14.02.14.WB-let-with-BIC.pdf

A letter dated February 24, 2014, addressed to World Bank President Jim Yong Kim from a coalition of 168 organizations and individuals, urging the revival of B-SPAN, the Bank's Internet-based webcasting system.

• The signatories urge President Jim Yong Kim to expand funding for B-SPAN, an Internet-based webcasting system, to serve as an "uncensored channel streaming Bank policy dialogues to the public". They specifically request that the Bank begin by webcasting civil society sessions from future Bank-IMF spring and annual meetings.
• B-SPAN was launched in 2000 to stream policy dialogues, seminars, and conferences from Bank headquarters to provide global development practitioners with access to knowledge for reducing poverty and enhancing sustainable development. Between 2000 and 2004, it disseminated over 700 unedited webcasts.
• At its peak in 2004, B-SPAN webcasts were viewed by 250,000 people, and the system's website represented nearly 2% of the World Bank's total Internet traffic for that year. Viewership included people from 185 countries, and the B-SPAN monthly newsletter had over 18,000 subscribers.
• The authors identify three primary concerns cited by Bank officials for not reviving B-SPAN: low viewership statistics, a belief that stakeholders prefer short and concise formats over lengthy dialogues, and the view that the Bank's existing video management system already meets audience needs.
• The signatories argue that the current "World Bank Live" system is insufficient because it only webcasts a few major events annually, whereas B-SPAN previously conducted over 350 webcasts per year. They suggest B-SPAN could be integrated into the current video management system and enhanced by modern streaming and social media technologies.
• The letter asserts that reviving B-SPAN would benefit the Bank by positioning it as a pre-eminent source of development knowledge and creating new business opportunities. It also suggests B-SPAN could reduce staff travel costs by providing overseas staff with immediate access to meetings in Washington.

APA

Natural Justice (n.d.). 14.02.14.WB-let-with-BIC.pdf. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Letter-IBRD-President.pdf

Chicago

Natural Justice. 14.02.14.WB-let-with-BIC.pdf. n.d. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Letter-IBRD-President.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Natural Justice |title=14.02.14.WB-let-with-BIC.pdf |url=https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Letter-IBRD-President.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{naturaljusticend140214wbletwithbicpdf, author = {{Natural Justice}}, title = {{14.02.14.WB-let-with-BIC.pdf}}, publisher = {Natural Justice}, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Letter-IBRD-President.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }