World Bank President Jim Young Kim said that he had read President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s opening speech during the Asia-Africa Conference Summit. During his opening speech at the AAC, Jokowi said that the world was full with injustice and disparity. According to Jokowi, the Asian and African countries must build a new world economic order to realize a new economic power. Jokowi also called for global economic reform to remove certain state domination against citizens of other countries.
Kim said that Jokowi probably did not know that he was an activist, medical doctor and anthropologist before assuming the position of the World Bank president.
Kim claimed that twenty years ago he was involved in a movement called “50 Years Is Enough”, a campaign dedicated to shutting down the World Bank.
“The main reason behind my retaliation against the World Bank was because they were more focused on GDP growth than human investment through education,” Kim said at the Presidential Office on Wednesday, May 20, 2015.
However, Kim told Jokowi that the World Bank has changed over the last 20 years. Kim added that the financial institution founded at the end of the World War II has evolved in a way that reflects the nature of the world.
“I can assure you that the ongoing discussion at the World Bank covers complex and sensitive issues,” Kim said.
Kim continued that he had met with Jokowi to assure the President that the World Bank will listen to Jokowi, and that the organization has to change to keep up with the world’s development.
TEMPO
