U.S. nominee Jim Kim likely to emerge as World Bank president

"Jim Yong Kim, the U.S. nominee, seems certain to become the next president of the World Bank after developing countries failed in an effort to unite behind a single candidate," the Financial Times reports, noting, "Jose Antonio Ocampo, the former Colombian finance minister, withdrew from contention and endorsed Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Nigerian finance minister, after she won wider support among a group of developing countries on Friday." According to the newspaper, "The World Bank's executive board met on Friday to discuss interviews given by the three candidates," and "Kim, a health expert and president of Dartmouth College, is likely to emerge as the new president as early as Monday after the board takes a straw poll" (Harding/Fontanella-Khan/Leahy, 4/13).

"European countries are likely to support the U.S. bid as has happened in the past," BBC News writes, adding, "By convention, the U.S. has always held the top job at the World Bank since it was founded in 1944." The news service notes, "President Barack Obama's choice of Dr. Kim came as somewhat of a surprise, but the 52-year-old is a leading figure in global health" (4/16). The Guardian recounts a brief history of Kim's life and career, writing, "To his critics, Kim's CV in academia and the non-profit sector fails to compensate for his lack of experience of finance and economics, given the World Bank's vital role as a financial institution," but "[f]ew can doubt Kim's commitment to social justice" (Adams, 4/15). The New York Times' "Economix" interviews Kim regarding his nomination (Lowrey, 4/12).