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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

    • What the meetings between the IMF and World Bank have consistently failed to deliver is clear, coordinated political will to address economic challenges, says the writer.
    • What the meetings between the IMF and World Bank have consistently failed to deliver is clear, coordinated political will to address economic challenges, says the writer. PHOTO: REUTERS
    Published Thu, Oct 23, 2025 · 06:00 AM

    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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