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BRIEFJune 14, 2024

World Bank Group Consultations in Pakistan

The World Bank Group (WBG) is in the process of preparing a new Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for Pakistan that will outline its strategic support in the country over the next 6-10 years.

The WBG regularly updates its strategy and program to reflect the evolving priorities of its client countries. The CPFs aim to align with country development agendas.

As it elaborates its new CPF, the WBG has planned countrywide consultations with key stakeholders, including government, parliamentarians, private sector, academia, think tanks and civil society organizations including women and youth groups, international financial institutions and the diplomatic community, and media. The consultations aim to gather diverse views from stakeholders on Pakistan’s economic and social challenges and the ways in which the World Bank Group can best address them through the CPF.

The CPF will be informed by the 'Reforms for a Brighter Future (RBF): Time to Decide' program, which consists of ten policy notes on the country's key development priorities, as well as the Human Capital Review, the Country Economic Memorandum, the Pakistan Country Climate Development Report, Systematic Country Diagnostic (SCD) and the Country Private Sector Diagnostic (CPSD). The SCD analyzes the challenges faced by Pakistan and presents priority interventions for ending extreme poverty and increasing shared prosperity in a livable planet.

A series of round tables are planned over the the month of July with various groups of stakeholders. Scroll down to view the schedule for consultations.

 

Watch the short video on the updated proposed 'Pakistan Country Partnership Framework FY 25-34: Focus, Leverage and Scale: A ten-year engagement strategy for Pakistan' below!

Date

City

Type

27-Jun

Peshawar

Consultation with Academia
Consultation with Civil Society & Media

28-Jun

Peshawar

Consultation with Provincial Government

2-Jul

Quetta

Consultation with Civil Society & Media
Consultation with Academia

3-Jul

Quetta

Consultation with Provincial Government

4-Jul

Karachi

Consultation with Private Sector

5-Jul

Karachi

Consultation with Provincial Government
Consultation with Academia                 

Consultation with Civil Society & Media

8-Jul

Islamabad

Consultation with EAD and stakeholders

9-Jul

Lahore

Consultation with Academia
Consultation with Civil Society & Media

11-Jul

Islamabad

Consultation with Civil Society & Academia

05-Aug

Lahore

Consultation with Provincial Government

Context, timeline and process:

The Country Partnership Framework (CPF) governs the strategic partnership between the World Bank Group (including the International Development Association—IDA, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development—IBRD, the International Finance Corporation—IFC, and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency—MIGA) and the Government of Pakistan.

A new CPF is under preparation. Upon finalization and agreement with the Government of Pakistan, the CPF will be presented and discussed with the Board of the World Bank Group and subsequently approved.

The consultations, led by Najy Benhassine, World Bank Country Director for Pakistan, and Zeeshan Sheikh, Country Manager for Pakistan and Afghanistan, International Finance Corporation, spanned deliberations with stakeholders in the four provinces (Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), and Islamabad, the federal capital.

Objective of the consultations:

The Objective of the consultations was to hear feedback and inputs from different stakeholders on the proposed focus areas and approach under the new CPF. In the context of the World Bank Group Evolution Roadmap and ongoing reforms, the approach of new country engagements is shifting towards increased selectivity and focus, increased ambition and scale on fewer topics, focus on longer term, measurable objectives and, last but not least, increased leverage of other country partners and the private sector.

Broad lines of the proposed CPF:

The proposed CPF builds upon a strong and wide-ranging partnership with the Government of Pakistan. It also builds on the numerous analytical and diagnostic work conducted by the Government, local academia and think tanks, the World Bank Group’s own work as well as other partners’. In particular, it builds on core analytics conducted by the World Bank Group over recent years, that identified and quantified the most acute development challenges facing Pakistan and offered suggestions for reforms that other reports have also identified.

We propose a CPF focused on a reduced set of six areas, targeting ten objectives (see proposed framework diagram below). CONNECTING people/communities, and PROTECTING the poorest will be key contributors to CPF outcomes.  

Image

(Note: The CPF evolved through consultations. The above version reflects those developments and may be updated further as discussions continue.)

The following summaries offer a reflection of the main priorities shared by stakeholders across several thematic areas in each province, along with other key discussion points. These inputs will inform the World Bank Group’s Country Partnership Framework, aligning it with national development priorities, to create a long term action plan.

CPF Consultations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - Read the Summary!

CPF Consultations in Balochistan - Read the Summary!

CPF Consultations in Sindh Read the Summary!

CPF Consultations in Punjab - Read the Summary!

CPF Consultations in Islamabad - Read the Summary!

Photo Gallery

  • CPF KP cropped

    Consultations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

    Najy Benhassine, Pakistan Country Director for World Bank & Zeeshan Sheikh, Country Manager for Pakistan and Afghanistan - International Finance Corporation, present the Country Partnership Framework in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
  • CPF KP CSO cropped

    Consultation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with Academia

  • CPF KP GOV cropped

    Consultation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with the Government

  • CPF KP GOV cropped

    Consultation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with the Government

  • CPF KP CSO cropped

    Consultation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with Civil Society

  • Consultation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with Civil Society

    Consultation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with Civil Society

  • CPF-Consultations-in-Balochistan Academia

    Consultations in Balochistan

    Najy Benhassine, Pakistan Country Director for World Bank & Zeeshan Sheikh, Country Manager for Pakistan and Afghanistan - International Finance Corporation, present the Country Partnership Framework in Balochistan
  • CPF Balochistan Academia Cropped

    Consultation in Balochistan with Academia

  • CPF Consultation in Balochistan with Academia

    Consultation in Balochistan with Academia

  • CPF CSO Balochistan

    Consultation in Balochistan with Civil Society

    Najy Benhassine, Pakistan Country Director for World Bank & Zeeshan Sheikh, Country Manager for Pakistan and Afghanistan - International Finance Corporation, present the Country Partnership Framework
  • CPF CSO Balochistan 02

    Consultation in Balochistan with Civil Society

  • CPF CSO Balochistan 03

    Consultation in Balochistan with Civil Society

  • CPF GOV Balochistan

    Consultation in Balochistan with the Government

  • CPF GOV Balochistan 02

    Consultation in Balochistan with the Government

  • CPF CSO KHI Private Sector 02

    Consultation in Sindh with the Private Sector

  • CPF CSO KHI Private Sector

    Consultation in Sindh with the Private Sector

  • CPF CSO KHI GOV

    Consultation in Sindh with the Government

  • CPF CSO KHI GOV 02

    Consultation in Sindh with the Government

  • CPF GOV ISB

    Consultation in Islamabad with Government & Donors

    Najy Benhassine, Pakistan Country Director for World Bank & Zeeshan Sheikh, Country Manager for Pakistan and Afghanistan - International Finance Corporation, present the Country Partnership Framework
  • CPF GOV ISB 02

    Consultation in Islamabad with Government & Donors

  • CPF GOV ISB 03

    Consultation in Islamabad with Government & Donors

  • CPF Punjab Academia

    Consultations in Punjab

    Najy Benhassine, Pakistan Country Director for World Bank & Zeeshan Sheikh, Country Manager for Pakistan and Afghanistan - International Finance Corporation, present the Country Partnership Framework
  • CPF Punjab Academia 02

    Consultation in Punjab with Academia

  • CPF Punjab CSO

    Consultation in Punjab with Civil Society

  • CPS CSO Academia ISB

    Consultation in Islamabad with Academia and Civil Society

  • CPF CSO Academia ISB 02

    Consultation in Islamabad with Academia and Civil Society

  • CPF CSO Academia ISB

    Consultation in Islamabad with Academia and Civil Society

  • CPF Punjab GOV cropped

    Consultation in Punjab with the Government