. Former emperor of the Central African Republic, Jean-Bedel Bokassa, is tried for mass murder and cannibalism. Philippines elect Corazin Aquino as president in a disputed election following the flight of former president Ferdinand Marcos. Haitian dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier is forced into exile, and Haiti moves toward a democracy. Portugal and Spain join the EEC. US President Reagan's administration is shaken by the Iran-Contra scandal, in which funds from US arms sales to Iran were funneled to support Contras fighting Sandinistas in Nicaragua. 25,000 cases of AIDS diagnosed in US.
| | 1986 | January 15 | Wolfgang E. Siebeck appointed as Representative to UN Organizations in Geneva, replacing Peter Chatenay. | | 1986 | February 14 | Ecuador becomes the 88th member of ICSID. | | 1986 | March 27 | IMF established structural adjustment facility (SAF) to provide balance of payments assistance on concessional terms to low-income developing countries. | | 1986 | April 3 | Announcement that the Executive Directors have selected Barber Conable as the next World Bank President. | | 1986 | April 23 | Third Attitude Survey distributed throughout Bank Group. | | 1986 | May 8 | Information Resource Management Department (IRMD) and Administrative Services Department (ADM) reorganized to form Information Technology and Facilities Department (ITF), and General Services Department (GSD). | | 1986 | June 10 | Launching of IFC's African Project Development Facility (APDF), a UNDP funded and IFC executed project activity aimed increasing assistance to African private entrepreneurs. | | 1986 | June 27 | Poland rejoins the Bank (after a thirty-six year hiatus), bringing total IBRD membership to 150. | | 1986 | July 1 | Barber Conable becomes the seventh President of the Bank. | | 1986 | August 8 | IFC establishes Resident Mission in Istanbul, Turkey, headed by Mr. Apinya Suebsaeng. | | 1986 | September 3 | President Conable announces top-level management changes, beginning with the discontinuance of the Managing Committee, and the restructuring of the Managing Committee's subcommittees into Bank Policy committees. | | 1986 | September 19 | The Preparatory Committee for the Establishment of the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), meeting in Washington, completes the detailed design of the Agency's initial policies and procedures. | | 1986 | September 29 | IBRD Articles of Agreement signed by Kiribati, becoming the 151st member of the Bank. | | 1986 | September 29 | In response to several inquiries, the World Bank issues a statement on its forestry operations. The statement asserts that the Bank is deeply concerned about the destruction of tropical forests, and is intensifying efforts to effectively deal with the problem. | | 1986 | October 2 | IFC and IDA Articles of Agreement signed by Kiribati, becoming the 129th member of IFC and the 135th member of IDA. | | 1986 | October 8 | Barber Conable announces a review of the organization of the Bank. | | 1986 | October 10 | Powerful earthquakes hits San Salvador, the capital city of El Salvador, leaving 1,500 people dead, 10,000 injured, and 300,000 homeless. World Bank provides funding in September 1987 for reconstruction efforts. | | 1986 | October 13 | World Bank convenes the Fisheries Development Donor Consultation, with over 25 multilateral and bilateral donors meeting to discuss aid coordination in the fishery sector, including topics such as the improvement in the quality of fisheries aid projects, improved exchange of information, improvements in the consultative process, and prospects for international cooperation in fisheries research. | | 1986 | October 16 | World Bank establishes Resident Mission in Manila, The Philippines, headed by Mr. Rolando Arrivillaga. | | 1986 | October 16 | IFC reorganization: Mr. Hilary P. Reddy appointed Vice President, Finance and Resources Management; Daniel F. Adams appointed Vice President, Portfolio Operations. | | 1986 | October 16 | World Bank announces a new policy on the management of cultural properties, saying that it will not, under normal circumstances, finance projects that will damage cultural property, and will actively assist in the preservation of such properties. | | 1986 | October 27 | Establishment of the Secretariat of the Special Program for African Agricultural Research (SPAAR). SPAAR is formed to coordinate donor activities, collect, assess and disseminate information on promising technologies, and develop national research strategies and regional research programs. | | 1986 | October 31 | Vice President Warren C. Baum retires after 27 years of service to the Bank and Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). | | 1986 | November 30 | Appointment of Mr. Vincent J. Riley as Ombudsman, replacing James B. Hendry. | | 1986 | December 1 | President Conable reports to staff on progress made on the reorganization of the Bank, and announces the restructuring of top management into six Senior Vice Presidencies, and the creation of three task forces to examine the operational and administrative processes of the Bank. | | 1986 | December 8 | IFC Articles of Agreement signed by The Bahamas, becoming the 130th member of IFC. | | 1986 | December 15 | Agreement on the eighth Replenishment of IDA Resources is announced. The Replenishment covers the years 1987 – 1989, and pledges for $12.4 billion in development assistance were received from donor countries. | | 1986 | December 17 | A special "Poverty Task Force" comprising senior staff is established to review the Bank's poverty work and to propose new programs. | | 1986 | December 18 | Announcement of the membership of various task forces created to plan and implement the reorganization of the Bank. The reorganization is intended to make the Bank more flexible and effective in responding to the complex needs of its member nations. |
1987 | | 1987 | International events | In South Korea, students riot against government repression and corruption. Chinese suppress nationalist uprising in Tibet. USA and USSR sign treaty eliminating intermediate range missiles. Indian Government imposes direct rule in the Punjab to fight Sikh terrorism. Palestinians in the occupied territories begin the "intifada", an uprising against Israeli rule.
| | 1987 | January 1 | Financial Operations Department reorganized; Jessica P. Einhorn appointed Senior Manager. | | 1987 | January 15 | Vasant H. Karmarkar appointed Principal Financial Advisor, IFC. | | 1987 | February 3 | Announcement that the Bank will establish a Resident Mission in Mexico City, Mexico, headed by Mr. Marko Voljc. | | 1987 | February 5 | IFC Articles of Agreement signed by Benin, becoming the 131st member of IFC. | | 1987 | February 6 | President Conable travels to Kenya, Zambia and Tanzania for a two-week tour. | | 1987 | February 10 | World Bank co-sponsors (with WHO and the UN Fund for Population Activities) a conference on Safe Motherhood, in Nairobi, Kenya, to draw attention to women's health needs. President Conable establishes the Safe Motherhood Initiative, and pledges that the World Bank will take specific steps to assist in issues affecting women. | | 1987 | March 5 | Government of Japan offers funding to provide a graduate scholarship program for higher-level study in development–related activities. The scholarship will be administered by the Economic Development Institute. | | 1987 | March 6 | Hungary becomes the 89th member of ICSID. | | 1987 | March 10 | World Bank President Conable promises assistance to Ecuador in the wake of devastating earthquakes in the country. On May 6, the Bank approves an $80 million loan for emergency reconstruction of a primary oil pipeline. | | 1987 | March 16 | World Bank sends a delegation to the first Donors Conference of the Intergovernmental Authority on Drought and Development (IGADD) held in Djibouti, Ethiopia. IGADD's goal is to fight the effects of drought and other natural disasters, to make the most of existing resources, and to promote stability, trade, and economic growth in the region. | | 1987 | March 18 | First meeting of the Consultative Group for Guinea held in Paris, attended by representatives from eight governments and nine aid organizations. | | 1987 | April 6 | Final recommendations of the Reorganization Steering Committee are issued in the report Reorganizing the Bank, An Opportunity for Renewal. | | 1987 | April 15 | IFC Articles of Agreement signed by Antigua and Barbuda, becoming the 132nd member of IFC. | | 1987 | April 15 | World Bank establishes Resident Mission in Brasilia, Brazil, headed by Mr. George Papadopoulos. It is the fifth mission in Latin America; other missions are in Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, and Mexico. | | 1987 | April 29 | President Conable meets with Mrs. Gro Harlem Brundtland, Prime Minster of Norway to discuss the report of the World Commission on Environment and Development (created by the UN General Assembly in 1983). Conable applauds the interconnection between sustainable development and environmental concern. | | 1987 | April 30 | Reginald A. Clarke, Director Compensation Department, retires from Bank after 23 years of service. | | 1987 | May 4 | The Bank is reorganized into four senior vice presidential complexes: Moeen A. Qureshi is named Senior Vice President for operations; Ernest Stern, Senior Vice President for finance; W. David Hopper, Senior Vice President for policy, planning, and research; Will A. Wapenhans, Senior Vice President for administration. Four regional Vice presidents are appointed: S. Shahid Husain, Edward V. K. Jaycox, Attila Karaosmanoglu, Wilfried P. Thalwitz. Other Vice Presidents include: Martijn J. W. M. Paijmans - Pension Fund. D. Joseph Wood – Financial Policy and Risk Management; Visvanathan Rajagopolan – Sector Policy and Research; Jose Botafogo Goncalves – External Affairs. Within regions, country departments are created that combine the functions previously divided between program and projects departments. The Policy Committee is created to advise the President on institutional matters. | | 1987 | May 5 | President Conable addresses the World Resources Institute in Washington, announcing new measures that the Bank will take to protect the environment. Included are the creation of an Environment Department in the Bank, environmental assessments of thirty of the most vulnerable developing nations, a continent-wide initiative against desertification and destruction of forests in Africa, participation in a program to conserve tropical forests, and to explore the possibility of a cooperative effort to protect the Mediterranean region. | | 1987 | May 8 | Bank releases Financing Health Services in Developing countries: An agenda for reform, a health care policy paper which states that government expenditures need to be shifted from health services that cater to the rich to those which cater to the poor. | | 1987 | May 21 | Announcement that the World Bank will establish a Resident Mission in Bangkok, Thailand, headed by Mr. Carlos M. Tan. | | 1987 | May 22 | Announcement of department directors appointed as part of 1987 reorganization process. | | 1987 | June 1 | Staff announcement on Bank reorganization - further appointments. | | 1987 | June 8 | Questions and Answers on Implementing the Bank Reorganization issued to all staff. | | 1987 | June 9 | Staff announcement on Bank reorganization - further appointments. | | 1987 | June 16 | Further Questions and Answers on Implementing the Bank Reorganization issued to all staff. | | 1987 | June 18 | Staff announcement on Bank reorganization – further appointments. | | 1987 | June 22 | First round of selection for positions in Policy Planning and Research (PPR) and Operations complexes begins. Further Questions and Answers on Implementing the Bank Reorganization issued to all staff. | | 1987 | June 22 | Hearing Officers, to assist the Appeals Committee with appeals from staff affected by the reorganization, are announced. | | 1987 | June 24 | Staff announcement on Bank reorganization - further appointments. | | 1987 | June 29 | Eugene H. Rotberg, Vice President and Treasurer, retires from Bank after 19 years of service. | | 1987 | June 30 | Staff announcement on Bank reorganization - further appointments. | | 1987 | July 6 | Announcement that David Knox, Vice President, will retire from the Bank after 24 years of service. | | 1987 | July 9 | First meeting of the Consultative Group for Mozambique is held in Paris, attended by representatives from fourteen governments and ten international aid organizations. | | 1987 | July 10 | Further Questions and Answers on Implementing the Bank Reorganization issued to all staff. | | 1987 | July 14 | Richard Frank succeeds Mr. Hilary P. Reddy as IFC Vice President, Finance and Resources Management. | | 1987 | July 15 | First funding for Tonga: Credit 1813 - Tonga Development Bank Project. | | 1987 | July 24 | Further Questions and Answers on Implementing the Bank Reorganization issued to all staff. | | 1987 | August | Peru, Sierra Leone, and Zambia go into nonaccrual status. | | 1987 | August 1 | Beginning of Round 2 of the selection process for selecting candidates for positions in the Bank reorganization. | | 1987 | August 4 | Further Questions and Answers on Implementing the Bank Reorganization issued to all staff. | | 1987 | August 12 | Further Questions and Answers on Implementing the Bank Reorganization issued to all staff. | | 1987 | August 19 | Further Questions and Answers on Implementing the Bank Reorganization issued to all staff. | | 1987 | September | The Social Dimensions of Adjustment (SDA) Initiative is launched as a joint undertaking of the World Bank, the African Development Bank, and the United Nations Development Programme. | | 1987 | September 16 | Further Questions and Answers on Implementing the Bank Reorganization issued to all staff. | | 1987 | September 17 | Executive Directors approve an additional $35 million for separation packages for staff leaving due to the reorganization. | | 1987 | September 22 | Stanley Fischer is appointed Chief Economist and Vice President for development economics. | | 1987 | September 27 | President Conable opens the Annual Meetings in Washington, D.C., for a "rededicated [and] renewed World Bank". | | 1987 | September 30 | Final day of the Reorganization's Round 2 selection process. Of 5910 staff who participated, 5410 were selected during Rounds 1 and 2; 500 selected separation packages. | | 1987 | October 23 | IDA Articles of Agreement signed by St. Kitts and Nevis, becoming the 136th member of IDA. | | 1987 | October 31 | President Conable arrives in Karachi, Pakistan for four days. It is his first trip to this country since becoming World Bank President. | | 1987 | November 4 | World Bank establishes Resident Mission in Ankara, Turkey, headed by Mr. James Chaffey. | | 1987 | November 18 | World Bank publishes The Uruguay Round - A Handbook on the Multilateral Trade Negotiations. It serves as a handbook, giving background information and guidance for developing countries participating in the Uruguay Round of the GATT negotiations. | | 1987 | November 19 | World Bank sponsors seminar of experts on Integrated Pest Management (IPM), advocating less costly and more environmentally sound methods of pest control. | | 1987 | November 19 | World Bank approves a loan to Brazil for resettlement of 8100 families displaced by the flooding of the Itaparica reservoir on the Sao Francisco River in Bahia and Pernambuco. The World Bank did not fund the reservoir project, but is financing the resettlement efforts. | | 1987 | November 20 | Announcement that Vice President Martin Paijmans will retire from the Bank at the end of December, 1987, after 25 years of service. | | 1987 | November 30 | Vice President Hans Hittmair retires from Bank, after 28 years of service. | | 1987 | December 4 | Donors agree to establish the Special Program of Assistance to Africa (SPA) to provide quick-disbursing aid to reforming low-income African countries. Its main objective is to mobilize resources and coordinate support for economic reforms in Africa. The SPA agenda soon expands to include the streamlining of donor procedures and the monitoring of adjustment programs for efficacy in poverty reduction and providing highly-concessional, quick-disbursing assistance in new money in the form of grants or concessional development loans. | | 1987 | December 8 | Announcement that Donald Roth is appointed Vice President and Treasurer. | | 1987 | December 17 | Appointment of Willi Wapenhans as Senior Vice President External Affairs and Administration. | | 1987 | December 29 | IFC Articles of Agreement signed by Poland, becoming the 133rd member of IFC. | | 1987 | December 31 | Dr. Andre LeBrun, Director Medical Department retires from the Bank. | | 1987 | December 31 | Announcement that IFC will establish a Resident Mission in Lagos, Nigeria, headed by Mr. Bahadurali Jetha. |
1988 | | 1988 | International events | Cease-fire ends Iran-Iraq war. US indicts General Manuel Noriega, ruler of Panama, on drug-trafficking charges. PRI Candidate Carlos Salina elected president of Mexico with bare majority. In Burma, hundreds of thousands demonstrate for democratic reform in the "Burmese Spring", resulting in an army crackdown. The military rulers change the country's name to Myanmar. Angolan civil war ends temporarily with a Geneva accord between UNITA and MPLA. Widespread strikes begin in Poland. Soviet troops begin the withdrawal from Afghanistan after nine years of occupation. PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat addresses the UN, rejecting violence, recognizing the existence of Israel, and calling for a political solution to the Palestinian problem.
| | 1988 | January 27 | Bank issues Education in Sub-Saharan Africa: Adjustment, Revitalization and Evaluation, an education policy paper. Twenty-five donor governments and agencies meet in Paris to assist in developing strategies for educational reform in Africa. | | 1988 | February 1 | IFC reorganization: Each regional investment departments appoints a Regional Economist; Development Department is renamed the Economics Department, with Guy P. Pfeffermann as Director. | | 1988 | February 16 | President Conable addresses the Bretton Woods Committee, arguing that a capital increase is needed for the Bank's continued effectiveness. |
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