Paul Wolfowitz Resigns And Corruption Is At An End

CHRISTOPHER B. Burnham, who became under secretary general for management at the United Nations in 2005, wonders if Paul Wolfowitz’s resignation from the World Bank means an end to the fight against corruption:

THE resignation of Paul D. Wolfowitz last week as president of the World Bank may have solved one problem, but it’s possible that it has created another.

When Mr. Wolfowitz took over the bank in 2005, he preached the anti-corruption gospel with a zeal that alarmed many career bank staff members and more than a few of its 185 member countries. With his departure, it is eminently possible that his laser-like focus on corruption will go with him.

In its first 50 years, the bank lent hundreds of billions of dollars to countries without ever publicly conceding or addressing the reality that some of the money ended up in the pockets of corrupt officials and companies. It is impossible to put a figure on the amount, but there is no question that funds went missing.

Anorak

Posted: 21st, May 2007 | In: Twitterings Comment | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink