Media
In the media
‘Let the old politicians run against you. It will restore your political independence and make you unbeatable.’
Lord Mark Malloch-Brown is an international affairs commentator, author and keynote speaker whose media work explores geopolitics, global governance, international development, political change and the changing world order. This page brings together his interviews, podcasts, articles, books and other media appearances.
In the Media
ECFR's World in 30 Minutes: Bretton Woods institutions in a new world order
MMB on ECFR's World in 30 Minutes podcast
This week Mark Leonard is joined by Mark Malloch-Brown. Mark is the former president of the Open Society Foundations, former head of the United Nations Development Programme, formerly UN secretary general Kofi Annan’s chief of staff, and former UN deputy secretary general. From 2007-2009 he joined the British government of prime minister Gordon Brown as minister responsible for Africa and Asia.
Together, Mark and Mark discuss how the role and impact of the Bretton Woods institutions, such as the World Bank and IMF, have changed. How can these institutions adapt to the rough-and-tumble world of 21st-century geopolitics—especially considering China’s increased support for the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and projections that Asia will hold 50% of global GDP by 2035?
Is Mark Carney right that there is a rupture in the old order? How did the Bretton Woods institutions underpin the old order? Are the World Bank and IMF problematic and outdated? Is it possible to reinvent these institutions for a new era? Or is it better to work through new, more representative institutions?
ODI: Bretton Woods at 80 – reforming global economic governance
Eighty years after the creation of the Bretton Woods institutions, the international economic system they underpin is under growing strain.
Geopolitical fragmentation, recurring financial and debt crises, climate shocks and rising funding needs from client countries are challenging the relevance and the effectiveness of these institutions and their global economic governance functions – and whom they ultimately serve.
This event examines the future of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, their relevance, legitimacy, and governance in a rapidly changing global context. It builds on the vision and recommendations of the Bretton Woods at 80 report and its core arguments, co-authored by Patrick Achi, Sri Mulyani Indrawati, and Mark Malloch-Brown.
You can access the report here: https://www.bwi80.org/
The panel explores two closely linked themes:
Is the Bretton Woods system still fit for purpose?
How relevant are the World Bank and the IMF to today’s client countries as they face overlapping development, fiscal and climate pressures? How do these institutions fit within an increasingly complex development finance landscape that includes regional and national development banks, bilateral lenders and private capital?
Governance and voice at 80
What reforms are needed to strengthen representation, voice, accountability and legitimacy within the Bretton Woods institutions, particularly for countries in the Global South? What political and institutional constraints limit the scope for change?
