World Bank Group President David Malpass praised Dean of Executive Board and Executive Director Dr. Merza Hasan as someone of vast knowledge and a “passion for development” during his 16 year mission at the financial institution.
In a farewell ceremony held on Thursday evening at the World Bank headquarters honoring Kuwait national Dr. Hasan, Malpass said in his remarks that “it is a sad moment for the Bank” and thanked him for everything that he has done.
He shed light on the many roles Dr. Hasan performed throughout his 16 years tenure at the World Bank, recalling his chairmanship of the Steering Committee, “facilitating the dialogue that the bank has had on the fragility, on energy and on refugees.” He also noted the important work Dr. Hasan has done in “some of the key events of the Bank, such as the Ebola, the COVID-19 crisis and many more during the years of his residency here.” For his part, Kuwait’s Ambassador to the US Jasem Albudaiwi affirmed that Kuwait is “extremely proud” of Dr. Hasan’s tenure at the World Bank, saying “you have represented us all with color, with flag, with brightness and with proudness.” He added “we are honored of all the work” Dr. Hasan has done in his work job activities, goals, programs and workshops that he has provided to the 13 countries he has represented as Executive Director and other countries.
“You have put a legacy and a footprint here at the World Bank,” he remarked.
In his remarks, Dr. Hasan said that “you can leave the Bank but the Bank never leaves you because this institution is doing great things for the others.” “When you are elevating poverty, and taking the suffering of the peoples and building the institutions, health, education, putting girls back schools, small boys, every child education, nutrition, food, these are not smalls that you are doing,” he remarked.
He continued, “when you go to these countries, you see the difference you made in their life. That’s what makes people to be really attached to this institution and it never leaves you.” He affirmed, “this is where honestly we need to be proud of what we are doing,” thanking everyone there for “protecting the mission of this institution.
Source: Kuwait News Agency