PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic – On International Women’s Day, members of the Boards of Governors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and IDB Invest endorsed a declaration pledging to foster more equality and more diverse representation on the Boards of Executive Directors.
The Governors' Declaration on Gender Equality and Diversity highlights that while progress has been made, work remains to be done, particularly at the IDB and IDB Invest Boards. Governors from well over 40 countries endorsed the declaration. Read the Governors’ statements here.
The Governors underscored that Latin America and the Caribbean requires a development partner that provides innovative, ambitious and effective solutions, and that this can only be achieved with a strengthened equitable and inclusive IDB Group.
The declaration further highlights that the more representative the IDB Group’s highest decision-making bodies become, the more relevant and impactful the IDB Group will be in terms of development effectiveness in the region it serves.
IDB President Ilan Goldfajn spoke about this effort at a meeting with the Governors today: “We value gender, diversity and inclusion as key elements to make societies more equitable. We firmly support the Governors and Executive Directors in their commitment to gender equality and more diverse representation at the Boards of Directors.”
Governors also applauded the Bank’s ambition in this area and requested that IDB Group management continue their efforts to attract diverse professional talent, with the goal of improving representation throughout the organization.
This declaration was spearheaded by the Working Group on Gender, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (GDEI), which was created at the Boards of Executive Directors of the IDB and IDB Invest in 2022 to provide support and make recommendations for improvement in these areas and report on an annual basis to the Boards of Governors.
The Boards of Governors serve as the highest authorities responsible for the governance of the IDB Group. Governors are representatives of the IDB's 48 member countries, usually finance ministers or other senior economic officials. The Executive Directors are responsible for conducting operations of the IDB and IDB Invest. Supported by the Boards of Governors, they approve loans, country strategies and administrative budgets, among other functions.
About the IDB Group
The IDB Group is the leading source of development financing for Latin America and the Caribbean. We contribute to improving lives by providing financial solutions and development expertise to public- and private-sector clients. The Group comprises the IDB, which has worked with governments for more than 60 years; IDB Invest, which serves the private sector; and IDB Lab, which tests innovative ways to enable more inclusive growth. Take our virtual tour.
Funez,Angela
