BANGKOK — Melinda Good has been appointed by the World Bank as the new Country Director for Thailand and Myanmar, beginning July 1, 2024. Good takes up this role at a difficult time for both countries.
Thailand is planning to host the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund’s 2026 Annual Meeting in Bangkok, coinciding with the country’s 75th anniversary of World Bank membership. This milestone signals the end of a seven-decade partnership aimed at promoting social and economic development.
In Myanmar, despite huge challenges, including recent crises, Good’s leadership will oversee the World Bank’s Fragility, Conflict, and Violence (FCV) approach. This includes providing strategic insights to help communities that are struggling.
“I am honored to take on this new position,” said Good, an American who has been with the World Bank since 2005, holding various leadership positions in South Asia, including Afghanistan and Pakistan. Her extensive expertise includes jobs with the Asian Development Bank and the Millennium Challenge Corporation, where she began her career as a private equity lawyer.
Good’s principal duties in accepting the position include overseeing World Bank projects in Thailand and Myanmar, as well as conducting World Bank policy discussions with civil society. Educational institutions, businesses, and other partnerships for Thailand.
Good will focus on implementing the new Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for the fiscal year 2025-2029, which the World Bank will use as a blueprint to support Thailand’s transition to a sustainable high-income country. The framework for national development cooperation will align with the World Bank’s goal of reducing severe poverty. and growth in a livable society
In Myanmar, the World Bank’s initiatives include rigorous analytical research and knowledge sharing through platforms such as the Myanmar Monitoring Platform. Projects such as the Myanmar Community Support Project (MCSP), which is implemented in collaboration with the World Food Programme and the International Committee of the Red Cross, aim to improve food security and livelihoods in hit areas
Good’s tenure as Country Director provides a dedicated focus on attaining sustainable development and boosting robustness in Thailand and Myanmar in the face of growing global challenges, especially during the economic aftermath of COVID-19.
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