The IMF and the Sustainable Development Goals

Member countries of the United Nations (UN) adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 with full support from the IMF. These global development targets will guide the global development agenda through 2030.

The SDGs replaced the Millennium Development Goals. The SDGs are broader in scope than their predecessor and reflect the view that development needs to be economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable.

There are 17 SDGs focused on five elements: people, planet, peace, prosperity, and partnership. Achieving these goals will require action at the national and international levels.

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What is the IMF doing on SDGs?

The IMF has launched a number of initiatives to enhance support for its member countries as they pursue the SDGs.


The IMF has helped low-income and emerging market economies assess the additional spending required to reach the SDGs in five key sectors: health, education, water and sanitation, roads, and electricity.

SDN and IMF

A Staff Discussion Note presented a macroeconomic framework that helps assess development strategies and financing options for meeting the SDGs and is developing a user tool based on this framework.


 

The IMF expanded financial support for low-income developing countries in 2015, 2019, and more recently during the COVID-19 pandemic, made IMF lending under the Rapid Credit Facility permanently interest-free, and extended the zero percent interest rate to all other IMF concessional loans.

 

The IMF has supported developing countries seeking to boost domestic revenue mobilization, including by collaborating with other international organizations through the Platform for Collaboration on Tax.

The IMF has helped member countries improve infrastructure governance. Over 80 Public Investment Management Assessments (PIMA) have been conducted, and the new Climate-PIMA to help governments build climate-resilient infrastructure has been rolled out. Working with development partners, the IMF is supporting the “G20 Compact with Africa” to promote private investment, including for infrastructure, in Africa.

 

The IMF, with the World Bank, has refined its debt sustainability assessments for low-income countries to better guide their borrowing decisions and keep public debt on a sustainable path.

The IMF’s analytical work has included measures to promote inclusion and environmental sustainability where these are important to sustain macroeconomic stability. The IMF has been integrating research findings on development issues into its operational work on topics such as:

 

Last updated was in March 2023