Multilateralism in action, ODIOverseas Development Institute (London) Blog, October 2008

A renewed commitment to multilateralism may be one of the benefits of the financial crisis. Coordinated action by Governments and Central Banks is one indicator of change. There are others.

For example, Douglas Alexander (the UK Secretary of State for International Development) gained a victory in Washington at the weekend, securing agreement that the next President of the World Bank should be appointed through open competition, rather than simply through US nomination. The Guardian reported that ‘Douglas Alexander, brokered a deal to throw open the post to candidates from any country. Backed by European governments and developing countries, Alexander overcame resistance from the US and Japan’. Good job. This is a long-standing item on the multilateral reform agenda..............