Little reassurance from IMF-World Bank meetings
The global financial system is adapting too slowly to a world of higher debt, lower growth, trade fragmentation and climate urgency
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THE 2025 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, which recently concluded in Washington, DC, took place against a backdrop of economic turbulence, geopolitical fragmentation and mounting pressure on the global financial system.
What emerged from these gatherings is not reassurance, but rather a clear message: The world faces precarious economic headwinds with limited consensus on how to navigate them.
A weakening global economy
The mood at these meetings was notably sombre. The IMF’s revised economic forecasts tell a concerning story. Global growth has been downgraded significantly, while the US – the engine of recent global economic resilience – now faces a bleaker outlook.
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