Identity area

Reference code

WB IBRD/IDA DEC-03-57

Title

Back-to-Office Reports from Bank Liaison Officers to the Paris Club

Date(s)

  • April 1990 - May 1996 (Creation)

Level of description

Series

Extent and medium

3.58 linear feet of textual records

Context area

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

These reports were prepared by Bank officials designated to serve as liaison officers to the Paris Club. The Paris Club refers to meetings held since 1956 that have arranged, when necessary, for the renegotiation of debt owed to official creditors or guaranteed to them. Neither the World Bank nor the IMF is a member of the Paris Club, but the IMF has played an important role in developing debt restructure packages with commercial Banks. Both the Paris Club and the commercial Banks require debt or countries to have agreed on a stabilization program with the IMF as part of the renegotiation process.

The reports for Paris Club meetings held from April 1990 to November 1991 were prepared by Per Ljung, Economic Adviser, Economic Advisory Staff (EAS) in the Office of the Senior Vice President, Operations (OPNSV). Reports were addressed to Moeen Quereshi, OPNSV. In a 6 February 1991 memo addressed to all Country Directors and Country Operations Department Chiefs, Ljung announced a change in distribution of theParis Club Back-to-Office Reports (BTOs). Previously, a BTO was distributed to a Country Director only when a country coming under that Director's purview had its debt rescheduled or was among the countries discussed during Tour d'Horizon sessions at the Paris Club Meeting. Future reports were to be distributed to all Country Departments, and separate copies were to be sent to the Director and to the Country Operations Chief. The report covering the 19 November - 22 November 1991 Paris Club meeting was prepared by Ljung and Ljung's successor, Michael Lav, Economic Adviser, EAS [Economic Advisory Staff, later Development Policy Group -DPG] under the Office of the Vice President, Development Economics and Chief Economist (DECVP).

Lav's (or his alternates') BTOs cover meetings attended from December 1991 to December 1993 and were addressed to DECVP. Most of the reports of Lav's successor, Ronald P. Brigish, who served as Operations Adviser, International Economics Department (IEC) were addressed to the Director, IEC. Brigish's reports cover Paris Club meetings attended from January 1994 to December 1995. The BTOs for the January-April 1996 meetings were prepared by Fred Kilby, Economic Adviser, and International Finance Division (IECIF) and were addressed to the Director; IECIF.

The BTOs identify the countries and subjects discussed at each meeting and decisions reached with regard to rescheduling countries' debts. Summaries (by country) of discussions at Tour d'Horizon sessions, copies of the Agreed Minute, copies of statements made at the meetings by representatives of countries requesting debt rescheduling and by various organizations represented at the meetings including the IMF, World Bank, and UNCTAD [United Nations Conference on Trade and Development], and copies of Club correspondence are parts of many of the reports. Some reports are marked Confidential. The Paris Club met monthly except during the month of August or when cancelled.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Records arranged by time period and thereunder in rough chronological order.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Records are subject to the World Bank Policy on Access to Information.

Conditions governing reproduction

Records are subject to the Copyright Policy of the World Bank Group.

Language of material

  • English

  • French

Script of material

    Language and script notes

    Physical characteristics and technical requirements

    Finding aids

    An inventory list is available here.

    Finding aids

    Allied materials area

    Existence and location of originals

    Existence and location of copies

    Related units of description

    • Records of the Office of the Chief Economist -- Records of the Office of the Vice President, Development Economics and Chief Economist and Later Senior Vice President, Development Economics and Chief Economist (DECVP) -- Files Maintained by Vinod Dubey, Director, Economic Advisory Staff, While Serving as the First Liaison Officer to the Paris Club (WB IBRD/IDA DEC-03-38); Records of the Office of the Chief Economist -- Records of the Office of the Vice President, Development Economics and Chief Economist and Later Senior Vice President, Development Economics and Chief Economist (DECVP) -- Reading File of Michael Lav, Economic Adviser, Development Policy Group (DPG) and Bank Liaison to the Paris Club and the Berne Union (WB IBRD/IDA DEC-03-41).

    Related descriptions

    Notes area

    Alternative identifier(s)

    Access points

    Subject access points

    Place access points

    Name access points

    Genre access points

    Description control area

    Description identifier

    Institution identifier

    Rules and/or conventions used

    Internal World Bank Group Archives rules based on ISAD(G).

    Disclosure Status

    Level of detail

    Dates of creation revision deletion

    3 October 2011

    Language(s)

      Script(s)

        Sources

        Accession area