Feature of the Month: International Monetary Fund's Role in Economic Recovery

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) plays a significant role in the global economy. The IMF promotes financial stability internationally as it seeks facilitate trade and create sustainable economic practices. As the world continues to rise out of the depths of the 2008 financial crisis the globe looks to the IMF for help in the recovery.

The IMF has multiple tools at its disposal when it comes to helping countries. Probably the most important function served by the IMF is the ability to help countries financially. With a variety of lending instruments the IMF was, and is still, able to help low income countries stay afloat. Lending from the IMF usually occurs following economic hardships. Lending rose in the 1970’s following the oil crisis and again following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, which created many emerging markets. Following the 2008 financial crisis was no different. Responding quickly the IMF overhauled its financial support mechanisms in order to better assist countries hurt most by the collapse. More reforms followed in 2010 and 2011, creating flexible crisis prevention tools in order to help countries sustain financial crises. This may have helped to halt the downward trend but has yet to produce significant economic growth.

Not all that the IMF does is lending. They provide technical assistance and training that helps countries build more effective institutions. This assistance is extremely valuable for countries who lack the correct institutions to put IMF financial aid to an efficient use. Whatever the policies the IMF has an important role to play in helping boost the global economy.

Featured Resources

International Monetary Fund: World Economic Outlook Reports
The World Economic Outlook is published biannually by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The data is the product of a comprehensive interdepartmental review of world economic developments, which draws primarily on information the IMF staff gathers through its consultations with member countries. Past reports are also available for download in PDF format.
Category: Publications

International Monetary Fund: Staff Country Reports
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) provides country reports covering a wide variety of business topics including economic conditions, infrastructure development, debt relief, and many more business subjects related to specific countries. These staff reports are listed alphabetically by country names for which the reports correspond to. Most reports are available as a PDF format for free and the IMF also offers hard copy versions of the reports for a fee.
Category: Multi-Country

Featured Academy

gE Module: International Monetary Systems
The International Monetary Systems module provides information regarding: the history of the International Monetary System; the importance of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, including their basic purposes and functions; what money markets and international money markets are; what international capital markets are and their function in both developing and high-income countries; international security markets; and the basics of the European Monetary System. A case study on Argentina’s economic crisis is also available.
Category: Financial Services