Who's saying what about Robert Zoellick
8 June 2007
Reactions to the United States' nomination of the former US Trade Representative for the next World Bank President...
Civil Society Representatives:
“The Wolfowitz scandal presents an opportunity to initiate meaningful reforms starting with an open, democratic and merit-based process for choosing the next president," stated Bank Information Center's acting Executive Director, Bruce Jenkins. “The shareholders’ rush to put the scandal behind them without instituting the most basic reforms clearly shows the intractability of the governance failures at the institution. If not now, then when?”
Nancy Birdsall from Center for Global Development and five co-authors, leaders of civil society organizations, wrote a letter to the editor, The Financial Times: "The irony is that Robert Zoellick, the candidate named, is sufficiently well-qualified that (with the support of the United States) he would probably have won in a process of the sort desired by reformers, in which (for example) a team of eminent persons would select a slate of qualified candidates unrestricted by nationality and the bank's board would vote for one of them. He would then have been perceived as the world's choice rather than the choice of a discredited US president."
Sameer Dossani, Director of the 50 Years Is Enough Network: Alternative nominations will be important for establishing a more engaged and critical role for the board, even if they don’t succeed in preventing Zoellick from winning the post. “We need to see tangible proof that members of the board will oppose the neo-conservative ideology that animates both Wolfowitz and Zoellick,” he said. “While no one could be as outrageous as Wolfowitz, the architect of the Iraq war, Zoellick is a full-fledged neo-conservative too, a supporter of invading Iraq since 1998. The best that can be said for him is that, like Wolfowitz, he’ll be an appropriate symbol of what the World Bank has become – an agency dedicated to entrenching U.S. economic domination.”
Peter O'Driscoll, ActionAid USA Executive Director: “After Paul Wolfowitz’s resignation, the World Bank desperately needs to re-establish its credibility. The closed process leading to Mr. Zoellick’s nomination squanders an opportunity to rethink the bank’s basic governance structure.”
Soren Ambrose of NGO SANA, "this is not someone who has made many friends in the developing world. This is someone who has asserted US prerogatives at every turn, has not shied away from insulting his counterparts, and who has had no visible qualms about tasks such as telling the West African countries no, the US will not give up its subsidies to multimillionaire cotton barons".
Nancy Birdsall, President of the Center for Global Development, quoted in the 5/31/07 Wall Street Jounral: "She said Mr. Zoellick's skills as a negotiator and diplomat will serve him well… `There is a job to do, of calming and healing,' said Ms. Birdsall, describing Mr. Zoellick as a pragmatist…'He wants to get to yes right away.'" (1)
American Enterprise Institute Resident Scholar Philip Levy: "Zoellick is well-qualified. He is a top competitor in `brightest guy in the room' contests. He has been an undersecretary and a deputy secretary of State and served with great distinction as the United States Trade Representative (USTR)." (1)
World Bank Officials:
Mr. Zoellick's appointment will sail through. He has a lot of support among the members," one board source from a developing country commented to Reuters. "It's a fait accompli."
The Financial Times reported: "A senior World Bank manager said there would be mixed feelings about Mr Zoellick’s nomination, with respect for his diplomatic skills offset by concern about his hard-driving management style. The manager said Mr Zoellick was “highly regarded” but seen as a “bit abrasive” with his staff. “I think there is scepticism about Zoellick’s management skills,” he said." (1)
The New York Times quoted an anonymous Bank official: “A lot of people used to think that if the Democrats win the White House in 2008, we might get a new president who won’t be pursing free markets and corruption...But most people at the bank also realize that reform is necessary... Sure, Zoellick is coming with an agenda. People at the bank will be focusing on whether he is going to be fixated on trade. But he’s a basic policy wonk. He’s actually a lot closer in personality to the typical bank staffer than Wolfowitz was.” (1)
U.S. Government Officials:
President Bush: Zoellick is a "committed internationalist" who is "deeply devoted to the mission" of the bank.
House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank: “The second, high-ranking George Bush administration foreign policy, national security official in a row, I think is a mistake.” (2)
Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): "My experience working with him on the subject of Darfur tells me that I know that he cares about that issue, which is very important to the American people," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. "He's sensitive to the need to alleviate poverty there, to resolve conflict in a peaceful way. ... I have been impressed by what he has done so far." (1)
House Republican Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO): "Nominating him to lead the World Bank is a good decision by this President, and it's one I expect will be rightly applauded by our friends and partners around the globe," said House Republican Whip Roy Blunt, R-Mo. "No one is better prepared for this job than Bob Zoellick, and I have great confidence in the future of the Bank under his leadership." (1)
Harry Reid, Democratic Senate Majority Leader: “The selection of Robert Zoellick as the new president of the World Bank provides an opportunity for the Bank to return to its fundamental mission of alleviating poverty and offering vital aid to developing countries, a mission that no internal crisis should jeopardize. Under its new leadership, I hope the Bank will be able to refocus on helping millions of people around the world.” (2)
Senator Grassley, a Republican from Iowa and ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee: “I’ve got a lot of respect for Bob Zoellick. He’s extremely capable, and through his leadership for international trade, I know he has a real understanding of what it takes to advance economic development in poor countries. At the World Bank, I want to see Ambassador Zoellick continue the vigorous campaign that Paul Wolfowitz started against corruption in beneficiary countries. The World Bank is in need of reform from top to bottom. We can’t accept business as usual. Paul Wolfowitz may have been railroaded out of his job, but his initiative must continue.” (1)
Henry Paulson, the US Treasury Secretary, said he recommended Mr Zoellick to the White House following consultations with the bank’s other shareholder governments. Mr Paulson told the Financial Times: “Bob Zoellick is someone who has a passion for development. He has trust, respect and support from all the regions of the world.” “Even people who said that in theory they favour an open global search said, given the turmoil at the bank, ‘Please find someone who will have global support and can get appointed quickly so we can get the bank focused on its mission again’,” he said.
Max Baucus, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee: “Bob is the right person for this job...It is hard to imagine a more intelligent, hardworking and capable person to assume the bank’s leadership at this difficult point in its history.” (1)
Naotaka Matsukata, a former US trade official:“With a five-year appointment, he will surely be the bridge between this administration and the next.”
“It would have been easy to get a figurehead,” the New York Times quotes an administration official involved in the selection process as saying. “Bob’s first posture at the bank will be to listen and to travel. But he definitely brings some ideas on development. He has thought about it a lot.”
Former Secretary of State James Baker: "Zoellick is a man who gets things done." (1)
Former Ambassador to the European Union and Deputy Treasury Secretary Stuart Eizenstat: "It's really a brilliant appointment." (1)
Officials from Other Countries:
South African Finance Minister, Trevor Manuel was reported in USA Today discussing President Bush: "He can nominate and use the veto power and muscle the candidate through as president of the World Bank. There has to be something wrong because that veto lends itself to all kinds of abuses that cannot be in the best interests of the world bank," he said. "We need change that so we don't compromise the candidate or the institution." Further discussing the shift in global economic power Manuel said: "The pattern of global governance has to change to respond to these changes," he said. "If our institutions are to be strong, representative and robust enough to tackle the major problems of the world, then the status quo must be challenged." "The major problems of the world affect all its citizens and we can only begin to develop solutions to these problems when we change toward a more inclusive system of global governance," he said.
Peter Costello, the Australian Treasurer, said on May 28 that he wanted the next head of the Washington-based organization to be chosen in an “open, transparent process’’ based on merit and accessible to candidates from any country, not just the US,” the Financial Times reports. After Zoellick's nomination, he commented that "Mr. Zoellick is an excellent candidate for the World Bank presidency and will be supported by Australia." (1)
Russian Economy Minister German Gref: "It's not easy to negotiate with him but it's easy to make agreements with him, since he is a professional of the highest caliber and he always keeps his word." (1)
Japanese Vice Finance Minister Hideto Fujii: "Mr. Zoellick is suitable as he has experience in areas such as diplomacy, trade and finance. Japan will support him."(1) ("Japan backs Zoellick as next World Bank Chief: MOF's Fuji")
Brazilian Finance Minister Guido Mantega: "He is a good choice. He has good international experience and has had a pro-active stance in liberalizing world trade." (1)
Spokeswoman for South African Finance Minister Trevor Manuel: "We consider Zoellick to be very competent and hope he will be able to operate in the same manner as he demonstrated in the World Trade Organisation negotiations when he served as the US trade representative, and where he sought to build consensus in a constructive and professional manner." (1)
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner: "Mr. Zoellick is certainly the right man for the job." (1)
Singapore Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo: "Zoellick is an excellent choice…. I've also been impressed by his concerns of the needs of the developing world." (1)
Bahrain Central Bank Governor Rashid al-Maraj: "I can tell he's a capable man," told Zawya Dow Jones in a phone interview. "He's got a reputable personality and has patience to solve all problems." (1)
Peruvian Foreign Trade Minister Mercedes Araoz: "My impression is that it's a good choice President Bush is making," told The Associated Press. "He was a driving force of the U.S. trade agenda in seeking association with developing countries, among them Peru." (1)
German Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul: She called Zoellick a "good candidate, who brings a large measure of international experience with him." "It's important that the World Bank quickly gets a new president and wins back its ability to act," she said. (1)
Governmental Organizations:
The 20-member Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) political and trade organisation has welcomed the nomination of Robert Zoellick as World Bank chief. "It is welcome news for Africa and for Comesa in particular. He has a deep knowledge, passion and sympathy for Africa’s development and an interest in regional integration," Comesa said in a newsletter editorial. "The World Bank has been known to at times impose its will on Africa without giving us a listening ear. We have no doubt that through Zoellick, Africa and Comesa in particular will have a listening partner."
Pascal Lamy, head of the World Trade Organization: "I have known Bob Zoellick for over two decades." "I have always appreciated his skills as a consensus builder and his capacity to reach out to developing countries." (1)
OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria: "His leadership and extensive experience in dealing with international organizations, as well as his clear understanding of the complexities of development issues, make him an excellent choice for this post," Gurria said in a statement. (1)
Academics and Economists:
Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Prize winner and former World Bank Chief Economist. As told to La Republica and reported in The Times, Stiglitz asked the following: “Robert Zoellick defended American agricultural protectionism until the bitter end when he was responsible for commercial talks. How will he, as the future president of the World Bank, ask for the dismantling of aid to agriculture that favours developed countries at the expense of those that are poor?” (1)
Nicholas Lardy, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington: “The challenges will still be there, but my expectation is that Zoellick will do a better job [than Wolfowitz]...Zoellick's No. 1 advantage over Wolfowitz is that he's not ideological.”
Kenneth Rogoff, a professor of economics at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts and a former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund: “His background as a trade negotiator gives him a breadth of vision for the world economy that Mr. Wolfowitz never had.”
Bear Stearns Chief Economist David Malpass: "Bob is an expert at creating influential networks of people," says Malpass, who first crossed paths with Zoellick when they worked in the Reagan administration. (1)
Newspaper Editorials:
The Wall Street Journal: "Having published at least a dozen of Robert Zoellick's op-eds over the years we know him as a man who never minces his words nor takes easily to editing. If that's an indication of the management style he'll bring to the World Bank, then president Bush has nominated a fine successor to outgoing bank president Paul Wolfowitz… As a former trade representative and deputy secretary of state, Mr. Zoellick understands modern markets and knows his way around multilateral institutions."
The Washington Post: "He is a good choice to lead the bank." ("A World Bank Choice; Robert Zoellick..")
The New York Times: "Mr. Zoellick cannot get to work soon enough."
Financial Times: "The bank desperately needs a credible and effective leader. The new boss must heal the wounds that have opened up both between management and staff and within the board. He needs to provide a sense of direction, clear leadership and effective management. He needs, not least, to adapt an institution now 61 years old to the entirely different conditions of today. How does Mr. Zoellick match up to these requirements? Well, is the answer."
Sources:
(1) Originally compiled in a May 31 US Treasury Department press release.
(2) Originally compiled by Shannon Lawrence on WorldBankPresident.org