Thank you and Final CSO paper for the Fourth Pillar (Civil Society) Consultation on the Reform of IMF Governance

THANK YOU!!!

Dear Colleagues,

Thanks to each of you who has participated in The Fourth Pillar (Civil Society) consultation on IMF Governance Reform.

This has been an experiment in cooperating with the IMF on a topic that is hugely sensitive to the Executive Board Members themselves.  For our part, New Rules has found the staff of External Relations professional, and helpful.  Especially noteworthy were the translators and interpreters who made the videoconferences possible, and the translations of the transcripts.

Most hearteninghas been the extensive, thoughtful and candid participation of so many members of Civil Society.  Not all of us agreed on everything—which is great!  This is how we are!  We think new thoughts, challenging ourselves and each other.  Special thanks to Domenico Lombardi for his clear, comprehensive writing, and his great respect for the input and edits we received.

The final paper has as its principal audience the Executive Directors, so we used a style and format that we thought would facilitate hearing our messages.  It also shaped the parameters of the material included.  We know that many very good, creative, visionary ideas only got glancing reference.  We included the website in the early short paper prepared for the lead-up to the July 21 discussion of governance by the Executive Board, as well as in this second paper, in the hope that Executive Directors and/or staff will go to the website and read more expansively.

Will this make a difference?  Of course we do not know.  In this document we propose a floor for reform.  By giving accountability such a central position, we insist that the actions and policies of the IMF are integral to governance reform.  The formal decisions will be made at the Annual Meetings this Fall in Istanbul, or next Spring in Washington, or at some future full meeting of the Board of Governors.  The de facto decisions will occur mainly within the G20 framework where the major powers are positioning themselves for new global power dynamics, and IMF governance is but one arena where these struggles will play out.  Our work together articulates the principled essential steps toward resolving the IMF Governance Reform agenda.   Our work together in the future requires making sure that the political leaders hear and adhere to this message.

Again, Thank You.  I look forward to seeing many of you in Istanbul.

Jo Marie

P.S.  If you are planning to attend and have accreditation for the Annual meeting of the IMF and World Bank in Istanbul, Turkey please let us know so we can invite you to events that follow-up the 4^th Pillar consultation on IMF Governance Reform.

Click here to view the final paper   http://thefourthpillar.ning.com/forum/attachment/download?id=3426499%3AUploadedFi35%3A3221