Partnerships and continued reform

Norway works to gain support for its priorities in dialogue with the World Bank’s senior leadership, in the exercise of its board duties, and in alliances with others. Effective coordination between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other relevant ministries, Norad and Norway’s diplomatic and consular missions is crucial, as is dialogue with civil society, the research community and the private sector. Norway’s significant contributions to the World Bank are important for dialogue and efforts to exert influence also at country level.

Partnerships and alliances to advance Norwegian priorities

The Nordic and Baltic countries are Norway’s most important alliance partners in the World Bank. The eight countries have shared representation on the World Bank Board of Executive Directors, and each country is represented at the Nordic-Baltic Office (NBO) in Washington DC by an adviser. The NBO follows day-to-day board activity at the World Bank and seeks to influence bank leadership on priority issues for the Nordic-Baltic members, such as climate policy, gender equality and domestic resource mobilisation. Cooperation between the Nordic and Baltic governments is also close, based on a common set of strategic priorities that is largely consistent with Norwegian policy. Political divisions do exist, however, requiring a willingness to compromise.

Since 2025 the World Bank’s largest shareholder, the US, has expressed the view that the World Bank should concentrate its efforts on the core mandate related to economic growth, job creation and energy access, with an emphasis on all sources of energy. While some of these efforts align well with Norwegian priorities, the new US approach to climate change, gender equality and diversity poses a challenge to established World Bank goals and frameworks and stands in contrast to the views of many of the World Bank’s other shareholders.

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine undermines the very essence of a multilateral world order based on the principles of international law, and has resulted in massive human suffering and material damage. The war also affects international cooperation within the World Bank, where Russia is a full member. The Nordic and Baltic countries have pushed for strong language and condemnatory language regarding Russia’s warfare in the ministerial statements from the IMF’s and World Bank’s Spring and Annual Meetings, while others have been willing to compromise on the wording. Since the full‑scale invasion in 2022, it has not been possible to reach agreement on ministerial statements from the Spring and Annual Meetings. The World Bank and the IMF are consensus-driven organisations, and it is highly unusual for participants not to agree on final declarations signalling the broad outlines of their institutional activities. It would be beneficial to return to a path where consensus statements are possible.

At a time when values are in conflict, it is more important than ever to cooperate with like-minded board members, across European and other countries. Cross-regional cooperation is also vital as a means to counteract polarisation and build trust in the multilateral system. The Nordic and Baltic Office plays an important role in this regard – for example, by engaging in dialogue with African Executive Directors who view the Nordic-Baltic constituency as a credible partner due to its sizeable IDA contributions. Priority is given to alliances with middle-income countries, as with Brazil on climate and rainforest issues and with new and growing donor countries such as China and the Gulf states. Norway wants more countries to invest in IDA and communicates this view in its dialogue with new donors. This approach is not without challenges. On topics such as gender equality and climate change, new donor countries may hold positions differing from those of Norway and its like-minded allies. Norway will continue alliance-building with an emphasis on multilateralism, respect for international law and efforts to combat poverty and inequality.

Reforming the World Bank’s governance structure

The world has changed significantly since the Bretton Woods institutions were established more than 80 years ago. So too has the bank’s governance structure; it now includes three African Executive Directors, for example.

The World Bank has an apolitical mandate, meaning the bank is to base its decision-making on economic considerations, not political factors.17 While the bank is a consensus-driven institution, its members have different degrees of voting power and influence. Voting powers at the World Bank are determined on the basis of countries’ relative strength in the global economy, IDA contributions and ‘basic votes’ distributed among all member states. This weighted voting is subject to adjustment on a regular basis (every five years). Recent review processes have not resulted in substantial adjustments, however. Norway believes changes to the governing structure are necessary to ensure legitimacy. This view is also underscored in the UN Pact for the Future, the outcome document of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) in Seville, and in G20 declarations. Reforms are important to ensure that the World Bank remains a preferred development partner for low- and middle-income countries.

The US is the World Bank’s largest shareholder,18 followed by Japan. China, the world’s second-largest economy, is highly underrepresented on the World Bank’s board under the established shareholding formula. The US opposes increased Chinese influence in the bank and wants China to graduate from World Bank lending. China, for its part, seeks to expand its influence in the World Bank but has met resistance. This was partly why China took the initiative in 2015 to establish an all-new development bank – the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) – which today has more than 110 member countries, including Norway, and in which China is the largest shareholder. The establishment of the New Development Bank (NDB), also known as the BRICS Bank, headquartered in Shanghai, is another example of World Bank ‘copies’ set up by China and other emerging economies dissatisfied at not being granted greater influence in the World Bank.

Norway supports the call for reform by advocating a gradual adjustment in voting power for underrepresented countries, including China, with particular emphasis on increasing the influence of African low-income countries on the World Bank’s board. Norway also supports reforms beyond simple shareholding adjustments that would increase the influence of low-income countries (for example, through capacity-building measures for African board representatives).

The World Bank has always been headed by a US citizen. Together with like-minded countries, Norway is working to see to it that members of the World Bank leadership, including the President, are selected on the basis of their qualifications, with candidates from different regions and of different genders to be considered.

Cooperation with the IMF, the UN, civil society and other multilateral banks

It is important that the World Bank, as part of the global multilateral system, cooperates effectively with other multilateral development banks, the IMF and the UN system, and that clear divisions of responsibility are maintained. The IMF is responsible for macroeconomic surveillance and short-term financing, while the World Bank provides long-term development solutions. They coordinate closely on international debt, crisis management and country strategies, in part by sharing a common Debt Sustainability Framework (DSF) and reform programmes. Cooperation between the World Bank and the IMF is key to global economic stability and development. Norway supports strong, structured cooperation with a clear delineation of roles. Encouraged by the G20, the multilateral development banks have taken steps to become ‘better, bigger and more effective’, with a sharper focus on climate efforts, co-financing, private sector mobilisation and results. Norway supports continued reforms, promoting close coordination and cooperation across MDBs.

The World Bank emphasises the importance of clearly defined roles in its cooperation with the development, humanitarian and political arms of the UN. At headquarters level in the bank, responsibility for cooperation lies with members of senior leadership who meet twice a year to discuss strategic priorities. Reforms of the UN system were launched in 2025–2026 under the UN80 Initiative. Part of this effort involves better coordination with the multilateral development banks. In fragile and conflict-affected situations, the World Bank is often dependent on the UN’s presence, political insight and mandate. In areas where it is impossible to work through national authorities, the UN is a key implementer of World Bank-supported projects. There is room for improvement in how the World Bank and the UN cooperate and divide up their responsibilities. Key ways to achieve improvement include sharing and cooperating on analyses, binding participation in coordination forums, and systematic dialogue between the UN’s resident coordinator and the World Bank’s country representative.

Civil society organisations play an important role in holding the World Bank accountable for country-level projects and programmes, in line with the bank’s Environmental and Social Framework. Such organisations possess local knowledge that the World Bank can benefit from. Civil society organisations may act as third-party implementers in fragile and conflict-affected situations where it is impossible to carry out activities through government authorities. Norway supports productive interaction between the World Bank and civil society organisations. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue its close dialogue with Norwegian civil society organisations on cooperation with the World Bank.

Cooperation with the World Bank at country level

Norway is a significant contributor to World Bank efforts at country level, providing core support to bank operations as well as support through country-based and thematic funds. Raising awareness of Norwegian contributions made through the World Bank may enhance cooperation and synergies with other Norwegian efforts at country level while also promoting Norway’s support to the World Bank. In future Norway will work for increased monitoring of World Bank efforts at country level in order to ensure effective cooperation and coordination that addresses the partner country’s own priorities. Norway’s diplomatic and consular missions play an important role by following up dialogue with the World Bank at the country level and ensuring that the priorities of Norway and each partner country are addressed in a coordinated manner.

Norwegian employees in the World Bank

The Foreign Ministry has drawn up an action plan for the 2024–2026 period to recruit Norwegian nationals to the World Bank. Norway has long been underrepresented in the World Bank Group compared to our financial contributions. In December 2025 there were 52 Norwegians holding permanent or temporary positions at the bank, including secondments and junior professional officers. The process of recruiting Norwegian nationals to the World Bank will continue to receive priority in accordance with the action plan, which is being extended to 2030.

The Government will :

• Advance Norwegian priorities, including gender equality, climate change measures and diversity and inclusion through cooperation with like-minded countries and the Nordic-Baltic constituency.
• Support calls for World Bank governance reforms by advocating a gradual adjustment in shareholding for underrepresented countries and for broader voice reforms to increase the influence of African low-income countries on the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors.
• Work towards a sound gender balance on the World Bank’s board and in the bank’s senior management.
• Improve resource use and outcomes at country level through cooperation and a clear division of responsibilities between the World Bank, other multilateral development banks, the UN and other development and humanitarian actors, including civil society organisations.
• Continue regular consultations and dialogue with Norwegian civil society organisations on Norwegian cooperation with the World Bank.
• Strengthen cooperation and coordination with the World Bank at country level, including through Norwegian embassies.
• Promote recruitment of Norwegian nationals to the World Bank.