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The new head of the IDB, Ilan Goldfajn, pointed to three priority areas for his leadership: social issues, climate change and physical and digital infrastructure.
“My vision is to build on the bank’s legacy to make the IDB the most important multilateral development institution for Latin America and the Caribbean. We must be the region’s most reliable partner. A center of experience and knowledge. A beacon of innovative solutions to the challenges of our region,” Goldfajn said in his inaugural address as the bank’s president.
Goldfajn said social issues include tackling poverty, inequality, medical care and food insecurity.
With regard to climate change, the IDB will work to facilitate investments in climate mitigation and adaptation, and will intensify its efforts to help countries achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Goldfajn added that the third priority will be to invest more in sustainable physical and digital infrastructure to boost regional integration. Between 2008 and 2017, Latin America and the Caribbean invested just 2.8% of its GDP in infrastructure, half the percentage of countries in East Asia and the Pacific, according to the IDB.
Goldfajn, former president of the Central Bank of Brazil, replaced Mauricio Claver-Carone, ousted in September for violating the IDB’s code of ethics.
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