Voice Mohne, chair of the council for non-governmental organisations in Malawi, declared to President Joyce Banda at a May public meeting that the adoption of the "full set of IMF reforms" by Banda's government was "too much for an average Malawian to absorb", because "there is no meaningful safety net mechanism".
A May IMF staff discussion note evaluated international efforts to address gaps in regulation of "a relatively small number of large, complex financial institutions" which remain "very difficult to regulate, supervise and resolve".
Following the publication of the Fund's response to the IEO evaluation report which was endorsed by the Board in April, the IMF has published its three-part implementation plan on international reserves including a successor paper updating the Fund's 2011 work on reserve adequacy.
A March IMF policy paper examined long-standing approaches to debt crisis management including for the first time assessing the civil society proposals for a fair and transparent arbitration process.
The IMF's long-awaited guidance note on capital flows fails to remedy the faults of the 'institutional view' on capital account. The World Bank's long-term thinking is also emphasises liberalisation.
As global economic risks and stagnation in major economies are expected to persist, the IMF's rhetoric is increasingly anti-austerity, reflecting changing priorities in member states. However, states where IMF policy influence is greatest, spending cuts continue.
The IMF signed a deal with Tunisia in June, after its renewed attempt to lend to Egypt failed in April, while civil society remained concerned about the legitimacy and transparency of the negotiations.
Two April IMF reports purport to present a new view on labour market policy, however, they have attracted heavy criticism from trade unions as inaccurate and flawed.
Turkey discharged its debt to the IMF in May, by paying a final installment of $421 million after decades of loans and stand-by arrangements.
In late June, finance minister Ishaq Dar informed Pakistan's national assembly that the government "will have to go to the IMF" in order to repay current outstanding loan instalments to the Fund.
Minutes of CSO meeting with Steve Field UK IMF Executive Director, 9 April 2013
Spring meetings side event hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies on 19 April 2013
At the 80th anniversary of the World Bank and IMF, global civil society must maintain pressure on the Brazilian and South African G20 presidencies to ensure the forth Financing for Development Conference in 2025 results in urgently required international financial architecture reform.
