International Organizations (Part – I)

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral development bank with a mission to improve social and economic outcomes in Asia. Headquartered in Beijing, the AIIB began operations in January, 2016. The bank currently (As on 15 May, 2024) have 96 members (48 Regional & 48 Non-Regional) as well as 13 prospective members (109 approved members). China is the largest shareholder in AIIB followed by India, It has many members from outside Asia such as Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Finland, Canada, France, Germany, Egypt, U.K. etc. Thus, only statement 1 is correct.

The first World Summit for Social Development (WSSD) under the aegis of UNESCO was held in March, 1995 in Copenhagen. At WSSD, Governments reached a new consensus on the need to put people at the centre of development.

The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low-and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects, The World Bank was created at the 1944 Bretton Woods Conference, along with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). At present 189 countries are members of the World Bank (IBRD).

The International Development Association (IDA) is the part of the World Bank group. It is an agency administrated by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (or World Bank) to provide assistance on concessionary terms to the poorest countries.

The Global Infrastructure Facility (GIF) is a global, open platform under World Bank collaboration that facilitates the preparation and structuring of complex infrastructure public- private partnerships (PPPs) to enable mobilization of private sector and institutional investor capital. The GIF platform coordinates and integrates the efforts of Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), private sector investors and financiers, and governments interested in infrastructure investment in Emerging Markets and Developing Economies (EMDES). GIF was launched by the World Bank group in October, 2014.

The World Development Report is an annual report published by International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (or World Bank).

The theme of the World Development Report 2001 was Attacking Poverty: Opportunity, Empowerment and Security'. The theme of the World Development Report, 2023 was 'Migrants, Refugees, and Societies', while in 2024, the theme (title) of the World Development Report is 'Economic Growth in Middle Income Countries'.

According to the World Development Report 1994, low income economies were those for which the per capita GNP in 1994 was US $ 725 or less.

The World Bank assigns the world's economies to four income groups: low, lower-middle, upper-middle and high income countries. The classifications are updated each year on July 1 and are based on GNI per capita in current US $ of the previous year. The new thresholds (for FY 25) are as follows:

According to the World Development Report 2000, Luxembourg had the highest Per Capita GDP ($44640) among the above mentioned countries. As per the latest data of the World Bank, in 2022 Norway has the highest Per Capita Income (Per Capita GNI) on the basis of PPP (Purchasing Power Parity in current international) while Qatar is at second place. (data for Liechtenstein is not available in terms of PPP).

World Banks' 'Ease of Doing Business Index' was based on 10 sub-indicators:

• Starting a business

• Dealing with construction permits

• Getting electricity

• Registering property

• Protecting minority investors

• Trading across borders

• Enforcing contracts

• Resolving insolvency

Clearly option (a) 'maintenence of law and order' is not included in the above sub-indicators.