Obituary: Ibrahim Shihata (1937 - 2001)

Obituary
Ibrahim Shihata (1937 - 2001)
It is with profound sadness that I received the news that , general counsel of the World Bank from 1983 to 1998, passed away on 28 May. "Mr. Shihata" -- as everyone here came to know Ibrahim -- was an exceptional man. A lawyer -- one of the greatest international jurists of the twentieth century; an expert on international development with an unequivocal commitment to the cause of poverty reduction; and a dedicated servant of this institution and all its member countries and peoples. Above all, he was a trusted adviser and friend to so many of his colleagues here at the Bank. He will be deeply missed by all of us.
During his 15 years with the Bank, as general counsel, Ibrahim was involved in every major policy discussion and senior managers continually looked to him for advice. With his brilliant mind, broad knowledge of history and powers of persuasion, he issued a series of legal opinions that enabled the Bank to respond to the rapidly changing needs of its membership during that time. He was at his best, perhaps, when he was at the Board, usually being asked to give the final opinion on a contentious issue, which he always did with objectivity, integrity and good humour. He earned the highest respect and admiration from the executive directors and from all of us who knew and worked with him.
One of his proudest achievements, and a lasting legacy, was his role in the establishment of the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) -- of which it can truly be said that he was the principal architect. He also made a major intellectual contribution to the founding of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), was responsible for the preparation of the World Bank Guidelines for the Legal Treatment of Foreign Investment and played a key role in the establishment of the Inspection Panel. In addition, he served for many years as secretary-general of the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), which witnessed a great expansion of its caseload under his tenure.
His 11 books on matters related to the World Bank's work made him one of the most prolific authors in legal circles and a much-quoted legal writer on the Bank. This year, Ibrahim's contributions to the Bank and to the law of international finance and development were commemorated with a Liber Amicorum/ Festschrift, to which 41 of his friends, prominent practitioners and scholars, as well as colleagues from within the institution, contributed essays.
On behalf of everyone at the Bank Group, I am extending our deepest condolences to Ibrahim's wife, Samia S Farid, and their three children Sharif, Yasmine and Nadia. Our hearts are with them.
James D Wolfensohn
President of the World Bank
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