Contact: In Sierra Leone: Aby K. Toure Akonate@worldbank.org In Washington: Ana E. Luna Barros (202) 473-2907 aluna@worldbank.org
FREETOWN, July 20, 2006 – World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz made the following statement today upon his arrival in Sierra Leone I’m going to just make a brief statement here, and tomorrow we’ll have an opportunity for a press conference where I can answer questions, but since our schedule is tight, I’ll just make this statement now. I’m delighted to be visiting Sierra Leone. It’s the first time for me, and I understand it may be the first time for a President of the World Bank to come here. The fact that the President of the World Bank can come here I think is a sign that this country is making progress after years of terrible tragedy and terrible conflict. I’ve come to see and hear for myself about the hard-won progress that Sierra Leone has made since 2002, and to get a better appreciation for the challenges that the people of this country face now, as they shift their attention from post-conflict reconstruction to genuine economic recovery. The World Bank will continue to work actively here with other partners – with the government and the people of Sierra Leone – to ensure that together we can identify and implement the most effective strategies for reducing poverty, for giving the people of this poor country a chance to enjoy the future that they deserve. I strongly welcome the Improved Accountability and Governance Pact – or to use the abbreviation we use IGAP – that was announced this week, and is backed by Sierra Leone’s key development partners. While I’m here, I hope to hear more about and see some of the impressive gains that have been made in the area of post-conflict resettlement, reconstruction, and economic recovery. I also hope to hear about the efforts to empower local councils in communities that will help sustain those hard-won gains and prevent a relapse into conflict. And later today, I believe we’ll be visiting some of the victims of the war, some of the amputees, who still suffer for the rest of their lives from what the war has done. The perseverance of the government and its determination to strengthen the institutions that are charged with ensuring transparency and accountability, and the important work by the media and civil society in pushing for accountability are essential for preserving these gains and creating the kind of enabling environment that will generate jobs and growth. I noticed when coming here that next month will mark the first anniversary of the murder of an important journalist here. And I applaud the efforts of people to try to get to the bottom of that and the efforts to build a strong free press in this country because I think that’s one of the keys to having institutions that are accountable to the people and institutions that will not open the door again to this kind of tragedy. Thank you very much. |
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