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WASHINGTON D.C. / PROTECTIONISM
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STORY: WASHINGTON D.C. / PROTECTIONISM
TRT: 1.21
SOURCE: WORLD BANK
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 18 MARCH 2009, WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES
18 MARCH 2009, WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES
1. Med shot, World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick walking towards Capitol building
2. Wide shot, Zoellick heading into Capitol
3. Wide shot, Zoellick, Senator John Kerry (D-Mass), Senator Richard Lugar (R-Indiana) and Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Managing Director International Monetary Fund leaving Senate Foreign Relations Committee Room
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert B. Zoellick, World Bank Group President:
“I think one of the lessons we’ve all gained over the past months is this is a global crisis. It’s going to need a global solution, and you can’t leave out the vulnerable in most developing countries.”
5. Wide shot, Zoellick briefing the press together with Kerry, Lugar and Strauss-Kahn
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert B. Zoellick, World Bank Group President:
“I do think the point and we did talk about this in the committee, is that the danger of protectionism, whether of a creeping or overt type would really make a situation that’s bad, much, much worse. That’s what you did see in the thirties and that does trigger a whole series of dangerous beggar-thy-neighbor policies. So we put out a report yesterday, and the WTO is doing the same today, where we’re trying to monitor what people are doing. It’s still a decision by countries but we want to identify where actions are taken so that people can bring pressure if need be so as not to be protectionist.”
7. Wide shot, end of press briefing
World Bank President Robert B Zoellick headed to the United States Capitol in Washington today (18 March) to meet with members of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
A central theme of his meeting was to stress the negative impacts of the global financial crisis on the developing world.
Zoellick has urged developed nations to contribute 0.7 percent of their stimulus packages to a vulnerability fund to help developing countries most in need.
In his talks with US senators, he stressed that the crisis demanded a global response.
SOUNDBITE (English) Robert B. Zoellick, World Bank Group President:
“I think one of the lessons we’ve all gained over the past months is this is a global crisis. It’s going to need a global solution, and you can’t leave out the vulnerable in most developing countries.”
Zoellick’s meeting came as the World Bank Group released a new study showing that protectionist measures were on a “worrisome” rise.
The study says that since G20 leaders signed a pledge in November 2008 to avoid protectionist measures, several countries, including 17 of the G20 have implemented 47 measures that restrict trade at the expense of other countries.
The World Bank head called for developed countries to resist the siren call of protectionist measures.
SOUNDBITE (English) Robert B. Zoellick, World Bank Group President:
“I do think the point and we did talk about this in the committee, is that the danger of protectionism, whether of a creeping or overt type would really make a situation that’s bad, much, much worse. That’s what you did see in the thirties and that does trigger a whole series of dangerous beggar-thy-neighbor policies. So we put out a report yesterday, and the WTO is doing the same today, where we’re trying to monitor what people are doing. It’s still a decision by countries but we want to identify where actions are taken so that people can bring pressure if need be so as not to be protectionist.”
Zoellick’s meeting at the US Capitol comes ahead of next month’s G20 summit in London on 2 April, which he will attend.
