Global Finance is proud to present its annual microsite dedicated to the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund/World Bank, taking place in early October in Washington, D.C.
Global Finance—official media partner of the IMF/World Bank 2014 annual meetings seminars—provides daily coverage and live streaming of events as around 13,000 people gather to appraise the health of the world’s economy.
The conflicts in Ukraine and in the Middle East, the Ebola outburst in Western Africa—and now the US—and the slowing down of emerging economies are taking center stage at this year’s meetings.
The Washington-based IMF, watchdog of the world’s financial markets, has recently warned that the global economy is at risk from big financial bets if investors—spooked by big geopolitical risks—should decide to unwind their positions. The uneven economic recovery, income inequality and the need for a push in global infrastructure worldwide will also be discussed at the gathering, which brings together central bankers, ministers of finance, private executives, civil society and academics.
As is tradition, after two consecutive years in Washington, in 2015 the IMF annual meetings will be held in Lima, Peru.
VIDEOS: From The Winners @ IMF 2014
INTERVIEWS:
Global Finance honored the winners of its 2014 World's Best Bank Awards at a ceremony held during the IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings in Washington, DC on October 11, 2014.
These videos feature top executives from the world’s leading financial organizations discussing key issues, marketplace conditions and the economic outlook for regions around the world.
Seminars: October 7, 2014
Press Briefing: World Economic Outlook
IMF SEMINARS:
LIVE STREAM Available On: October 7, 2014 @ 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM (ET)
TUNE IN>>
OLIVIER BLANCHARD, IMF Economic Counsellor and Director of Research Department
THOMAS HELBLING, Chief of the World Economic Studies Division, Research Department, IMF
GIAN MARIA MILESI-FERRETTI, Deputy Director, Research Department, IMF
Seminars: October 8, 2014
Press Briefing: Global Financial Stability Report (GFSR)
LIVE STREAM Available On: October 8, 2014 @ 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM (ET)
TUNE IN>>
José Viñals, IMF Financial Counsellor and Director of Monetary and Capital Markets
Peter Dattels, Deputy Director, Monetary and Capital Markets Department
Matthew Jones, Division Chief, Monetary and Capital Markets Department
Andrea Maechler, Deputy Division Chief, Monetary and Capital Markets Department
Olga Stankova, Senior Communications Officer, Communications Department
Challenges of Job-Rich and Inclusive Growth
(Session 1)
SESSION 1: THE IMPERATIVE OF ROBUST AND SUSTAINED GROWTH
IMF SEMINARS:
LIVE STREAM Available On: October 8, 2014 @ 9:15 AM - 10:45 AM (ET)
TUNE IN>>
Global growth is recovering from the Great Recession, but the outlook for job creation remains unsatisfactory. This panel will examine what reforms are needed to ignite and sustain job-rich and inclusive growth, and how to stay the course in the face of important medium- and long-term trends.
Challenges of Job-Rich and Inclusive Growth (Session 2)
SESSION 2: PUBLIC DEBT, PUBLIC INVESTMENT, AND GROWTH
IMF SEMINARS:
LIVE STREAM Available On: October 8, 2014 @ 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM (ET)
TUNE IN>>
Some key questions for discussion in this session include:
(i) is a further debt buildup warranted to meet public investment goals? How can the efficiency of public investment be improved?
(ii) is the legacy of high public debt a problem, or should countries simply live with higher public debt in the future?
(iii) what normative guidelines are appropriate for countries as they try to manage the multiple challenges associated with high public debt, deficient public infrastructure, and lackluster medium-run growth prospects?
Press Briefing: Fiscal Monitor
LIVE STREAM Available On: October 8, 2014 @ 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM (ET)
TUNE IN>>
Vitor Gaspar, Director, Fiscal Affairs Department
Sanjeev Gupta, Deputy Director, Fiscal Affairs Department
Martine Guerguil, Deputy Director, Fiscal Affairs Department
Challenges of Job-Rich and Inclusive Growth (Concluding Session)
CONCLUDING SESSION: GROWTH AND REFORM CHALLENGES
IMF SEMINARS:
LIVE STREAM Available On: October 8, 2014 @ 4:15 PM - 5:30 PM (ET)
This concluding session will bring together policy makers to discuss the important dilemmas and tradeoffs that countries grapple with as they seek to implement reforms to deliver job-rich and inclusive growth.
Seminars: October 9, 2014
Building Future Capacity: Drawing on Fifty Years of Experience
IMF SEMINARS
October 9, 2014 @ 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM (ET)
This seminar provides an ideal opportunity to take stock of member countries’ capacity-building efforts, reflect on how their capacity-building needs will evolve, and discuss how the IMF and donors can best help countries respond to these evolving needs.
A Reform Agenda for Europe's leaders
IMF SEMINARS
LIVE STREAM AVAILABLE ON: October 9, 2014 @ 11:00 AM – 12:30 AM (ET)
The seminar will bring together a set of panelists from the public and private sectors and academia to discuss the merits of further economic and financial integration following European election.
Latin America: The Road Ahead (Session 1)
IMF SEMINARS
LIVE STREAM Available On: October 9, 2014 @ 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM (ET)
TUNE IN>>
This high-level panel debate will serve as a platform for key messages of the Road to Lima, as regional leaders debate the economic, social and political realities that will shape Latin America’s future.
Latin America: Inclusive Growth In Latin America And The Caribbean (Session 2)
IMF SEMINARS
LIVE STREAM Available On: October 9, 2014 @ 4:15 PM - 5:45 PM (ET)
TUNE IN>>
Despite progress, Latin America remains characterized by high levels of income inequality, an issue of increasing focus among politicians, policy makers and business leaders globally. But what are the tradeoffs-or synergies—between reducing inequality and spurring growth?
Seminars: October 10, 2014
Financing Asia’s New Growth Models
IMF SEMINARS
LIVE STREAM Available On: October 10, 2014 @ 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM (ET)
TUNE IN>>
Asia is transforming from a manufacturing hub to a group of vibrant, diverse and interconnected markets with a rising middle-class population. The financial sector needs to serve Asia’s transformation to its new growth models—growth that is more consumption-driven and more inclusive, with the private sector playing an increasingly important role. Such a transformation in the region would also have far reaching effects for the rest of the world.
Some key questions for discussion in this session include:
(i) how can Asia develop a long-term investor base (e.g., pension funds and life insurance) to provide a stable source of finance for infrastructure and companies?
(ii) how can Asia’s financial systems better support SMEs, start-ups, and the region’s service sectors?
(iii) what are the appropriate roles for the private and public sectors in the process of financial development?
Fiscal Policy and Income Inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa
IMF SEMINARS
LIVE STREAM Available On: October 10, 2014 @ 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM (ET)
This seminar organized jointly by AFR and FAD would address the role of fiscal policy in reducing inequality in low-income countries, with a particular focus on Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Conventional wisdom has been that in LICs, low levels of both tax revenue and social spending limit the redistributive impact of fiscal policy.
This seminar will discuss that view against the background of recent successes in LICs at broadening tax bases, the introduction of social transfer systems, and the availability of new technologies, such as mobile banking, which are offering new avenues for fiscal policies to become more redistributive.
Seminars: October 11, 2014
Resolving the Private Sector Debt Overhang in Europe
IMF SEMINARS
LIVE STREAM Available On: October 11, 2014 @ 3:45 PM - 4:45 PM (ET)
The large volume of distressed debt owed by corporates and households in crisis affected European countries is macro-critical and poses a risk to economic recovery and financial stability. High debt overhangs impede economic recovery and growth by consuming valuable bank resources and constraining the supply of fresh credit. Policies are needed at European and national levels to foster an environment where debtors and creditors are incentivized to engage in meaningful debt resolution discussions. The proposed seminar would explore these issues with a view to providing guidance that would aid policy makers and others seeking solutions in this complex area.
Seminars: October 12, 2014
The Future of Finance (Session 1)
IMF SEMINARS
LIVE STREAM Available On: October 12, 2014 @ 9:20 AM - 10:50 AM (ET)
SESSION 1: ETHICS AND FINANCE TUNE IN>>
The central question is: how do we make the financial sector not only safer but of better service to all members of society? Especially in the wake of the crisis, we are witnessing a depletion of trust and a loss of faith in markets – with evident implications for financial stability, economic growth, and social cohesion. As a result, economists and policymakers are increasingly coming to the view that economic concerns cannot be divorced from ethical concerns.
This seminar would facilitate a discussion of these issues, bringing together leading policymakers and other thinkers on the topic from a broad range of fields including the financial sector, academia and religion. The discussion would reflect upon the continued tendency of the financial sector to prize short-term personal gain over longer-term social purpose; it will also explore implications of the idea that financial markets (and capitalism in general) are only sustainable if there is trust in the system, which in turn requires minimal standards of ethics and integrity.
The Future of Finance (Session 2)
IMF SEMINARS
LIVE STREAM Available On: October 12, 2014 @ 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM (ET)
SESSION 2: THE CHANGING ROLE OF BANKS TUNE IN>>
The central question is: how do we make the financial sector not only safer but of better service to all members of society? Especially in the wake of the crisis, we are witnessing a depletion of trust and a loss of faith in markets – with evident implications for financial stability, economic growth, and social cohesion. As a result, economists and policymakers are increasingly coming to the view that economic concerns cannot be divorced from ethical concerns.
This seminar would facilitate a discussion of these issues, bringing together leading policymakers and other thinkers on the topic from a broad range of fields including the financial sector, academia and religion. The discussion would reflect upon the continued tendency of the financial sector to prize short-term personal gain over longer-term social purpose; it will also explore implications of the idea that financial markets (and capitalism in general) are only sustainable if there is trust in the system, which in turn requires minimal standards of ethics and integrity.
The Future of Finance (Session 3)
IMF SEMINARS
LIVE STREAM Available On: October 12, 2014 @ 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM (ET)
SESSION 3: EXPANDING ROLE OF NONBANKS TUNE IN>>
The central question is: how do we make the financial sector not only safer but of better service to all members of society? Especially in the wake of the crisis, we are witnessing a depletion of trust and a loss of faith in markets – with evident implications for financial stability, economic growth, and social cohesion. As a result, economists and policymakers are increasingly coming to the view that economic concerns cannot be divorced from ethical concerns.
This seminar would facilitate a discussion of these issues, bringing together leading policymakers and other thinkers on the topic from a broad range of fields including the financial sector, academia and religion. The discussion would reflect upon the continued tendency of the financial sector to prize short-term personal gain over longer-term social purpose; it will also explore implications of the idea that financial markets (and capitalism in general) are only sustainable if there is trust in the system, which in turn requires minimal standards of ethics and integrity.
The Future of Finance (Session 4)
IMF SEMINARS
LIVE STREAM Available On: October 12, 2014 @ 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM (ET)
SESSION 4: TECHNOLOGY AND FINANCIAL INCLUSION TUNE IN>>
The central question is: how do we make the financial sector not only safer but of better service to all members of society? Especially in the wake of the crisis, we are witnessing a depletion of trust and a loss of faith in markets – with evident implications for financial stability, economic growth, and social cohesion. As a result, economists and policymakers are increasingly coming to the view that economic concerns cannot be divorced from ethical concerns.
This seminar would facilitate a discussion of these issues, bringing together leading policymakers and other thinkers on the topic from a broad range of fields including the financial sector, academia and religion. The discussion would reflect upon the continued tendency of the financial sector to prize short-term personal gain over longer-term social purpose; it will also explore implications of the idea that financial markets (and capitalism in general) are only sustainable if there is trust in the system, which in turn requires minimal standards of ethics and integrity.