Young Diplomats of Canada: World Bank/IMF 2019

The Young Diplomats of Canada (YDC) provided five Canadian youth from across the country with the opportunity to attend the World Bank/International Monetary Fund (WB/IMF) Annual Meetings in Washington DC. This podcast provides a behind the scenes look into the exciting meetings they held with stakeholders, the eye opening sessions they attended around key topics in development and the personal and professional growth they experienced. Three key themes were developed by the delegation to guide discussions and advocacy activities at the meetings: inclusive economic growth; FinTech and innovative technologies; and open governance.

The delegation had the opportunity to participate in a panel in collaboration with Global Voices, an Australian organization with a very similar mandate to YDC, to talk about the future of work. They also met with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to discuss their current efforts to bypass barriers to development such as lack of infrastructure to provide marginalized and isolated populations with access to their basic needs. The delegation also had the opportunity to meet with the Canadian ambassadors to the IMF, World Bank and the Organization of American States to gain insights into their experiences and thoughts on how Canada leverages multilateral partnerships to promote peace, exchange of knowledge and sustainability. It was an exciting week filled with great discussions, sightseeing and food!