Investing in Development: Rethinking businesses’ international strategy with multilateral agencies

Today, companies have become a key player in the international development agenda. The private sector promotes innovation and technology transfer, improving productivity and competitiveness, it affects the qualification of human capital and create jobs worldwide.

On the other hand, multilateral agencies work to provide solutions to the most urgent challenges of populations with high rates of poverty. These organizations, like the World Bank or the Inter-American Development Bank, are major players as the center of learning and knowledge sharing, as genuine hubs of trends and connections, and as mobilizers of resources (own or third parties’ resources). That is, they are more than purely financial institutions. And, what’s more, they represent important business opportunities for companies are able to establish long-term relationships with them.

The following report, written together with Idoia Artiñano Ortiz, principal advisor to the Secretary of the Inter-American Development Bank, and Fernando Fernández-Monge, governance expert at the World Bank, argues the existence of key opportunities and invites companies to rethink his relations with multilateral organizations. A more strategic approach to these forums and its main actors can yield benefits for businesses, but also for its impact on development.

Joan Navarro, Partner and Vice-president of Public Affairs at LLORENTE & CUENCA

Pablo Abiad, Partner and Managing Director of the LLORENTE & CUENCA office in Argentina

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