Water and energy shortages lead to job loss, while properly managed energy and water can fuel job growth across sectors.  With current practices, the world is expected to face a 40% shortfall between demand and supply of water by 2030.  Please join us for an interactive discussion on how countries are paving the way to produce green energy through hydropower, increasing agricultural production, and mitigating floods and droughts with increased water storage-- all while creating jobs.   Participants are encouraged to come with successes, challenges and questions for discussion with experts.

The rise of open-source AI is transforming the artificial intelligence landscape, making advanced technologies accessible to a broader audience and disrupting established power structures. This Knowledge Café will delve into how open-source AI models, such as DeepSeek's R1, are democratizing innovation and enabling rapid advancements across various sectors. Open-source AI is also driving the expansion of Digital Public Goods (DPGs)—freely available AI tools and models that can empower governments, researchers, and enterprises in low-resource settings to develop localized AI solutions. Join us for an engaging discussion about the implications for global competitiveness, the potential for collaborative problem-solving, and the challenges associated with open-source approaches, including security, ethical considerations, and long-term sustainability of AI as a DPG. 

Join us for an engaging and interactive Knowledge Café where we dive into the pivotal role of Public Financial Management (PFM) in transforming health service delivery, fostering cross-sectoral collaboration, and enabling effective crisis response.

Throughout the session, we will highlight how these PFM functions contribute to greater efficiency and accountability, ensuring that public funds are used effectively and transparently. Participants will gain practical insights into leveraging PFM to achieve better outcomes for citizens, especially during times of crisis.

The developing world’s population of young people aged 15-24 will peak at 1.2 billion in 2035.  If current trends continue, roughly 500 million of these young people will be in school, investing in their education and skills to raise their future earnings. Of the remaining 700m, 400 will be employed, often in precarious and low-skilled occupations, while 300m – or four in ten – will either be unemployed or out of the labor force entirely.  These trends present  challenges and opportunities for developing countries as they seek to realize the demographic dividend.   This Knowledge Café will review key stylized facts on youth employment and share insights from Bank analytical and operational work to help policymakers ensure that young people are equipped with the skills they need and the job opportunities they deserve to realize their productive potential in the labor market. 

This session will highlight the new World Bank Group approach to debt-for-development swaps. This innovative model can help countries replace expensive debt with cheaper financing and generate fiscal savings that can be applied toward development goals – without the hefty financial, administrative and transaction costs that are traditionally associated with these swaps. The panel will discuss how countries can take advantage of this opportunity by highlighting the recent successful application of the approach in Cote d’Ivoire.

Join us for an exciting and interactive Knowledge Café on ""Super Aging""!

Globally, the proportion of older adults is growing rapidly, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). By 2050, 77% of older adults will reside in today’s LMICs. LMICs must, therefore, act urgently to minimize the economic and welfare costs of aging while harnessing their opportunities.

Engage in a dynamic discussion that will cover on:

- Multisectoral interventions that promote longer, healthier lives.

- Economic challenges faced by older adults, especially in LMICs.

- Implications for the workforce, communities, health and care needs.

- How population aging can create new jobs and economic opportunities.

How can countries ensure the most development impact from their investments? In this Knowledge Café, we will discuss innovative use of geospatial analysis to help countries better target infrastructure and other investments that can benefit poor and vulnerable households. Featuring examples from Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East and North Africa, and more, learn how pinpointing locations where development gaps are most severe can enable better investment decisions.

This Knowledge Café will engage the audience in questions about the role of capital markets in driving stronger business growth and job creation. Through the lens of investors, public policymakers, and researchers, the discussion will use live engagement with the Capital Markets Portal to engage attendees and gauge their perceptions about equities, bonds, and policy priorities, with panelists explaining how actual data often differs from popular assumptions. Featuring a variety of examples across a range of emerging markets, the interactive session will help illustrate how enabling policies, investor interest, and empirical research intersect to foster more inclusive financial environments. By session’s end, participants gain fresh insights and actionable takeaways for leveraging capital markets to spur growth and employment.

The Knowledge Café will discuss major investment trends, bringing together private sector, government, and DFI representatives to share insights. Potential discussion topics include:

• Breaking Barriers: Scaling Private Investment in Infrastructure – Examining private capital mobilization across EMDE markets to identify top performers and discuss best practices including links direct and indirect employment generation.
• The Next Frontier: Private Capital in Emerging Sectors – Exploring investment trends in sectors such as battery storage, hydrogen, and e-mobility across developed and emerging markets and what they mean for labor markets and skills.
•  Unlocking Blended Finance Potential – Comparing mobilization ratios across investment vehicles and risk mitigation strategies to determine the most effective blended financing approaches.
• Invest, Recycle, Repeat: Leveraging Secondary Markets – Exploring capital flows from primary to secondary markets to discuss the “Originate-to-Distribute” model.
•  Risk, Reward, and Reality:  Examining investors’ preferred risk strategies vs investment performance to shape optimal investment profiles in EMDEs.

The United Nations have designated 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. Despite this global emphasis, quantum technologies remain enigmatic to much of the general public and policymakers. In 2024, global investments in quantum research exceeded $40 billion, yet only 24 governments had adopted national quantum strategies, mostly in high-income countries.
For developing countries, quantum technologies present both significant opportunities and challenges. Potential benefits include advancements in healthcare through precise medical imaging and optimization of energy resources. However, they may also significantly increase cybersecurity risks by weakening traditional cryptography, and disparity in quantum adoption could widen the technological gap between developed and developing countries.
Join us to demystify the impact of quantum technologies on international development, with experts from the civil society and the private sector.

Understanding the creation of job opportunities is crucial for private investment decision making and policy design in the clean energy sector. This Knowledge Café will explore real case studies across the clean energy sector, focusing on the key factors that drive job creation, including regulations, development of training programs, and access to energy.  Through these case studies, data, and publications, we will highlight the importance and show practical steps for maximize job creation in clean energy projects. 

The session will be a dynamic dialogue on innovations to scale up access to clean air. Featuring an engaging panel discussion followed by a 30-minute interactive audience exchange, it will explore transformative solutions that can unlock universal access to clean air, with a focus on market creation and finance mobilization. Topics will cover innovative financing, market mechanisms, job creation opportunities, and strengthening airshed approaches (programs targeting large cross-border areas where polluted air travels). The session will show the potential for these measures to significantly reduce global exposure to harmful fine particulate matter by 2040. Regional and global innovations will be shared, emphasizing the need for cooperation across sectors and geographic boundaries.

Beneficial Ownership Transparency (BOT) is essential in combating corruption, recovering stolen assets, and strengthening domestic revenue by preventing tax evasion and illicit financial flows. With international standards evolving—particularly under the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) guidelines—countries are rapidly adopting BOT reforms. The World Bank and its development partners are at the forefront, supporting governments in implementing these crucial measures.

Join us for an insightful Knowledge Café exploring the latest global trends in BOT implementation. This Café is a must-attend for all stakeholders committed to enhancing transparency and accountability in financial systems.