Ahead of the IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings, prospects for the post-COVID-19 recovery have continued to falter. Instead, compound global crises—including new viruses and variants, conflict in Ukraine, inflation pressures, food and energy crises, debt concerns, climate change, and more—continue to drag down the global economic outlook. Despite lofty goals, progress to address these issues has been slow and often fragmented.

As both the ‘fire fighter’ for the global economy and the provider of the economic and financing framework for the resilient and sustainable recovery, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is at the center of the action. However, the list of priorities continues to grow while geopolitical forces challenge multilateral cooperation.

In this conversation, Masood Ahmed and IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva will discuss the IMF’s upcoming Annual Meetings and how to move the international agenda forward.