Mariam Sherman Steps In As New World Bank Country Director For Viet Nam, Cambodia, and Lao PDR
World Bank appointed Ms Mariam Sherman as the new Country Director for Vietnam, Cambodia, and Lao PDR, with Sherman starting the role at the start of May 2024.
Based on a press release from the World Bank, Sherman will be based in Hanoi, Vietnam, and “will lead the World Bank’s engagements with the governments of Viet Nam, Cambodia and Laos, development partners, and other stakeholders on initiatives aligned with the countries’ priorities and the World Bank’s vision to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet.”
The World Bank leads a strategic analytical program in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos to support reforms in fiscal, economic and sectoral areas such as human capital, natural resource management and climate actions.
Sherman has nearly three decades of experience in her new role - joining the World Bank in 1997, she has worked in East Asia and Pacific, South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, and Europe and Central Asia, and was previously the Country Director for Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos based in Yangon, Myanmar.
World Bank - Vietnam, Cambodia, and Lao PDR
In her role, Sherman will be responsible for the (as of April 2024) World Bank’s active IDA/IBRD portfolio in the three Southeast Asian countries which amounts to nearly USD $5 billion in investments in a range of sectors including;
- Education
- Health
- Energy
- Transport
- Water
- Agriculture
- Urban development
- Digitalization
- Climate adaptation
Cambodia & World Bank
In January of this year, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and World Bank's Mariam Sherman committed their dedication to advancing human capital and enhancing six key sectors in Cambodia; education, health, agriculture, digital technology, the environment and climate change. Sherman said at the time, “The initial stage of the government’s Pentagonal Strategy development policy aligns seamlessly with the national-level priorities and policy direction set by the WB.”
The World Bank identified four key areas for local governments to address to achieve Cambodia’s goal of becoming an upper-middle-income country by 2030.
- Improvements to the business environment
- Upgrading infrastructure and logistics
- Enhancing learning outcomes
- Addressing climate change in the country’s development
In March 2024, the World Bank also approved an additional USD $35 million for financing projects to improve the quality of rural roads in Kratie, Kampong Cham and Tbong Khmum provinces.
In April 2024, the World Bank forecasted that the GDP in Cambodia would expand by 5.8 per cent this year it as one of the fastest-growing developing economies in Southeast Asia.