Zoellick defends World Bank role
■ Outgoing World Bank President Robert Zoellick last night gave an impassioned defence of the institution he has run for five years and urged his successor to focus on developing countries as clients rather than aid recipients. “We’re beyond a model of charity to poor people,” Zoellick said “If you just take the US, four per cent of the world’s population, 20 or more per cent of the world economy – you have an interest in what’s happening out there.” If rich countries ignore global poverty, “it becomes breeding grounds for problems,” Zoellick said. The US has been the World Bank’s biggest shareholder since its start. But huge US deficits have put pressure on all, raising questions about continued support by Washington for the Bank’s anti-poverty programmes.