Global Risks for Low-Income Countries: Views on the IMF Perspective

Dec 14, 2011

The Center for Global Development presents

Global Risks for Low-Income Countries:
Views on the IMF Perspective

Opening Remarks
Min Zhu
Deputy Managing Director
International Monetary Fund

Presentation of Report Key Findings
Hugh Bredenkamp
Deputy Director, Strategy, Policy and Review Department
International Monetary Fund

Discussants
Liliana Rojas Suarez
Senior Fellow
Center for Global Development

Steve Radelet
Chief Economist
United States Agency for International Development

Moderator
Lawrence MacDonald
Vice President, Communications and Policy Outreach
Center for Global Development

Wednesday, December 14, 2011
2:00pm--3:30pm

at
Center for Global Development
1800 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Third Floor, Washington, DC
*Please bring photo identification*

Most low-income countries (LICs) recovered swiftly from the 2008-9 global crisis and have grown strongly since early 2010. But progress in rebuilding macroeconomic buffers has been slow, and the LICs are now less well prepared to deal with external shocks than they were before the crisis. At a time when the risks to the global outlook are intensifying, a new IMF study finds that many LICs would struggle to cope with a renewed global downturn. In a second report, the IMF and World Bank explore the role contingent financial instruments—such as commodity hedging, contingent debt, and insurance—could play to help LICs manage global volatility. IMF staff will present the key findings of these studies, highlighting the policy implications for LICs and the international community, with comments by expert discussants to follow.