103rd Meeting of the Development Committee - April 9, 2021 - Statement by H.E. Athian Diing Athian (South Sudan) for Africa Group 1 Constituency

Jul 19, 2026

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Statement delivered for the 103rd virtual meeting of the Development Committee on April 9, 2021, representing South Sudan for Africa Group 1 Constituency. It addresses COVID-19 crisis response and calls for a comprehensive, financially supported approach aligned with the WBG GRID framework, with emphasis on capacity building, resilience, and inclusive development. The statement also highlights priorities on mobilizing capital, curbing illicit financial flows, advancing regional integration through AfCFTA, attracting FDI, and strengthening digital transformation, while urging coordinated actions on debt with IMF support.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time10 min

i) COVID-19 Crisis Response to Resilient Recovery – Saving Lives and Livelihoods While Supporting Green, Resilient, and Inclusive Development (GRID)

Capacity building and phased GRID implementation

Capital mobilization and support to IDA and private sector investment

Illicit financial flows and domestic resource mobilization

Regional integration through AfCFTA and jobs agenda

Foreign direct investment and technology innovation

Digital technology and DE4A updates

ii) Debt

Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE (Joint Ministerial Committee of the Boards of Governors ofthe Bank and the Fund on the Transfer of Real Resources to Developing Countries) ONE HUNDRED AND THIRD MEETING WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 9, 2021 (VIRTUAL) DC/S/2021-0008 April 9, 2021 Statement by H.E. Athian Diing Athian Minister of Finance and Planning South Sudan For Africa Group 1 Constituency Statement by H.E. Ethian Diing Ethian Minister of Finance and Planning South Sudan For Africa Group 1 Constituency 103rd Meeting of the Development Committee April 9, 2021 Washington, DC (VIRTUAL) i) COVID-19 Crisis Response to Resilient Recovery – Saving Lives and Livelihoods While Supporting Green, Resilient, and Inclusive Development (GRID): 1. The COVID-19 pandemic has reversed decades of progress in poverty reduction, health, education, business, trade, and employment worldwide, with a lasting impact that significantly impedes the development prospects of developing countries. Nowhere is this impact more pronounced than in Africa, where the fiscal capacity to support recovery has always been limited. 2. While we appreciate and acknowledge the leading role the WBG has taken to scale-up support for health-care strengthening, vaccine acquisition, social protection, education, food security, economic recovery, and institutional strengthening, we are concerned that the path to recovery has not been even or linear. We concur that the Green Resilient and Inclusive Development (GRID) framework is an appropriate approach to address actions supporting COVID-19 recovery in line with WBG’s climate change commitments. However, we encourage the WBG to adopt a more comprehensive approach that considers all the economic, social and environmental aspects of sustainable development and provide financial and technical support to all developing countries. We also call on the WBG to ramp-up support to countries that depend on commodities, tourism, remittances, particularly the Fragile and Conflict States, small states, and Low and Middle-Income Countries in Africa. 3. We urge the WBG to consider the different capacities and levels of development for countries to implement GRID and, in this regard, deploy more resources towards building the requisite capacity for lowincome and middle-income countries, Fragile and Conflict-afflicted States and non-accrual countries. Due to the constraints faced by these countries, we also call on the WBG to recognize the need to support the diversification, capacity building, and the adoption of a phased approach as countries implement the GRID. 4. Mobilizing capital will be a key complement for increased WBG resources to rebuild sustainable infrastructure and human capital. In this regard, we urge the WBG to align IBRD lending with the 2018 IBRD Capital Package commitments. We also recognize the need for additional finance to IDA countries for FY22 and FY23 and fully support the proposal to bring forward IDA20 by one year. We further urge the IFC to increase private sector investment and trade by continuing to implement the cascade approach and creating markets. In this respect, we encourage a regular update to the Governors on WBG support and the trends in net flows from IDA and IBRD, as well as IFC investment trends in Africa. 5. We remain concerned by the increase in illicit financial flows (IFFs) in the brunt of the pandemic on our economies. We urge the WBG to adopt a pragmatic approach and concrete actions to curb illicit financial flows and domestic resource mobilization. With the increase of digital and offshore transactions, we particularly implore the Bank to increase support to developing countries' taxation systems deprived of billions of dollars through transfer pricing or mispricing and profit-shifting by multinationals. We further urge adopting a pragmatic approach at domestic resource mobilization and concrete a

FAQs

What does the statement request regarding COVID-19 recovery and the GRID framework?

It supports the GRID approach but encourages a more comprehensive view covering economic, social, and environmental aspects, along with financial and technical support for developing countries.

How does the statement propose increasing resources for recovery and development?

It calls for aligning IBRD lending with the 2018 IBRD Capital Package, providing additional finance for IDA countries in FY22 and FY23, bringing forward IDA20 by one year, and expanding private sector investment through the cascade approach.

Which additional priorities are emphasized beyond COVID-19, such as debt and illicit financial flows?

It urges pragmatic actions to curb illicit financial flows and improve domestic resource mobilization, and it calls for WBG work with the IMF to provide budget and balance-of-payments support for affected African countries.

Jul 19, 2026

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