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The Visible Hand: Development banks in Transition
when ? where ?
From Monday 09 November 2020 to Tuesday 10 November 2020
Online event
The 14th AFD International Research Conference on Development, The Visible Hand: Development Banks in Transition has taken place in the framework of the Finance in Common Summit, the first global meeting of all public development banks. The Academic Days have taken place from 3 to 5 November 2020, they were followed by the Open Discussion Days on 9 and 10 November 2020. In the context of the severe crisis affecting the world following the Covid-19 disruption, this new edition has focused on development banks’ key contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and to paving the way to rebuild our economic systems in a more responsible and sustainable way.

It was organized with the academic support of the lnstitute of New Structural Economics at Peking University (INSE), the lnstitute for Sustainable Development and lnternational Relations (lDDRl) and of the Foundation for Studies and Research on International Development (FERDI).

Due to the exceptional ongoing context, the conference has occured online.
  • Programme
  • Speakers and partners
  • Research program
  • Publications
  • Replays and video

Academic Days

The 14th AFD International Research Conference on Development has started with three Academic Days that will take place from 3 to 5 November 2020. This online workshop was dedicated to researchers and experts from academia, think tanks and international organizations. These Academic Days were coorganized by the Institute of New Structural Economics (INSE) at Peking University and the Agence française de développement (AFD).

The researchers involved in the International Research Initiative on Public Development Banks (PDBs) working groups and pilot research program have presented their findings. This network of thematically-focused open working groups, involving 28 researchers from 20 institutions across the globe, was launched by the Institute of New Structural Economics (INSE) at Peking University, and sponsored by the Agence française de développement (AFD), Ford Foundation, and the International Development Finance Club (IDFC).

In total 15 research papers have already been discussed, covering the five key challenges exposed by the research program: The characterization of SDG-compatible investments; Business models; Governance; The financial regulation of PDBs; The global development finance architecture

 

Open Discussion Days

On 9 and 10 November, the Open Discussion Days have gathered more than 700 participants: researchers, Public Development Banks representatives and other stakeholders to reflect. To talk about what? To discuss the key role development banks could play, in the light of the current crisis, for building an efficient global, development-oriented finance architecture.

The online public conference aimed to deliver concrete policy recommendations to decision-makers, on how to scale up development banks’ potential at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and pave the way forward to a more responsible and sustainable recovery of our economic systems. The International Research Initiative on Public Development Banks (PDBs) working groups have also presented their work and findings.

High-level speakers included senior officials from development banks, in particular members of the International Development Finance Club (IDFC) and the World Federation of Development Finance Institutions (WFDFI), as well as renowned economists and researchers. We are proud to count Nobel Prize in Economics Joseph Stiglitz, and Masood Ahmed, chief executive officer of the CGDev as our distinguished keynote speakers.
 

 

Booklet Visible Hand in English

 

Download the booklet with the final agenda and all our speakers
 

OUR SPEAKERS

Download the list of our speakers with their biographies


Among our speakers:

  • Masood AHMED 
    President, Center for Global Development 
  • Emmanuelle ASSOUAN
    Deputy Director General for financial stability and operations,  Banque de France 
  • Samantha ATTRIDGE 
    Senior Research Fellow, ODI
  • Manish BAPNA
    Executive Vice President And Managing Director, WRI
  • Lavinia BARROS DE CASTRO
    Manager, BNDES – The Brazilian Development Bank
  • Bruno CABRILLAC 
    Deputy Director General Statistics Economics and International, Banque de France 
  • Serge EKUÉ 
    President, West African Development Bank (BOAD)
  • Kevin GALLAGHER 
    Professor and Director, Global Development Policy Center, Pardee School of  Global Studies, Boston University
  • Ricardo GOTTSCHALK
    Senior Economist, Resident Coordinator Office (RCO), South Africa, United Nations
  • Stephany GRIFFITH-JONES
    Financial Markets Director, Initiative for Policy Dialogue, Columbia University; Emeritus Professorial Fellow, Institute of Development Studies, Sussex University
  • Sergio GUSMÃO SUCHODOLSKI
    CEO, Development Bank of Minas Gerais
  • Ulrich HEGE
    Professor and Vice President, Toulouse School of Economics
  • Robert HOCKETT
    Professor of Law & Finance, Cornell University
  • Fritzi KÖHLER-GEIB
    Chief Economist, KfW Group
  • Alexia LATORTUE
    Managing Director for Corporate Strategy, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
  • Nancy LEE  
    Senior Policy Fellow, Center for Global Development
  • Régis MARODON
    Senior Advisor on sustainable finance, Agence française de développement 
  • Mariana MAZZUCATO 
    Professor in the Economics of Innovation and Public Value, University College London’s Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose 
  • Ahmadou Aly MBAYE 
    Professor of economics and president, Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar
  • Thomas MELONIO
    Executive Director for Innovation, Research and Knowledge, Agence française de développement
  • José Antonio OCAMPO
    Professor, Columbia University
  • Carmen REINHART 
    Chief Economist and Vice President, World Bank Group 
  • Rémy RIOUX 
    Chief Executive Officer, Agence française de développement (AFD) ; Chairman, International Development Finance Club (IDFC) 
  • Alfredo SCHCLAREK CURUTCHET
    Associate Researcher, National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Argentina 
  • Haje SCHÜTTE
    Senior Counsellor and Head of the Financing for Sustainable Development Division, OECD
  • Shari SPIEGEL
    Chief of Policy Analysis and Development, Financing for Sustainable Development Office, Department of Economics and Social Affairs, United Nations
  • Lord Nicholas STERN 
    IG Patel Professor of Economics and Government and Chair of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, London School of Economics
  • Joseph STIGLITZ
    University Professor and Economist, Columbia University 
  • Admassu TADESSE
    President and Chief Executive, Trade and Development Bank
  • Sébastien TREYER
    Executive Director, IDDRI 
  • Jiajun XU
    Executive Deputy Dean, Institute of New Structural Economics at Peking University 
  • Wencai ZHANG
    Vice President, Agricultural Development Bank of China (ADBC)

 

OUR PARTNERS

This conference has taken place in the framework of the Finance in Common Summit, the first global meeting of all public development banks.

Finance in Common logo


It was organized with the academic support of the lnstitute of New Structural Economics at Peking University (INSE), the lnstitute for Sustainable Development and lnternational Relations (lDDRl) and of the Foundation for Studies and Research on International Development (FERDI).

Partenaires

Logo AFD Peking university iddri Ferdi

Partenaires médias

DEVEX The Conversation Novethic RFI

 

In sharp contrast with the worldwide renaissance of development banks, there is limited academic research examining their roles, operations, and effectiveness. The pilot research program “Realizing the Potential of Public Development Banks for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals” aims to fill this gap, and deliver concrete policy recommendations on how to scale up public development banks (PBDs) potential at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The academic research focuses on five major themes:

  • The characterization of SDG-compatible investments
  • Business models
  • Governance
  • The financial regulation of PBDs
  • The global development finance architecture

This research program was launched, along with the International Research Initiative on Public Development Banks (PDBs), by the Institute of New Structural Economics (INSE) at Peking University, and sponsored by the Agence française de développement (AFD), Ford Foundation and International Development Finance Club (IDFC).

It is coordinated by Jiajun Xu, Executive Deputy Dean at the Institute of New Structural Economics (INSE) at Peking University ; Stephany Griffith-Jones of Columbia University ; and Régis Marodon, Special Adviser on Sustainable Finance at the Agence française de développement (AFD). 
 

Find out more about the research program

All the working papers published under this research program, listed below, are available for free downloading. For each research paper, you can also read a overview in two pages, and watch a short video.

Overview

Inclusion of Development Banks in the Global Financial Architecture

Business Model of Development Banks

Characterization of SDG-compatible investments

Regulatory frameworks

Governance

PDB Database Building Flagship Reports 

    You can see the Open Discussion Days debates and presentations in video.

    Open Discussion Day 1 (9 November 2020)

     

    Open Discussion Day 2 (10 November 2020)



    You can also watch the video presentations made by the researchers concerning the research work they have presented for this conference on the dedicated playlist.
     
    when ?
    From Monday 09 November 2020 to Tuesday 10 November 2020
    where ?
    Online event

    Location of the event

    Surat, Inde
    Surat