What is the International Monetary Fund?An introductory guide to the IMF, its history, and its role in the international financial system. Explains for a general audience the IMF’s lending policies, how decisions are made, and where the money comes from. Gives details of the structure of the IMF, its increasing transparency, how it provides technical assistance to member countries, its role in crisis prevention, and how it is helping the world’s poorest countries. Revised in August 2006. |
Common terms and phrases
advice to countries Africa and based Article IV consultations Articles of Agreement assessment assistance and training balance of payments benefit borrow Bretton Woods Conference central bank officials collaboration concessional debt relief Development Bank economic and financial economic policies emerging market countries ensure exchange rates export financial crises financial markets financial sector foreign exchange FUND The IMF government and central Growth Facility HIPC HIPC Initiative IMF approved IMF began IMF introduced IMF lending IMF loan IMF management IMF's Executive Board improve institutions interest rate international financial INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND international monetary system Japanese yen join the IMF low-income countries macroeconomic Managing Director member countries Millennium Development Goals Paris Club payments problems percent promote quotas Reduction and Growth reforms regional reserve assets Special Drawing Rights Stand-By Arrangement Stephen Jaffe/IMF photograph surveillance sustainable economic growth Timeline L-R tion Trade-Related Technical Assistance U.S. dollar World Bank World Economic World Trade Organization