Invitation: Video Conferences organized on Governance Reform of the IMF

Dear Colleagues,

 

As part of a Civil Society Consultation, New Rules for Global Finance is facilitating video conference discussions on Governance Reform of the International Monetary Fund.   Can you please forward this announcement to others who may be able to participate from the cities included?

 

We have already completed consultations between 1) Johannesburg-South Africa and Nairobi-Kenya 2) Montevideo-Uruguay and Lima-Peru, and 3) Mexico D.F.-Mexico and Buenos Aires-Argentina.  The upcoming consultations include Bishkek-Kyrgyzstan, Almaty-Kazakhstan, New Delhi-India, Jakarta-Indonesia, Accra-Ghana, Lilongwe-Malawi, Bamako-Mali.

 

If your city is not included in those that are linked by video-conferences we encourage you to organize a local discussion incorporating the below agenda to come up with your own recommendations.  Submissions such as summary of discussions should be sent through August 17, 2009 so that we have time to incorporate them in to the CSO paper that is due September 1, 2009.  Individual submissions are also encouraged. Please post submissions to http://thefourthpillar.ning.com/forum/topics/agenda-for-discussion-on or email them to imf_governance@new-rules.org.

 

Please RSVP if you are able to participate in any of the discussions below that take place in a World Bank/IMF Video Conference Facility.   Meeting location will be sent to those who RSVP to participate. RSVP’s are required to gain entrance for the meeting. Please RSVP to imf_governance@new-rules.org as soon as possible, but by noon the day before your event. Please indicate which city you will be participating from.  You are required to bring photo identification with you to enter the meeting venue.

 

The video conferences will take place simultaneously, regional times follow           

 

Wednesday, August 05, 2009 between Washington, DC, Bishkek, Almaty.

Washington, DC, USA: 8:00 am – 10:00 am

            Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

            Almaty, Kazakhstan: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

 

Friday, August 7, 2009 between Washington, DC, Lilongwe, Bamako, and Accra. 

            Washington, DC, USA: 8:00 am – 10:00 am

            Lilongwe, Malawi: 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

            Bamako, Mali: 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm

            Accra, Ghana: 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm

 

Monday, August 10, 2009 between Washington, DC, Jakarta, and New Delhi. 

            Washington, DC, USA: 8:00 am – 10:00 am

            New Delhi, India: 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

            Jakarta, Indonesia: 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

 

Here is a proposed agenda for “The Fourth Pillar” video conference, CSOs facilitating the event may modify the agenda to your fit your regional needs.

      1.      The introduction of each participant and a brief statement of each one’s experience with the IMF

2.      The purposes of the IMF have been described as:

a.       Helping countries meet short term balance of payments problems

b.      Providing financial stability which the IMF sees as a pre-requisite for growth

c.       Working on Global Financial Stability

d.      What has been your country’s experience?

3.      Identify the constituencies represented by people in the room:

a.       What has been the quality of the representation of your country at the IMF

b.      How much do you know about what the IMF is doing generally and with regard to your country?

4.      Governance Reform proposals:  (see CSO paper submitted July 13)

a.       Greater Transparency

b.      Greater Accountability

                                                               i.      Evaluation

                                                             ii.      Transparency

                                                            iii.      Participation

                                                           iv.      Voice and Vote—changes in quotas, chairs, etc.

1.      Do you have ideas of what should be included in a “new quota”?

2.      Consultation with CSOs and Parliament in-country

                                                             v.      External complaint mechanisms

1.      Ombudsman

2.      Ex Ante Poverty Impact Assessments

c.       Besides the ideas in the paper, how what would you recommend to increase IMF accountability?

5.      Some CSOs think that changing conditionality is more important than governance reforms:

a.       Is such a change possible without changing governance?

b.      Would changing governance still be important even if changes occurred in conditionality?

6.      What works best about the IMF?

7.      What needs to be changed most urgently?

 

Please refer to the CSO paper submitted on July 13.  This paper is translated in  English, French and Spanish.  You can view/comment on this paper at http://thefourthpillar.ning.com/forum/topics/preliminary-summary-of-the. If you are unable to participate in the video conference please participate in the online discussion at http://thefourthpillar.org.

 

Please contact Jamie Baker at imf_governance@new-rules.org  if you have any questions.

 

Please forward the invitation to other CSOs who may be able to participate.

 

Best Regards,

 

Jo Marie Griesgraber, Executive Director

New Rules for Global Finance Coalition