Special Drawing Rights (SDRs)

Leaders of the African Union proposed that the International Monetary Fund consider issuing $650 billion in SDRs to combat the climate crisis. Africa Climate Summit 2023, 5 September 2023.

Finance

News

The 2021 SDR allocation was beneficial for the global economy, but was it sufficient to address the scale of the crisis?

IMF’s new report looking at the impact of the $650 billion SDR allocation in 2021 talks about the benefits of the allocation for the global economy but fails to address the scale of the polycrisis.

4 October 2023

Finance

Analysis

Reconceptualising Special Drawing Rights as a tool for development finance

Briefing examines the shortcomings of the current SDRs allocation system and calls to reform SDRs to ensure their targeted, needs-based and equitable distribution. 

2 October 2023 | Briefings

Finance

News

African finance ministers join growing calls for more equitable SDR allocations

New calls for SDR reform reveal acute need of financing for low- and middle-income countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

19 July 2023

Finance

Background

What are Special Drawing Rights (SDRs)?

This Inside the Institutions looks at the IMF’s Special Drawing Rights, including their history and usage, with a focus on the latest allocation, which accounts for 69 per cent of the SDRs ever disbursed.

9 December 2021 | Inside the institutions

Rights

News

A new SDR allocation: Combatting deepening fragility concerns

The links between high debt burdens, lack of climate finance, austerity and the rise in political instability and fragility, conflict and violence remain largely neglected as IMF shareholders consider calls for a new SDR allocation, as proposed by the Bridgetown Agenda.

8 December 2022

IFI governance

Background

The IMF’s Resilience and Sustainability Trust: Can an IMF-managed SDRs trust deliver inclusive & sustainable recoveries?

Notes from the 11 April Civil Society Policy Forum - The IMF’s Resilience and Sustainability Trust: Can an IMF-managed SDRs trust deliver inclusive & sustainable recoveries?

14 April 2022 | Minutes

Finance

News

Time for action: How can IMF help countries use their SDRs for crisis recovery?

If the Special Drawing Rights allocation is to benefit the poorest and most vulnerable, decision makers must use SDRs to respond to the pandemic and its economic consequences.

22 September 2021

Finance

Analysis

Civil society joint statement on UK channelling of its SDRs allocation

On 23 August, the IMF finalised the allocation of $650 billion worth of SDRs to its member states. CSOs outline in a joint statement how the UK should seize this opportunity.

23 August 2021

Finance

Analysis

Tip of the iceberg: How the call for SDRs reveals the urgency for deeper reforms of the global reserve system to address systemic inequalities

Renewed calls for a substantial SDR allocation raise urgency of reforming the inequitable global reserve ‘non-system’.

23 March 2021 | At Issue