“Considerable progress has been made in reducing extreme poverty in the world”, “but we cannot stop, because there are still more than a billion people living in extreme poverty. And this is unacceptable”: said the governor of the Bank of Italy, Ignazio Visco, speaking to the Development Committee (the board of central bank governors) in Washington. Many countries are still lagging behind and especially in Africa, they do not have access to water, school and basic health services.
"The World Bank – says the governor of Bank of Italy – it should play a unique role in making resources available where other financial institutions do not operate: in the poorest countries and in regions affected by conflicts”. In short, it must become an even more effective institution in tackling poverty. Of course, Visco acknowledges, in recent years "considerable progress has been made in reducing extreme poverty, but many countries are lagging behind, and we cannot stop".
The appeal is also contained in the final communiqué of the Development Committee, who exhorts World Bank and International Monetary Fund to work harder "to give significant support, where possible, to the countries most in turmoil, such as those in the Middle East and North Africa". Countries where wars and terrorism have worsened economic and social conditions, increased the suffering of the civilian population and dramatically increased the number of refugees and immigrants who are desperately trying to land on the other side of the Mediterranean.
