15-19 April 2024, Washington D.C, USA – The Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean participated in the 2024 World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings that started this week in Washington DC, USA.
PAM attended the event with a High-Level Delegation led by Hon. Giulio Centemero (Italy), PAM Vice-President, President of the 2nd Standing Committee, accompanied by Hon. Gennaro Migliore (Italy), Director of the PAM Center for Global Studies (CGS), and PAM Secretary General.
These meetings play a crucial role in shaping global economic discussions and finding solutions to major development challenges. This year the meeting centered around the theme “Vision to Impact”, while its parliamentary segment – the Global Parliamentary Forum (GPF), which took place on 15 and 16 April - was themed “Multiple Global Challenges: Action for Impact”.
Keynote addresses at the opening of the event included World Bank Group President, Dr. Ajay Banga, and IMF Director, Dr Kristalina Georgieva, alongside several senior experts from the Bank and the Fund.
In his capacity of President of the PAM 2nd Standing Committee on Socio-Economic and Environmental Cooperation, Hon. Centemero was also invited to contribute as keynote speaker to the Global Parliamentary Forum, during the session on “Opportunities and Challenges of AI: A Call for Global Legislative Governance”.
In his address, Hon. Centemero recalled that PAM, through its newly established strategic think tank, the Center for Global Studies (CGS), in cooperation with the UN, has undertaken comprehensive analysis of the malicious uses of AI by criminals and terrorists’ groups, as well as shadow organizations.
On the call for a global AI legislation, Hon. Centemero advanced an innovative proposal of establishing a permanent parliamentary working group within the World Bank and IMF Parliamentary Network, involving all the relevant stakeholders to maximize the AI’s potential, especially in terms of productivity and technological advancements.
Finally, he recalled the importance of the forthcoming PAM Parliamentary Economic Forum of Marrakesh (15-16 July 2024) on the issue, as the crucial appointment for parliamentary discussions on sustainable development in the regions, which this year will have a strong focus on AI.
The World Bank and the IMF and their Parliamentary Network represent a key partner for PAM. Every year, PAM contributes to the World Bank and IMF Spring and Annual Meetings, while the Washington organizations actively participate in the PAM Forum of Marrakesh.
PAM’s active participation to these meetings and continuous engagement with the World Bank and IMF stands out as a testimony of the Assembly’s concrete commitment towards the promotion of parliamentary engagement and cooperation for sustainable economic development in the Euro-Mediterranean and Gulf regions. //