Appointment of new Inspection Panel Member

Werner Kiene

New Member of the Inspection Panel, World Bank

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Werner Kiene to the Inspection Panel. Mr. Kiene replaces Ms. Maartje Van Putten, whose term expires on October 1, 2004. Mr. Kiene is an Austrian national. He earned a Masters of Science degree and a Ph.D in Agricultural Economics from Michigan State University.

Mr. Kiene was the first Director of the Office of Evaluation of the United Nations World Food Programme (UN WFP) in 1994. He was the World Food Programme Country Director for Bangladesh from 1998 through 2000. During his assignment, he also served as UN Resident Coordinator. Since 2000, he has been the representative of the UN WFP in Washington, D.C. Having held senior positions at the Ford Foundation, German Development Assistance, and the United Nations, Mr. Kiene is very well-qualified to fulfill the responsibilities and address the challenges of serving as a member of the World Bank Inspection Panel. His academic degrees in both the natural and the social sciences provide a solid scientific grounding and the sound judgment required by the position. His skills, knowledge, and operational experience in the management of large and complex assistance programs, international agricultural research, and technology development projects complement the expertise in environmental and natural resource issues, and the legal and development background of the current members of the Panel.

Mr. Kiene has written about topics in agriculture and econo mics; rural poverty and social services; emergencies, humanitarian assistance, and food security; development policy and program coordination; and international trade and international relations. Mr. Kiene is involved in professional organizations such as the American Evaluation Association; the Society for International Development (Board member); American Association for the Advancement of Science; and the International Agriculture Economics Association.

Given the requirements of the Inspection Panel’s work, Mr. Kiene, in addition to his solid knowledge of the issues, brings a demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgment and an unquestionably high degree of integrity. Mr. Kiene’s appointment will take effect on November 1, 2004.

James D. Wolfensohn