Preview of IMF-World Bank Meetings: What to Expect

On the eve of another controversial meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Washington, the Brookings Institution and the Center for Global Development (CGD) are jointly presenting a press preview of the issues to be discussed at the conference.

The briefing will focus primarily on the two major issues likely to dominate the Sept. 28-29 IMF-World Bank sessions—development aid to poor countries and problems (both current and long-term) in the world’s financial architecture.

Specific issues to be discussed by the panel include:

• Bush administration policies toward developing nations, particularly the new Millennium Challenge Account
• Development success stories
• Longer-term development challenges that may not be solved by money alone
• After the Financing for Development, G8, and World Summit on Sustainable Development conferences, will the Bank/Fund meetings be business as usual?
• Is the new attention to the poorest countries at the expense of unresolved crises in middle-income countries?
• What changes need to be made in international financial architecture?
• Is there a danger that financial market contagion may lead to ideological contagion?

In addition to discussing these and other issues, the panelists will answer questions from attendees.