BELGIUM: Embattled Paul Wolfowitz defends work of the World Bank

World Bank chief Paul Wolfowitz, under fire for his role in arranging a high-paid promotion for his girlfriend, brushes aside calls to quit and says he remains focused on the important work of the bank.The head of the World Bank, Paul Wolfowitz, brushed aside calls to resign on Wednesday (May 2) and urged the United States and other rich countries to honour funding promises for a plan to help all the world's young children attend school. Speaking at a Brussels news conference during a donors' conference on education funding, he responded to calls for comment on his personal crisis by listing the important work of the World Bank. Wolfowitz declined to comment directly on calls by some U.S. politicians for him to resign or on a statement on Tuesday (May 1) by a former head of a World Bank ethics panel who said Wolfowitz broke staff rules when he intervened directly in the personnel matters of his girlfriend. He said he gave a full explanation the bank's board on Monday (April 30) and in the meantime he wanted to remain focused on the "very, very important" work of the bank "There are millions of poor people around the world who depend on us and we'll make sure we do what we need to do for them," he said. A World Bank committee is examining Wolfowitz's role in arranging a high-paid promotion for his girlfriend. Wolfowitz has said previously he followed guidance from the bank's ethics officers in arranging his girlfriend's promotion and transfer to a job at the U.S. State Department. Ghanaian Finance Minister Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu gave indirect support to Wolfowitz, saying it was important for African countries dependent on international funding to have continuity in the World Bank's strategy. "What we've got is a going concern. There should always be operational continuity so that the nations of this world can also move on," he said. Wolfowitz said on Monday he would not resign in the "face of a plainly bogus charge of conflict of interest" against him. He said on Wednesday the United States and other industrialised countries needed to meet pledges to fund a U.N. programme that aimed to ensure all children around the world attended primary school by 2015. In Washington, U.S. President George W. Bush said on Monday (April 30) Wolfowitz should stay in his job and be given a fair hearing, and that the issue was not discussed with European Union leaders. NP/AD

ITN Source | May 3, 2007

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