Washington, D.C., 11.10.2014 – Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group Chairman, Dr. Ahmad Mohamed Ali, exhorted member countries to develop an action plan to mobilize resources to fight further spread of Ebola and stated that the IDB Group, in cooperation with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will organize a meeting of member countries, NGOs and philanthropists on 5 November in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to develop an action plan to mobilize resources for the fight against Ebola. The focus
of the meeting will be to join forces with the international community in combating one of the worst global epidemics. The IDB Group Chairman was addressing an audience of finance ministers, central bank governors and other key decision makers at the IDB Group luncheon held on the sidelines of the World Bank-IMF Annual Meetings in Washington D.C.

The theme of the speeches at the luncheon was the IDB work in partnership with other organizations, and on the occasion, Sir Suma Chakrabarti, President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) stated that cooperation is key to solving global challenges and highlighted the existing relationship with member countries of the IDB Group in the South and Eastern Mediterranean region (SEMED) of EBRD. The SEMED includes Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia, all member countries of
IDB. Sir Suma emphasized the experience of EBRD in Europe, after the fall of communism, and how those experiences might be applicable in today’s transitional SEMED countries. While appreciating the support of IDB in EBRD’s integration in SEMED countries through the IFI Coordination platform and Deauville Partnership, he said that the Deauville Partnership provides the ideal platform for bringing out economic change in these countries.

Mr. Geoffrey Lamb, Chief Economist of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, who also spoke on the occasion, highlighted the ongoing cooperation between the IDB and the Foundation in the areas of combating poverty and diseases such as polio.