IMF and World Bank Meetings Begin With Growth Forecasts and Crisis Risk Warnings

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank begin their annual meetings which run between October 13th and 15th. On Thursdayahead of the gathering of Finance Ministers, Central Bank Governors and Government leaders, IMF head Christine Lagarde noted that even though they are predicting global economic growth, risks linger for another financial crisis. On Wednesday the IMF released its Global Financial Stability Report which laid out new tools for predicting financial crisis.

"Unfortunately, I think that there isn't appetite among IMF Executive Directors to move forward actual tools to prevent the next financial crisis," noted Eric LeCompte who has observed IMF and World Bank Meetings since 2010. LeCompte is the Executive Director of the religious development coalition Jubilee USA. "While IMF staff are looking at better ways to predict crisis, we are not putting in place the actual tools to prevent the next financial crisis."

On Thursday morning, LeCompte's group, Jubilee USA, hosted a panel at the IMF on putting in place solutions to end financial crises.

"A few years ago the IMF was proactively looking at structural solutions that stop financial crises and limit austerity policies, but it seems that work has been sidelined," stated LeCompte who serves on United Nation finance expert groups.‎

Earlier in the week the IMF released its biannual World Economic Outlook report, which warned about climate impacts on vulnerable countries.