World Bank President Touts New Strategy

Robert Zoellick has outlined a new strategy for the World Bank, including giving the private sector a bigger role in development, speeding aid to countries coming out of conflict, and promoting green energy alternatives, Reuters reports. The new president  has been quick to reposition the global bank's mission following the turmoil over former president Paul Wolfowitz's resignation under duress.

"I believe we need to take a fresh look at the bank's strategic direction," Zoellick said in his first speech to officials of the member nations. He also called for more funding from the major industrialized nations. "We need developed countries to translate their words from summit declarations into serious numbers," he said. (More World Bank stories.)