DR. ARUP BANERJI ASSUMES OFFICE AS WB COUNTRY DIRECTOR FOR BELARUS, MOLDOVA AND UKRAINE

Dr. Arup Banerji is assuming the office of the World Bank Country Director for Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine from July 1. He will be permanently based in Kiev (Ukraine).

According to the World Bank press release, will be in charge of the Bank's program in the three countries and will be leading policy dialog with government counterparts, civil society and other partners.

Prior to this position, he was the Country Director for the European Union, overseeing the Bank's operational, strategy and knowledge work in the EU member states.

Previously, he was the Senior Director and Head of the Social Protection and Labor Global Practice at the World Bank Group, and concurrently the Senior Director for the Jobs Group, overseeing the World Bank's operations, strategy and knowledge work on employment and labor markets, social safety nets, and social insurance/pensions issues.

At the World Bank, he has worked on both country operations and research in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Africa and the Middle East - on a variety of issues relating to fiscal reforms, employment and labor markets, skills building, social protection systems, social sector reforms, poverty reduction and analysis, institutional reform, public sector reform and governance, economic growth strategies and evaluation of programs.

He is the author of a wide range of books and scholarly articles in these fields, including, Working through the CrisisВ on global and European labor market policy responses during the 2009-2011 crises. He also oversaw the World Bank'sВ 2013 World Development ReportВ (annual flagship research publication), which focused onВ Jobs.

His predecessor as the World Bank Country Director for Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine was Ms. Satu Kahconen (since July 2016). In February 2020 she was appointed as Country Director for Indonesia and East Timor.