Press Release of 26 April 2012

The World Bank appoints DIE-Director Dirk Messner to the Bank’s ‘Knowledge Advisory Commission’. Established by World Bank president Robert Zoellick, the new Commission will help the World Bank to be not only the most important international institution for development financing, but to become the leading 'knowledge bank'. Investing in the creation of problem solving knowledge, bringing together the best knowledge available on a global scale, and engaging in knowledge transfer to partner countries is a strategic instrument of the Bank’s international cooperation efforts. “The appointment emphasizes the important role of the German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) as a creator and broker of knowledge”, states DIE-Director Messner in Bonn. “We are already working closely with our international networks in the field of global development, such as the partners of our ‘Global Governance School’, and I look forward to sharing these experiences within the Knowledge Advisory Commission.”

Each year the World Bank invests 600 Mio. USD in the build-up of new knowledge in order to solve global development problems. The ‘Knowledge Advisory Commission’ will support the Bank in these efforts. Furthermore, the Commission will deal with the challenges the World Bank is facing to include innovative ways to better measure the impact of knowledge services; on how to improve effectiveness of new open and collaborative efforts with the Bank’s partners and how the Bank can best play a knowledge connector role. The international Commission will convene in June for the first time with World Bank President Robert Zoellick.

The first World Bank Knowledge Report called 'Knowledge for Development' was presented by Managing Director Mahmoud Mohieldin at a Public Lecture last November at DIE in Bonn. DIE is already contributing to the World bank` s 'Green Growth Knowledge Platform' and the 'The Hive – Knowledge Platform on Fragility, Conflict, and Violence'.