New reports by Financial Transparency Coalition and Eurodad highlight uneven distribution of Covid-19 stimulus spending followed by socially painful fiscal austerity.
Conditionality impacts
Finance
News
Highly indebted countries face further cuts to public spending to service debts, as IMF austerity bites
Debt Justice's new report highlights urgent need for international debt workout mechanisms, as countries are forced to prioritise debt payments.
Finance
News
Egypt reaches agreement for IMF programme, but proposals for debt relief are still lacking
Egypt’s new EFF program will likely deepen the country’s debt crisis, instead of helping improve its socioeconomic conditions.
Finance
News
Tensions escalate between Argentina and the IMF ahead of crucial loan repayment deadline
Controversial loan from IMF could force country into severe spending cuts.
Finance
Analysis
New IMF Resilience and Sustainability Trust (RST) – how to make it work for the Global South
RST must support low- and vulnerable middle-income countries to recover from the pandemic and tackle economic and climate-related structural challenges.
Conditionality
Analysis
New IMF-Pakistan agreement likely to have adverse impact on women
IMF and Pakistan have reached agreement for a further loan disbursement, with Pakistan agreeing to significant cuts.
Conditionality
News
Will IMF policy advice align with new UNESCO Declaration on education finance?
IMF advice makes it challenging for countries to achieve education finance goals agreed at UN declaration.
Finance
Analysis
Democratic deficit: The IMF, Ecuador, and central bank independence
IMF's continued push for central bank independence criticised as undemocratic, unequal and for curtailing countries' capacity to respond to the pandemic.
Finance
Analysis
Economic stability with social instability: The IMF and austerity protests in Colombia
Mario Valencia of Latindadd explains the context of ongoing protests in Colombia following proposed tax increases from the IMF.
Finance
Commentary
World Bank must place economic transformation at heart of IDA20 replenishment
IDA20 must take urgent action to ensure tangible support for economic transformation and decent jobs, and the establishment of a social protection fund.
Featured briefings
6 April 2023
World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings 2023
5 April 2023
The IMF at the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: The need for governance reform
As the world celebrates the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it is time the IMF’s shareholders use the opportunities provided by the anniversary and growing calls for reforms to the international financial architecture to redesign the IMF’s governance structures and programmes to ensure they are consistent with the commitments outlined in 1948 and with international human rights law.
5 April 2023
The global financial architecture and the international debt crisis: An urgent call for reform
Influence of unreformed international financial institutions and creditor interests in debt solutions in low- and middle-income countries plagued by delay and ineffective when undertaken.