Students in Primary Seven at Zanaki Primary School in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, during an English language class. Zanaki Primary School is a public primary school started in 1957.

Contributors Countries

Global Community Renews Commitment to the World’s Poorest Countries.

A global coalition of development partners announced on December 13, 2019, their commitment to maintaining momentum in the fight against extreme poverty, with $82 billion for the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank’s fund for the poorest. IDA’s resources are replenished every three years; this 19th replenishment will cover the period from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2023. The financing, which includes more than $53 billion for Africa, will help countries invest in the needs of their people, boost economic growth, and bolster resilience to climate shocks and natural disasters.

Two thirds of the world’s poor—almost 500 million people—now live in countries supported by IDA. The funding will allow IDA to reinforce its support to job creation and economic transformation, good governance, and accountable institutions. It will also help countries deal with the challenges posed by climate change, gender inequality, and situations of fragility, conflict, and violence, including in the Sahel, the Lake Chad region, and the Horn of Africa.

To promote greater equity and economic growth, IDA will also tackle broader development challenges, such as enhancing debt sustainability and transparency; harnessing and adapting to transformative digital payment technology; promoting inclusion of those living with disabilities; strengthening the rule of law; and investing in human capital, including efforts to achieve universal health coverage. Along with these priority areas, IDA will sharpen its focus on crisis preparedness, resilience building, and supporting countries in their national climate-related action plans.

IDA will renew its support to facilitate growth and regional integration, including investments in quality infrastructure. The IDA Private Sector Window will continue enabling the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) to mobilize private sector investment in challenging environments, a critical component to meet the scale of financing needed in developing countries.