Highlights of this section:

• Economic and Financial Surveillance
• Technical Assistance and Training
• IMF Lending
• Research and Data

The IMF's main goal is to ensure the stability of the international monetary and financial system. It helps resolve crises, and works with its member countries to promote growth and alleviate poverty. It has three main tools at its disposal to carry out its mandate: surveillance, technical assistance and training, and lending. These functions are underpinned by the IMF's research and statistics.

Surveillance

The IMF promotes economic stability and global growth by encouraging countries to adopt sound economic and financial policies. To do this, it regularly monitors global, regional, and national economic developments. It also seeks to assess the impact of the policies of individual countries on other economies.

This process of monitoring and discussing countries’ economic and financial policies is known as bilateral surveillance. On a regular basis—usually once each year—the IMF conducts in depth appraisals of each member country's economic situation. It discusses with the country's authorities the policies that are most conducive to a stable and prosperous economy. Consistent with the decision on bilateral surveillance adopted in June 2007, the main focus of the discussions is whether there are risks to the economy’s domestic and external stability that would argue for adjustments in economic or financial policies.

Member countries may agree to publish the IMF's assessment of their economies, with the vast majority of countries opting to do so.

The IMF also has the option to bring together, on an as-needed basis, groups of systemically relevant economies to address issues of broad importance to the global economy. These meetings are called multilateral consultations. A consultation on how to reduce global imbalances took place in 2006-07.

The IMF's work on individual countries informs its work on regional economies and the global economy. These views, along with timely analysis of important economic and financial issues, are published twice a year in the World Economic Outlook, various Regional Economic Outlook reports, and the Global Financial Stability Report.

The IMF works with the World Bank to promote resilient financial systems around the world through the joint Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP). Supported by experts from a range of national agencies and standard-setting bodies, IMF and World Bank staff assess the stability of a country’s financial system by identifying its strengths and vulnerabilities, determine how key sources of risks are being managed, ascertain the sector's developmental needs, and help prioritize policy responses.

For more information on how the IMF monitors economies, go to Surveillance in the Our Work section.

Technical assistance and training

IMF offers technical assistance and training to help member countries strengthen their capacity to design and implement effective policies. Technical assistance is offered in several areas, including fiscal policy, monetary and exchange rate policies, banking and financial system supervision and regulation, and statistics.

The IMF provides technical assistance and training mainly in four areas:

• Monetary and financial policies (monetary policy instruments, banking system supervision and restructuring, foreign management and operations, clearing settlement systems for payments, and structural development of central banks)
• Fiscal policy and management (tax and customs policies and administration, budget formulation, expenditure management, design of social safety nets, and management of domestic and foreign debt)
• Compilation, management, dissemination, and improvement of statistical data
• Economic and financial legislation.

For more on technical assistance, go to Technical Assistance in the Our Work section or read an Issues Brief on the subject.

Lending

In the event that member countries experience difficulties financing their balance of payments, the IMF is also a fund that can be tapped to facilitate recovery. A policy program supported by financing is designed by the national authorities in close cooperation with the IMF. Continued financial support is conditional on the effective implementation of this program.

The IMF also provides low-income countries with loans at a concessional interest rate through the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) and the Exogenous Shocks Facility (ESF). For more on different types of IMF lending, go to Lending in the Our Work section.

Research and data

Supporting all three of these activities is the IMF's economic and financial research and statistics. In recent years, the IMF has applied both its surveillance and technical assistance work to the development of standards and codes of good practice in its areas of responsibility, and to the strengthening of financial sectors. These are part of the IMF's continuing efforts to strengthen the international financial system and improve its ability to prevent and resolve crises.