Statement by H.E. Riikka Purra on Behalf of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden - 108th Meeting of the Development Committee - October 12, 2023

Jul 19, 2026

Statement by H.E. Riikka Purra, Minister of Finance of Finland, on behalf of Nordic and Baltic countries, delivered at the 108th Meeting of the Development Committee in Marrakech on October 12, 2023. The statement expresses condolences for Morocco and Libya, condemns Russia’s war against Ukraine, and urges sustained World Bank support, including scaling help for IDA crisis-affected countries. It highlights the need for World Bank evolution, stronger development impact, the new vision and mission, reform playbook priorities, climate commitments, and expanded climate finance through public and private engagement.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time10 min

AccessFree to download

Development Committee statement

Condolences and current global context

Condemnation of Russia’s war and support for Ukraine

Support for IDA countries and the IDA Crisis Facility

World Bank reform, vision and mission

Reform priorities and playbook modernization

Climate commitments and expanding donor climate finance

Crisis response toolkit and follow-up actions

Calls to maintain focus and mobilize finance

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 EIGHTH MEETING MARRAKECH, MOROCCO – OCTOBER 12, 2023 DC/S/2023-0066 October 12, 2023 Statement by H.E. Riikka Purra Minister of Finance Finland on behalf of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden Statement by H.E. Riikka Purra Minister of Finance Finland on behalf of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden 108th Meeting of the Development Committee October 12, 2023 Marrakech, Morocco Our thoughts are with the people of the host country Morocco, as well as the people of Libya, who have suffered due to the disastrous earthquake and flooding, respectively, loss of life and widespread devastation. We express our condolences and support to them during these challenging times. 1. We meet again during extraordinary times, when increased fragility, conflict and violence as well as geopolitical tensions, climate change and debt vulnerabilities, challenge global progress toward achieving sustainable development. Russia´s continuing unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine has worsened an already vulnerable global situation. We wish to highlight that the cost of Russia’s war of aggression is not high only for people and countries, but also for the environment. 2. The Nordic and Baltic countries condemn in the strongest terms possible Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against the independent and sovereign country Ukraine, which manifests a violation of international law and the UN charter. We recall our absolute support for Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty. The war has affected European and global security, stability, and prosperity and has significantly disrupted global food and energy markets. The Nordic and Baltic countries trust that the Bank will maintain its strong and decisive Ukraine response, responding to the immediate needs as well as supporting recovery and reconstruction efforts. 3. While Ukraine is paying the highest price for Russia’s aggression, many of the world’s poorest countries are also suffering from the consequences of the war. The Nordic and Baltic countries highly value the World Bank’s leadership and continuous efforts in supporting Ukraine. It is of utmost importance that the World Bank scales up its support to IDA countries struggling with the situation and multifaceted crises amplified by the Russian aggression. We commend the Bank for establishing the IDA Crisis Facility and encourage others to join us in our support. We underscore the importance of a continued strong IDA with an ambitious agenda and sufficient financing to support it and look forward to the upcoming IDA21 replenishment discussions. The Nordic-Baltic constituency has a longstanding history of strong support for IDA, and its unique position in the international aid architecture must be maintained. 4. These extraordinary times have shown the need for the World Bank to evolve to better respond to global challenges while maintaining its focus on ending extreme poverty and promoting shared prosperity. The Nordic Baltic Countries commend the Bank for the progress made so far. We remain committed to making the World Bank a better and bigger bank, and to strengthen Bank’s solutions to deliver development impact more effectively and efficiently for people and the planet. We see an important role for the Bank in financing global challenges, particularly in tackling the climate change and its consequences. 5. We endorse the World Bank’s new proposed vision, to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet, and mission, to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity on a livable planet. The new vision and mission guide the Bank’s ambition to fur

FAQs

What global challenges does the statement highlight for the Development Committee meeting?

It emphasizes fragility, conflict and violence, geopolitical tensions, climate change, and debt vulnerabilities affecting progress toward sustainable development.

How does the statement address support for Ukraine and European/global impacts of the war?

It condemns Russia’s unprovoked aggression, recalls absolute support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, and notes disruption of European and global security, stability, prosperity, and food and energy markets.

What does the statement request regarding World Bank reforms and climate action?

It urges the Bank to modernize its ways of working to strengthen development impact, deliver climate commitments, and explore ways to expand the donor base for climate finance with engagement of private sector, DFIs, and other MDBs.

Jul 19, 2026

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