WASHINGTON - In his first 100 days as head of the World Bank, Robert Zoellick has worked quickly to give the poverty-fighting institution a sense of direction after the storm surrounding his predecessor Paul Wolfowitz.

Mr Zoellick marks his first 100 days at the World Bank on Wednesday with a policy speech in which he will outline a strategic direction for the institution that would position it to better deal with challenges in the developing world caused by globalisation.

The speech comes as Mr Zoellick prepares for his first meeting of the bank's 185 shareholders in Washington next week.

Since joining the World Bank in July, Mr Zoellick has sought to direct its energy towards its mission of fighting global poverty and away from the bruising battle that led to the resignation of Wolfowitz, a former US deputy defense secretary and an architect of the Iraq war.

Mr Wolfowitz resigned in June after a scandal involving a high-paying promotion for his companion at the World Bank.

Mr Zoellick's 100-day speech is expected to include a fresh take on how the bank could help not only poor countries, but also fast-growing emerging economies, Arab states that feel under-served by the institution and nations emerging from conflict.

Recently he reached a compromise with the bank's 24-member board that increased the bank's contribution to a fund for its poorest countries with the help of profits from its arm that lends to the private sector, the International Finance Corp (IFC).

The move gives the IFC a bigger role in poor nations while adding a private-sector component to a fund whose main function has been providing loans and grants to countries in dire need of infrastructure.

By contributing US$3.5 billion(S$5 billion) of the bank's own resources to the International Development Association (IDA), Mr Zoellick has challenged donors to dig deep into their pockets during talks to replenish the fund for the world's 81 poorest countries from 2009 to 2011.

To ease complaints by emerging countries that the IFC rofits should have gone towards finding solutions for undeveloped markets and social needs in their countries, Mr Zoellick cut the bank's lending rates to emerging markets.

Just last week, the bank also launched a US$5 billion bond fund to help emerging economies develop their local capital markets.

Still, with his background in US trade policy and Wall Street, Mr Zoellick has recognized that the World Bank needs to be more creative to overcome poverty in a more globalised world, which has created opportunities but also increased the divide between rich and poor.

Globalisation has also introduced new strains on developing economies that need to be reflected in the bank's programmes, such as dealing with climate change. -- REUTERS