PINK joins World Bank Spring Meetings 2015

21 April 2015 – PINK Embassy / LGBT Pro Albania joined the Spring Meetings 2015 of the World Bank in Washington DC, USA on 14-17 April. The Spring Meetings are organized by World Bank Group (WBG) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) and are attended by the staff of these two institutions, civil society representatives, officials from different governments, academics etc and are organized to exchange thoughts and hold dialogue around a series of topics including LGBT.

The meetings were organized in the form of panels including sectors such as forests, trans communities, engagement models at national level, lending trends, energy sector, gender issues, humanitarian crisis in Central America etc and meetings in smaller groups with important officials of the World Bank, IMF, American government etc.

One of the most particular meetings was that of activists with Mrs. Nancy Pelosi, current Minority Leader of the US House of Representatives and 60^th Speaker of the US House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011. At the meeting with her PINK representative Mr. Altin Hazizaj spoke actively for the LGBT cause not only in Albania but on a global level. He advocated the need to review safeguard measures of the WB by adapting a model that guarantees protection of LGBTI individuals.

Up until now the WB has held a very productive dialogue with interest groups, including LGBTI and has welcomed their contributions and recommendations. Other meetings were held with civil society organizations, Congress etc.

Advocacy work with the WB and its partners will continue in the coming months and PINK Embassy will cooperate with civil society organizations in the USA and other countries in order to influence changes in safeguard measures of the WB that affect directly women, LGBTI people and other vulnerable groups in society.