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Mr. Roberts represented the World Bank in the 1 March ‘London Meeting on Supporting the Palestinian Authority’, hosted by Prime Minister Tony Blair. The World Bank has been working intensively with Palestinians and Israelis since 2004 on reforming Palestinian governance and on reviving the Palestinian economy. The World Bank’s recommendations were published in the December 2004 report ‘Stagnation or Revival? Israeli Disengagement and Palestinian Economic Prospects’ and endorsed by the Ad-Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC), the key donor co-ordination forum. The AHLC has asked the World Bank to monitor the implementation of the report in the coming months.
Mr. Roberts is the director of the World Bank's programme in the West Bank and Gaza. He has been in Jerusalem in this capacity since 2001, and has worked on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict since 1993. Mr. Roberts joined the World Bank in 1981, and worked as the assistant to the President of the World Bank and World Bank Resident Representative in Nepal and Ethiopia. Prior to joining the World Bank he worked for Oxfam and Save the Children Fund.
