IMF economists from the World Economic Studies Division hold a press conference on the World Economic Outlook Analytical Chapters on April 14, 2010 in Washington, D.C. (IMF Staff Photo)
The IMF and Civil Society
2010 World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings
April 16, 2010
More than 300 civil society representatives are expected to participate in this year’s IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C. next week.
The 2010 Spring Meetings are kicking off Tuesday, April 20th in Washington, D.C. with the release of the Global Financial Stability Report. The next day, the World Economic Outlook will release the Fund’s updated global outlook; that report contains a chapter on unemployment in advanced economies. Meetings of the Group of Twenty (G-20) finance ministers and the Fund’s International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) are also on the agenda.
More than 650 registration applications were processed this year, the majority from the United States and Europe. This is the largest number of accreditation applications for Spring Meetings. There will be a record number of sessions at the Civil Society Policy Forum related to the IMF, demonstrating civil society’s strong interest in developments in the post-crisis global economy.
CSO Sponsorship Program
For the first time, the IMF Civil Society Team is extending the sponsorship program for CSOs to the Spring Meetings. Sponsored CSOs have been attending the Annual Meetings for several years. A total of 15 CSO representatives from all regions have been invited to participate in the Spring Meetings.
The sponsorship initiative is intended to offer a broader group of civil society representatives an opportunity to interact with IMF staff and CSO representatives from many countries in a setting of policy discussions. Participants from Bangladesh, Bolivia, Ghana, Haiti, Kenya, Latvia, Malawi, Mongolia, Mozambique, Peru, Sri Lanka, and Ukraine were selected from a variety of NGOs worldwide.
During the week of the Spring Meetings, sponsored CSOs will have access to various events, including the four-day Civil Society Dialogues. They will be able to exchange views on topics ranging from the global economic crisis to governance to climate change. The IMF will also organize an orientation session for the program participants and help facilitate contacts with IMF staff during the meetings.
The Civil Society Policy Forum comprises of a series of policy sessions that bring together Bank and Fund staff, CSO representatives, government officials, and others to discuss important issues being addressed during the meetings.
All accredited CSO representatives are welcome to attend the sessions, which will be held at the World Bank’s Main Complex Building between Thursday, April 22 and Sunday, April 25, 2010.
World Bank Group President Robert Zoellick and IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn prior to a G-24 Ministers Meeting at IMF Headquarters in Washington D.C. (IMF Staff Photo)