Capacity Development Partners

The IMF’s capacity development work is demand-driven, meaning initiated by our member countries. Amid global economic challenges, this demand has increased substantially in recent years. The IMF provides training and technical assistance to almost all our 191 member countries.

The IMF contributes a significant amount of own resources to fund capacity development work. But bilateral and multilateral partners play a critical role in meeting the high demand from our members and presently finance more than 60 percent of the IMF’s knowledge-sharing efforts. Partners contribute to capacity development work in a variety of ways—via our global network of regional capacity development centers  through the thematic funds, focused on specialized areas, or through bilateral programs. 

In 1990, Japan became the first partner to support the IMF’s capacity development efforts and is currently its single largest contributor, providing $905 million in funding to date. More than 100 IMF member countries across the globe have benefited from Japan’s support.

In fiscal year 2026 (FY2026), the Government of Japan provided a new contribution of $30 million to finance a large portfolio of bilateral programs and multi-donor vehicles. In the past five years, Japan has been the top partner providing fifteen per cent of all external financing of the IMF’s capacity development work.

Japan-funded IMF programs address countries’ capacity development needs and are consistent with Japan’s international cooperation priorities and the IMF’s mandate. Programs typically address fiscal issues, monetary and capital market reforms, macroeconomic statistics, and macroeconomic management. Japan is also strong supporter of IMF’s online learning, blended trainings and digital money.

European Union

The EU-IMF partnership promotes shared objectives to support macroeconomic and financial stability in emerging markets and low-income countries in emerging markets and low-income countries. 

With steadfast support to regional capacity development centers and global thematic funds, as well as bilateral programs, the partnership covers a broad range of issues related to improved revenue mobilization, effectiveness of public spending, good economic governance and institution building, as well as related human capacity development needs, thus supporting countries’ economic growth. The IMF also collaborates with the EU to support its member states and accession countries to build strong institutions and policies. Since 2005, the EU has contributed over US$500 million to IMF capacity development. 
 

Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Arabia—IMF Capacity Development Partnership is built upon three pillars. First, the meaningful expansion of capacity development work in the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan, through the activities of the IMF Regional Office in Riyadh, as well as capacity development delivered by the Middle East Technical Assistance Center and the Somalia Country Fund. Second, support for urgent and important capacity development in sub-Saharan Africa, delivered through the IMF’s network of Regional Capacity Development Centers in Africa. And third, capacity development in IMF global priorities, through support to our network of global thematic funds, focused on public finance, financial sector stability, anti-money laundering and statistics.

The Regional Office Riyadh delivers support to economic policymaking in the Middle East, enhancing the IMF’s regional presence and its dialogue with the region’s policymakers, through conferences, workshops and outreach events. Fragile states are a key priority of the IMF’s capacity development work.

Switzerland

Since 1997, Switzerland, through its State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), has partnered with the IMF on capacity development. SECO is a strong and active partner, with a diversified portfolio of contributions spanning across most of IMF’s thematic funds, regional capacity development centers in Africa, Central Asia, Europe, and the Middle East and North Africa, as well as a large bilateral program of projects supporting capacity development in Switzerland’s priority countries. The country’s support promotes economic stability and sustainable growth, helping countries reduce poverty. Switzerland has contributed approximately US$233 million towards IMF capacity development to date.