Even in today’s world of burgeoning private capital markets, there is much that an organization like the World Bank can contribute toward realizing the dream of a world without poverty. First, of course, there is emergency relief: At any point of time there are people in the world who are in the middle of an acute crisis and need emergency relief. While delivering relief effectively is not easy, there is broad agreement that it is a worthwhile goal. However the World Bank believes, rightly, that this is not enough. As we see it, there are at least three important ways it can contribute to the broader project.
