Is It Time for a Non-American to Lead the World Bank?

March 23, 2012 from Al Jazeera English

For the first time in almost 70 years, the World Bank could have a president who is not an American citizen. A Nigerian and a Colombian have now joined the race as candidates to replace Robert Zoellick after he steps down in June. Al Jazeera's John Terrett reports from Washington.

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World Bank

The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programs. The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty. According to its Articles of Agreement, all its decisions must be guided by a commitment to th... Explore this topic

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is a globally renowned Nigerian economist best known for her two terms as Finance Minister of Nigeria and for her work at the World Bank, including several years as one of its Managing Directors. She briefly held the position of Foreign Minister of Nigeria ... Explore this topic

José Antonio Ocampo

José Antonio Ocampo Gaviria is, since July 2007, Professor of Professional Practice in International and Public Affairs and Director of the Economic and Political Development Concentration at the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University. Prior to his app... Explore this topic

Jeffrey Sachs

Jeffrey David Sachs is an American economist and Director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University. One of the youngest economics professors in the history of Harvard University, Sachs became known for his role as an adviser to Eastern European and developing country gove... Explore this topic

Robert Zoellick

Robert Bruce Zoellick is an American banker who was the eleventh president of the World Bank, a position he held from July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2012. He was previously a managing director of Goldman Sachs, United States Deputy Secretary of State and U.S. Trade Representative, f... Explore this topic

Hillary Clinton

Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is an American politician and diplomat who was the 67th United States Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013, serving under President Barack Obama. She was previously a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of President Bi... Explore this topic

Barack Obama

Barack Hussein Obama II (/bəˈrɑːk huːˈseɪn oʊˈbɑːmə/; born August 4, 1961) is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama served as a U.S. Senator representing the state of Illinois from January 2005 to Novemb... Explore this topic

Developing country

A developing country, also called a less-developed country, is a nation with a low living standard, underdeveloped industrial base, and low Human Development Index relative to other countries. There is no universal, agreed-upon criteria for what makes a country developing vers... Explore this topic

United States

The United States of America, commonly called the United States, or America, is a federal republic consisting of fifty states and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capi... Explore this topic

Colombia

Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. It is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the northwest by Panama; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to t... Explore this topic

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