Lisa Finneran is Director of IDA Resource Mobilization, overseeing the replenishment and stewardship of the International Development Association, the World Bank’s principal facility for providing highly concessional resources to the world’s poorest countries. Annely Koudstaal is Strategy Officer in the IDA Resource Mobilization team.
A paradigm shift for development finance has been achieved with the recent 18th replenishment of the World Bank Group’s (WBG) International Development Association (IDA): the largest source of un-earmarked concessional finance for the world’s poorest countries. The IDA18 negotiations concluded in December 2016 with a historic outcome of US$ 75 billion for the poorest and neediest countries. IDA18, which will start implementation on 1 July 2017, for a three-year period, marks a 50% increase from the US$ 52 billion committed under IDA17. IDA18 is a milestone for the World Bank Group, both in terms of policy and financial innovations.