World Bank/International Monetary Fund (WB/IMF) Annual Meetings Delegate report
Executive Summary
The Young Diplomats of Canada (YDC) provided five Canadian youth from across the country
with the opportunity to attend the World Bank/International Monetary Fund (WB/IMF)
Annual Meetings in Washington DC. This report provides details of their exciting meetings
with stakeholders and the eye-opening sessions they attended around key topics in
development. Delegates also reflected on their personal and professional growth they
experienced.
Three key themes were developed by the delegation to guide discussions and advocacy
activities at the meetings. These are inclusive economic growth; FinTech and innovative
technologies; and open governance.
It was quite inspiring for our delegates to also meet with other youth. They had insightful
discussions with the Brazilian youth delegation around Indigenous relations and economic
development, drawing key comparisons in how our nations approach these issues.
The following pages will dive deeper into the exciting week our delegates experienced. The
first section will summarize key meetings and events attended, the second section will provide
personal insights, and the last section will showcase the great photos and videos from the
Annual Meetings. We want to thank YDC for this life-changing opportunity to represent the
voices of Canadian youth on the world's stage and to acquire an in-depth perspective of the
dynamic landscape of international relations and development.
Key Sessions and Meetings
Below is the list of all the bilateral meetings that the delegation attended. The following
paragraphs will present our key takeaways.
● Monday, October 14th, 2019 - The United Nations Development Programme
● Tuesday, October 15th, 2019 - The Organization of American States Permanent representative
● Tuesday, October 15th, 2019 - The Executive Director for Canada, Ireland, and the Caribbean International Monetary Fund
● Tuesday, October 15th, 2019 - The World Bank advisors to the Canadian advisors to the Executive Director
● Wednesday, October 16th, 2019 - The World Resources Institute
● Wednesday, October 16th, 2019 - The Department of State with Public Diplomacy Desk Officer for Canadian Affairs and Economic Desk Officer in the Office of Canadian Affairs
● Thursday, October 17th, 2019 - Institute for Women’s Policy Research
● Friday, October 18th, 2019 - Bill and Melinda Gates foundation
Conference: Innovation in FinTech (October 15, 2019)
The delegation attended a conference entitled Analytical Corner: What We Know about
Fintech and Financial Inclusion by Purva Khera, Monetary Capital Markets Department, IMF,
and Sumiko Ogawa, Monetary Capital Markets Department, IMF. The opening segment
presented us with the concept of sachetization. Purva Khera explained that companies
miniaturize their product into single unit-use of sachets (tea, shampoo, etc.) for the product to
become less expensive and for low-income individuals to have access. This concept is
comparable to what is happening in traditional banking - FinTech is working to provide
equitable access to financial services.
In 2017, more than 1.7 billion people across the world didn’t have a bank account due to
missing documentation, minimum balance requirement, etc. There is a largely untapped
market for the unbanked and under-banked. Their needs are now being met by FinTech to
deliver financial services more efficiently, from payments, savings, lending, and insurance. We
can see that FinTech has a positive impact on financial inclusion and has been accompanied by
a decline in traditional institutions. Fintech can help overcome some obstacles like distance,
cost, but the infrastructure is still lacking in certain parts of the world.
Session: Global Voices Youth Panel (October 16, 2019)
Global Voices, an Australian organization with a similar mandate to YDC, hosted a youth panel
discussion on the New Work Order and asked a YDC representative to sit on the panel. We
had Karen Lamola from the team to represent Canadian youth on behalf of YDC.
The discussion started off exploring whether this is the perfect time for this topic, and what
opportunities and challenges does a “New Work Order” offer to young people? The answer
was as basic as simple economics – supply does not equal demand. The disconnect between
the education system and the workforce poses a problem for many youths who find
themselves unemployed, underemployed or in a sector that is completely different from their
education and training. Youth employment programs are classified under the supply side.
Youth are offered internships, training, skills, and experience to make them more employable,
but if there aren’t opportunities available to them at the end of the program, then their talent
is lost. We are finding a lack of demand brought by employers is not creating enough jobs that
reflect the skills and capabilities of incoming graduates.
The second insightful discussion that rose from the youth panel was about our generation’s
need to find purpose and meaningful work. It has been seen that youth employment
programs are adding a new component - mindfulness, and self-awareness into their program
design as millennials are concerned about their purpose and their value-added to the role,
which may seem like a luxury that generations before us never had. Recognizing that youth
face barriers that are unique to their situation speak to a crucial point that Ms. Datta made for
organizations to avoid applying cookie-cutter methods in the development of youth
employment programs.
Bilateral Meeting: Institute for Women’s Policy Research (October 17, 2019)
As a delegation, gaining insights into a feminist perspective on development was an important
component of our advocacy. We met with Dr. Federiga Bindi, Jeff Hayes, and Valerie Lacarte
to discuss women’s representation in foreign policy, women’s political participation, and their
advice for youth aspiring to pursue a career in the foreign service. Quotas in women’s
participation in politics and board leadership are largely embraced in many European
countries, but are rarely implemented in the United States. The IWPR finds that quotas are
effective in increasing representation of women in the public and private sector but only
when they are given meaningful work and equal opportunity. They suggest a quota of at least
30% females to avoid issues of having “token” representation.
An interesting phenomenon discussed was the extent to which women who held high
positions in the field of international affairs were able to move forward feminist foreign
policies. The data revealed that women holding these roles had a positive impact on
international aid but significantly less in other fields of international policy, including the
promotion of gender equity.
Seminar: Sustainable Development Goals: Making it Happen (October 17th, 2019)
On Thursday, the delegation attended a seminar titled: “Sustainable Development Goals:
Making it Happen.” The majority of the dialogue consisted of David Lipton, managing director
of the IMF, and Amanda Khozi Mukwash, the CEO of Christian Aid. Representatives from the
UN, European Commission and Citibank also added their unique perspectives to the
discussion.
The seminar focused on the limited progress of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
and what can be done to achieve them in the coming decade. All panelists were united in
agreeing on the importance of multilateralism in achieving the SGDs. They paid special
attention to climate change as a goal where almost every country can step up their efforts to
meet this challenge. As the CEO of a major aid organization, Amanda raised the concerns of
poverty in Africa not being overcome due to systemic corruption. Foreign companies that
invest in these low-income countries are bribing officials to avoid paying taxes, which would
help the poor.
To conclude, the panelists took questions from the audience who were concerned that
countries are not willing to work to achieve these goals. The panelists agree that progress will
be hard-fought and slow, but remain optimistic that at least some of the SDGs will be
achieved by 2030.
Bilateral Meeting: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (October 18, 2019)
The delegation met with Gargee Ghosh and Ryan McMaster, fellow Canadians from the Bill
and Melinda Gates Foundation. To enhance global health and reduce extreme poverty, they
establish policies and concessional grants with their government. Given that Canada currently
has a poor foreign aid agenda, they encourage Canada to develop its role in reducing poverty
and improving global health.
Realizing that unsafe sanitation is a problem and is a contributor to waterborne diseases, the
delegation wanted to inquire more about the Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) program.
They learned about the Omni Processor, first introduced in Senegal, that aims to advance new
toilet and waste treatment technologies that burn fecal matter and produces clean drinking
water as output. Given the high cost of the reinvented toilet, the foundation is working with
manufacturers to reduce the price, and it is cultivating a group of sanitation champions who
will have policies in place in preparation for the new technology.
The foundation has an evaluation framework that corresponds to their strategies. While their
focus is on the first six SDGs, they have a data point system that monitors the changing map of
poverty and overlays geopolitical trends associated with the SDGs. The purpose of their map is
to help users target investments and extend financial services to optimize global impact.
Delegate Reflections
Menad Sekhi - Head Delegate
The WB/IMF annual meetings lived up to my expectations. My motivation to participate in this international forum was to bring my current knowledge of international development and put it to the test. I was surrounded by global leaders and innovators and I was pleased to see that my knowledge held up to par. After each day, I would leave the meetings and reflect on all the new knowledge that I was fortunate to soak up from my peers, the conferences we attended and the stakeholders that we met. My main takeaway was to see the collaboration between public to private sector in ID. The public sphere doing their best to entice private sector investments in developing nations in order to incubate innovation but also lessen the financial burden on the states.
Attending this forum will have a positive impact on my career. Our bilateral meetings provided me with the opportunity to interact with high level stakeholders. It made me sharpen my diplomatic and advocacy skills that allowed us to engage in interesting discussions. These skills will be transferable when I apply to enter the Foreign Service.
My closing message to Canadian Youth is that we are extremely fortunate to be in a position where we get opportunities such as this one. Furthermore, it’s important to keep in mind that we have an educated and passionate young generation that isn’t afraid to speak up on behalf of Canadians. It’s important to grasp opportunities such as this one to add to our knowledge and interact with other youth delegations. These interactions showed us that globally, we have a similar vision of what type of policies we would like to see. As youth leaders, we must do our best to stay up to date with the changing political landscape but keep our priorities intact and avoid partisanship. A strong focus on issues such as climate change, a more inclusive economy and breaking down barriers for women, men, girls and boys around the world should be immutable.
Kyle MacDonald
When working at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, I mentioned in conversation to one of my colleagues that I was looking for opportunities to apply my studies and round out my resume. He began telling me about his past work with the Young Diplomats of Canada and suggested that I apply, so I did! Being only 20 and still working towards an undergraduate degree, I was not sure if I would be accepted but the recruitment team clearly agreed with me that I had something to offer.
Even before Washington, I quickly realized that I was privileged to work with a team who was committed to making the most out of the meetings both for ourselves and global youth. Our diverse interests allowed us to arrive at the meetings with an arsenal of research in a variety of policy areas such as financial technology, global governance and gender issues. I felt that our team was very well prepared when engaging in high-level discussions with stakeholders and policymakers.
Of all our meetings, I was most personally impacted by our discussions with Ben Rankin, advisor to the Executive Director of the IMF for Canada, Ireland, and the Caribbean. He had just returned from Belize, where he was helping the national government negotiate economic assistance with the IMF. Hearing about his role within the IMF was extremely interesting and has definitely influenced my decisions about my future career.
My message to pass onto Canadian youth, is that while it is important to be passionate about the issues that will impact our generation, it is equally important to be informed about them. The presentations at the IMF/WB meetings demonstrated that approaches to combating issues like poverty and climate change are complex and require multilateral commitments. I highly recommend attending the annual meetings to anyone that desires to gain a more nuanced and complete understanding of the issues that affect global youth.
Rachel Padillo
My interest in the foreign public service and international diplomacy first blossomed in my local-level work since my micro-level experiences inspired my desire to create macro-level change. During my master’s studies, I expressed my interest in working for an international organization to a career counsellor after I work for a few years in the federal government. To invest in my goal, she advised me to attend international conferences. When I was first exposed to YDC, I was delighted to learn that YDC could allow me to participate and engage in high-level political and multilateral summits. I did not hesitate to apply for an engagement.
Working with young, motivated leaders from across the country was one of the highlights of my experience. It was a privilege to learn from my fellow delegates and to be motivated by their passion and interest in different policy issues. I also valued mentorship and training opportunities we received from senior officials from Global Affairs Canada and the Department of Finance who took time out of their days to advise us before the Annual Meetings. Moreover, I was very grateful that the officials we met at our bilateral meetings were very supportive of our careers and openly provided advice at the end of our bilateral meetings because, to me, it cultivates dialogue between diplomats and youth.
A piece of advice I would give to Canadian youth is to take the initiative and take risks. If you believe passionately in a cause, actively seek opportunities and partnerships that are devoted to the cause, challenge yourself to step outside of your comfort zone, and get involved in an organization. Investing in initiatives that will outlive your youth builds the foundation for future generations to participate and engage in these initiatives. While YDC provides various opportunities for youth to engage in the international realm, other organizations offer similar opportunities. You need only the courage to take the risk.
Lakshmi Ganesan
I applied to be a YDC delegate hoping to gain insight on how international organizations like the World Bank/International Monetary Fund function, and to learn more about their role in the development sector. Recognized as world leaders in the field of policy, international development and research, I knew that I would be learning from the world’s experts. I was personally interested in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and what their strategies are at an international level to attain these goals. SDGs were a fundamental topic at the annual meetings and through the numerous bilateral meetings and sessions attended, it was evident that we are further behind in the 2030 global targets than intended.
One of my key takeaways from my experience was how interconnected these goals really are. There are 17 goals to achieve within a 10-year timeframe, and it was clear that there really is no one-size-fits- all solution. In fact, there is an apparent challenge in regard to governance (SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and
Strong Institutions) at all levels of government, even at an international scale. This lack of governance is less related to funding challenges or interest in reaching these SDGs but relates more to a lack of organizational structure which would emphasize the focus around the SDGs. Civil society organizations and private companies are looking towards the government to carve a path forward, but the government is putting reliance on public-private partnerships. In other words, there’s a misunderstanding between the public and private sectors in terms of shared responsibility, accountability and implementation. As society is moving towards very evidence-based practices for guidance and decision-making, we have to remember that above all the macroeconomics we are still very much in need of a human-centered approach when it comes to not leaving anyone behind.
There was a sense of self-doubt going into this week that can be characterized as “imposter syndrome,” and having this opportunity to represent Canadian youth and meet remarkable leaders who were both knowledgeable and approachable has helped me build my self-confidence in the policy sector. From the youth perspective, we were advised by leaders who were eager to engage with us to continue to take initiative, stay engaged, be politically active, and hold governments accountable. I was most moved by my fellow Canadian delegates and felt secured by our shared experiences.
Overall, the week was a success, I am grateful to have had such a diverse and proactive team through their enthusiasm for debating topics and our debriefs at the end of each day. It really made me appreciate this incredible experience and I’m excited to stay connected with them as we develop in our policy careers.
Karen Lamola - Communications Coordinator
I applied to represent the voices of Canadian youth at the World Bank/IMF Annual Meetings because I was spurred by the opportunity to speak about development through the lens of finance. My past and current work is heavily focused on social policy and grassroots development, but rarely broaches the subject of the financial implications of the policies we advocate for – one cannot exist without the other. This was an incredible opportunity to engage with stakeholders from government, the private sector and civil society to engage in discussions around the future of work, FinTech, inclusive economic growth and open governance.
Civil society organizations have always held a special place in my heart and I was encouraged by the presence of hundreds of organizations at the Meetings who facilitated discussions with IMF and World Bank representatives to discuss key issues facing the development sector today. I had two amazing experiences from these activities. The first was a roundtable event hosted by Global Voices, an Australian organization similar to YDC, on the future of work. I was one of four panelists, providing the unique perspectives of Canadian youth regarding this topic. It was great to exchange ideas with my fellow panelists, but the comments and questions from audience members not only challenged my ways of thinking, but also brought to light issues not often considered in my line of work. The second event was a session hosted by the IMF around the future of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). One of the panelists, Amanda Mukwashi, CEO of Christian Aid, challenged the existing structures of the IMF and World Bank to adapt to the 21st century. While these organizations often have a macro-level focus, it is important to maintain a micro-level perspective to consider the impacts of economic development policies.
I am taking back my learnings from this conference and already integrating them into my work. As an Intergovernmental Liaison, my ability to identify stakeholders and build strong relationships is key. The Meetings have taught me that many groups need to have a seat at the table for effective collaboration. I want to say a big thank you to my fellow delegates for making this such a great experience and go YDC for the opportunity.