What is the World Bank Group?
The World Bank Group consists of five closely associated institutions: - The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
- The International Development Association (IDA)
- The International Finance Corporation (IFC)
- The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA)
- The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID)
All five specialize in different aspects of development, but use their comparative advantages to work collaboratively toward the same overarching goal---poverty reduction. For more information see: What is the World Bank Group? The term "World Bank" -- sometimes shortened to "the Bank" -- refers specifically to the IBRD and IDA. How many members own the World Bank Group?
The World Bank is owned by 184 countries. See the complete list of our members and their date of membership. How does a country become a member of the World Bank Group?
Under the Articles of Agreement of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), to become a member of the Bank a country must first join the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Membership in IDA, IFC and MIGA are conditional on membership in IBRD. For more detailed information on procedures for membership and subscription in each organization, read our general information on membership. How many people work for the World Bank?
The World Bank counts over 8,000 employees in Washington, DC and about 2,000 in the field. For more information see: Meet Our Staff. Where do the staff of the World Bank come from?
Over half are from the Americas (North, Central and South America); the rest are from all over the world. This mixture of people promotes a strong international culture at the World Bank Group. What is the Board of Governors?
Each member country is represented by a Board of Governors. The Governors carry ultimate decision-making power in the World Bank. They meet annually to decide on key Bank policy issues, admit or suspend country members, decide on changes in the authorized capital stock, determine the distribution of the IBRD's net income, and endorse financial statements and budgets. What is the Board of Executive Directors?
The World Bank currently has 24 Executive Directors based in Washington, D.C. The Articles of Agreement provide that five of these directors represent the member countries having the largest number of shares. These countries are: France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The remaining 19 Executive Directors represent constituencies; each is elected by a country or group of countries every two years. The Executive Directors and the President of the World Bank-- who serves as Chairman of the Board-- are responsible for the conduct of the Bank's general operations and perform their duties under powers delegated by the Board of Governors. How can I contact World Bank Group Staff?
The Contact Us web site will provide you with this information. The general formula for a World Bank e-mail address is the first letter of the first name immediately followed by the family name, followed by @worldbank.org. How do I organize a visit to the World Bank's headquarters?
The World Bank offers briefings to visiting groups of 15 persons or more on selected Tuesday and Thursday mornings throughout the year. Visitors are given an overview of the Bank Group's history, its mission and challenges, followed by a question and answer session. Space is on a first-come, first-served basis and groups may be combined, wherever possible. Groups of 50 or more persons should allow at least a month's notice and may be accommodated separately. All requests should be submitted in writing to Angelica Silvero at msilvero@worldbank.org. How can I find the name of a project task lead?
Please do a Project Search. Next click on the title. This will generate a brief description of the project including the name of the task lead.
Last updated June 30, 2003
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