On the sidelines of the 2026 Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund, the Office of the Executive Director for the Africa Group II (EDS13), led by Mr. Harold Tavares, held a series of intensive bilateral and multilateral meetings in Washington, D.C. with country delegations and key institutional partners.
Presided this year by Ms. Louise Pierrette Mvono, Minister of Planning and Prospective and WBG Governor for Gabon, the Group’s meeting was marked by the presence of the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Ms. Amina J. Mohammed, who informed the Governors of a historic moment on the sidelines of these Assemblies: the launch of the Borrowers’ Platform on April 15. Seventy years after the creation of the Paris Club, borrowing countries now have their own institutional platform, anchored in the Seville Commitment, to amplify their collective voice on sovereign debt and development financing.
Beyond this commitment, the Executive Director engaged in multiple strategic exchanges: a bilateral meeting with the UN Deputy Secretary-General; a joint meeting with Ms. Selma Malika Haddadi, Vice-President of the African Union Commission, focused on the jobs agenda; co-organization of a high-level event on regional transport corridors with other African Sub-Saharan Executive Directors’ Offices; and active participation in the meeting of the African Consultative Group (ACG) with President Ajay Banga.
Bilateral meetings with delegations from Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Union of Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Madagascar, Mauritania, Mauritius, Niger, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, and Togo enabled the review of Country Partnership Frameworks (CPF) under preparation, responses to external shocks (energy, inflation, debt), and priorities for structuring investments: energy, infrastructure, private sector, human capital, and job creation for youth and women.
The Lobito Economic Corridor, the Inga Hydroelectric Project, and the Mission 300 initiative for electricity access were central topics, illustrating the ambition for stronger regional integration in support of competitiveness and resilience.
Following these meetings, several milestones were identified: visits by the Executive Director to certain countries and participation in the African Development Bank Annual Meetings in Brazzaville (Republic of Congo). In addition, a presentation of Guinea’s CPF to the Board of Directors and the organization of a “Guinea Day” are planned for June 2026.
read more: https://www.worldbank.org/en/about/leadership/directors/eds13/brief/spring-meetings-2026-strengthened-strategic-dialogue-for-africa-group-ii
