The World Bank has appointed Han Fraeters as its Division Director for Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, effective 16 September.
Fraeters’ appointment marks the first time a director-level position has been based in Port Moresby, underscoring the World Bank’s commitment to bringing leadership closer to its clients. The move is part of a global shift to deliver faster, more effective, and higher-impact development support.
“I am honored to assume this role at such a critical time in the Pacific,” said Han Fraeters, World Bank's Division Director for Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.
“Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu face urgent challenges. But their extraordinary human, natural and cultural wealth also provides enormous opportunities," Fraeters said.
The official said that he is looking forward to working closely with partners, from the public and the private sector, and with communities, to identify and implement ambitious and sustainable solutions for those challenges that will benefit the people of Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.
"Job creation will be central to the approach," he said.
The appointment comes as Papua New Guinea marks 50 years of independence and five decades of partnership with the World Bank Group.
Over the past 12 years, the Bank has expanded its portfolio more than sevenfold across Papua New Guinea and the Pacific, with commitments now standing at US$3.4 billion. Fraeters will oversee investments focused on energy, human development, and other sectors aimed at strengthening resilience across the three countries.
Key projects include the Learning Enhancement and Access Project in Papua New Guinea, which seeks to transform early learning for hundreds of thousands of children, and the Tina River Hydropower Development Project in Solomon Islands, the country’s first large-scale renewable energy initiative. The latter is expected to provide more than 70 percent of Honiara’s electricity needs from clean, renewable energy.
Fraeters, a Belgian national, has more than 20 years of experience with the World Bank, working largely in Africa and at the institution’s Washington, D.C. headquarters. Before joining the Bank, he worked as a digital transformation specialist in Europe’s education sector.
