What is the Bretton Woods 2.0 project?

The Bretton Woods Institutions were created in 1944 in the hopes that stronger international economic coordination would prevent another world war. Today, more than 80 years later, these institutions need to be revitalized and reimagined for a transformed global economy.

In an era of fierce geopolitical rivalries and unprecedented crises at a global scale, there is a profound need for reforms to the world’s monetary and financial system. But how exactly? What would a Bretton Woods system look like if it first emerged today?

Spring 2025 Meetings (Washington, DC)

Events

What are the risks of the United States running persistent and growing current account deficits—and how long can it last? Tamim Bayoumi (King’s College London), Joseph Gagnon (Peterson Institute for International Economics), and Martin Mühleisen (Atlantic Council) join the GeoEconomics Center to explore the implications of current policy choices on the dollar and global stability. #IMFWBSM2025
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Streaming live April 21, 2025 3:00 pm

What’s on the minds of global finance leaders this week in Washington? The Atlantic Council's GeoEconomics Center breaks down the key themes, debates, and dynamics to watch during the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings. #IMFWBSM2025
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Streaming live April 21, 2025 4:00 pm

As the urgency to mobilize climate finance in emerging markets grows, what innovative tools can unlock private capital at scale? On the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings, the Atlantic Council hosts a timely conversation featuring new research from Amin Mohseni-Cheraghlou and Frank Willey on climate guarantees and the Emerging Market Climate Investment Compact, followed by a forward-looking COP30 policy proposal from Ken Berlin on financing facilities designed to close the investment gap. #IMFWBSM2025
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Streaming live April 22, 2025 9:30 am

Sovereign debt has reached record levels across the Global South, and interest and debt service payments have outpaced aid, straining fiscal space and countries’ abilities to invest in economic growth, development, and climate resilience. William Roos—assistant secretary for multilateral, development, and trade affairs at the French Treasury; co-chair of the Paris Club; and co-chair of the G20 International Financial Architecture Working Group—joins Nicole Goldin to unpack these trends and the implications and response across the international financial system. #IMFWBSM2025
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Streaming live April 22, 2025 10:45 am

Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko discusses how Ukraine is managing its economy amid full-scale war, maintaining fiscal stability, and planning for reconstruction with GeoEconomics Center Deputy Director Charles Lichfield on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings. #IMFWBSM2025
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Streaming live April 22, 2025 11:30 am

Muhammad Aurangzeb, Pakistan’s minister for finance and revenue, joins the Atlantic Council's GeoEconomics Center to discuss the country’s economic reform agenda, its engagement with international financial institutions, and efforts to build long-term resilience on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings. #IMFWBSM2025
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Streaming live April 22, 2025 11:45 am

What tradeoffs will the Trump administration face in pursuing both tariff increases and a weaker dollar? Martin Mühleisen, Atlantic Council senior fellow; Elizabeth Shortino, former acting US executive director at the IMF; and Mark Sobel, US chairman to the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum, analyze the policy tensions and economic implications on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings. #IMFWBSM2025
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Streaming live April 22, 2025 2:00 pm

Felipe Chapman, minister of economy and finance of Panama, joins the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center to discuss the country's economic outlooks through 2025 and beyond, as well as the status of US-Panama bilateral economic relations and his vision for an Americas economic security strategy. #IMFWBSM2025
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Streaming live April 22, 2025 2:00 pm

As the Trump administration escalates tariffs on Chinese imports, what will Beijing’s next move be? Is there still space for negotiation—or is a deeper trade rift inevitable? Join Brad Setser, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and Beth Baltzan, Atlantic Council senior fellow, as they break down the implications of this new chapter in US-China trade tensions. #IMFWBSM2025
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Streaming live April 22, 2025 3:15 pm

Turkish Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Şimşek joins the Atlantic Council's GeoEconomics Center and Turkey Programs for a conversation on the key domestic and global risks shaping the country's path forward—on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings. Moderated by Charles Lichfield. #IMFWBSM2025
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Streaming live April 22, 2025 4:45 pm

Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis discusses the EU’s strategic priorities for trade, defense, and competitiveness in a rapidly shifting global landscape in conversation with the Atlantic Council's Jörn Fleck on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings. #IMFWBSM2025
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Streaming live April 23, 2025 9:15 am

Nearly forty years after the Plaza Accord reshaped global currency alignment, what lessons still matter today? Bloomberg’s Saleha Mohsin joins Josh Lipsky, senior director of the Atlantic Council's GeoEconomics Center, to explore the legacy of the agreement and what has changed in US dollar diplomacy—on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings. #IMFWBSM2025
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Streaming live April 23, 2025 12:00 pm

Rolf Strauch and Martin Mühleisen join the Atlantic Council's GeoEconomics Center to examine how European economies can manage growing fiscal demands while adapting to an increasingly protectionist global environment—on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings. #IMFWBSM2025
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Streaming live April 23, 2025 1:30 pm

Banque de France Governor François Villeroy de Galhau discusses the challenges of safeguarding the euro amid global economic uncertainty with Charles Lichfield, deputy director of the Atlantic Council's GeoEconomics Center, on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings. #IMFWBSM2025
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Streaming live April 23, 2025 2:45 pm

Over fifty central banks around the world are considering or have already introduced real-time or fast payment systems. Join Loretta J. Mester, Harish Natarajan, Ali Moussavi, and Ananya Kumar as they unpack what's working, what's not, and what's next for these payments platforms in emerging and advanced markets. #IMFWBSM2025
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Streaming live April 23, 2025 4:00 pm

Read between the lines of the IMFs World Economic Outlook with experts Hung Tran, Martin Mühleisen, Elizabeth Shortino, Jeremy Mark, and Nicole Goldin. #IMFWBSM2025
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Streaming live April 23, 2025 4:30 pm

The Trump administration is increasingly linking trade policy to national security. Join Emily Kilcrease and Peter Harrell for a conversation on what the White House's approach means for global trade, moderated by Sophia Busch. #IMFWBSM2025
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Streaming live April 24, 2025 9:00 am

Alisha Chhangani sits down with Polina Kempinsky to discuss her new research on payments models in Brazil and India. #IMFWBSM2025
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Streaming live April 24, 2025 10:00 am

Greece’s economy and finance minister, Kyriakos Pierrakakis, joins the Atlantic Council's GeoEconomics Center and Europe Center on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings to discuss Greece’s economic strategy, fiscal-policy priorities, and role in the European and global economy. #IMFWBSM2025
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Streaming live April 24, 2025 1:00 pm

Amid global economic uncertainty, how will Madrid prove resilient? Spain’s finance minister, Carlos Cuerpo, joins the Atlantic Council's GeoEconomics Center to discuss his economic agenda, the country’s fiscal outlook, and Spain’s evolving role in the European and global economy—on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings. #IMFWBSM2025
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Streaming live April 24, 2025 3:30 pm

Megan Greene, an external member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee, discusses the United Kingdom's inflation outlook with Josh Lipsky, senior director of the Atlantic Council's GeoEconomics Center, on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings. #IMFWBSM2025
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Streaming live April 25, 2025 10:15 am

AN #ACFRONTPAGE EVENT—Adena Friedman, chief executive officer of Nasdaq, shares her vision for the future of the global financial system. #IMFWBSM2025
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Streaming live April 25, 2025 11:30 am

How is Egypt navigating overlapping global shocks while advancing its economic agenda? H.E. Rania Al-Mashat, Egypt’s Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, joins the Atlantic Council to discuss Egypt’s efforts to build resilience. #IMFWBSM2025
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Streaming live April 25, 2025 1:00 pm

In June, UN and development finance leaders will convene in Seville for the Fourth Financing for Development conference to debate and determine the path forward for development cooperation, multilateral economic governance, private sector engagement, and national policies for growth. Nicole Goldin sits down with UN Assistant Secretary General for Economic Development Navid Hanif and Ambassador of Zambia to the UN Chola Milambo to discuss member state priorities, the status of current negotiations, and what to watch for in these final lead up months. #IMFWBSM2025
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Streaming live April 25, 2025 2:00 pm

After a week packed with high-level meetings, what stood out? The Atlantic Council GeoEconomics Center closes out the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings with a recap of the moments that mattered, touching topics from trade barriers to development finance. #IMFWBSM2025
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Streaming live April 25, 2025 4:00 pm

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The Bretton Woods institutions under geopolitical fragmentation

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Reimagining Africa’s role in revitalizing the global economy

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The African continent potential to revitalize the world economy and reverse the downward trend in global growth. However, for this to materialize, it needs substantial investments in its physical and social infrastructure.
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Featured data visualization

2024 Annual Meetings Events

Explore highlights

A lot of people ask us what’s the difference between the IMF and the World Bank. Atlantic Council nonresident senior fellows Nicole Goldin and Martin Muhleisen worked at the World Bank and IMF respectively, so they know the answer better than anyone. They break down everything from the organizations’ missions and how they’re applied, to their cultures to see some of the key differences and similarities between the two international organizations.
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What’s the difference between the IMF and the World Bank?

As the IMF-World Bank annual meetings wrap up, Atlantic Council Nonresident Senior Fellow Martin Mühleisen shares some key takeaways from the meetings. "The world's finance ministers assembled here in Washington have issued a rather underwhelming communique," he says, adding they were "congratulating themselves for achieving a soft landing while regurgitating formulaic policy priorities." "The only concrete deliverables were those that support low income countries," Mühleisen says. For more analysis and conversations from the week, visit the Atlantic Council website: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/imf-world-bank-week/
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Martin Mühleisen: IMF communique "underwhelming"

“China’s investment income is only reported in aggregated level, and it has gone down," says economist Brad Setser. “There’s a puzzle there." “That’s the kind of thing that I would like to see the IMF look at, and it has just ignored in the last few staff reports” He discussed the IMF's approach to China's economic data with Atlantic Council fellow and former IMF senior official Martin Mühleisen at the 2024 IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings. For more analysis of the IMF's data on China's economy, watch the full conversation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsVQ6GkGgFc
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Brad Setser: IMF should look into Chinese investment income "puzzle"

Megan Greene, an external member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee, says interest rates “will probably have to end up a bit higher than they were" before the pandemic. "We’re not going back to the rates that we had pre-pandemic", she told the Atlantic Council's Josh Lipsky. "There’s reason to believe that our r-star has risen a bit." They spoke about the path forward at the 2024 IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings. For more, watch the full conversation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNcsm78WnNM
YouTube Video R7L5xbdFHhs

Bank of England’s Megan Greene: interest rates will end up "a bit higher” than before the pandemic

At an #acfrontpage event, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde told the Atlantic Council's Frederick Kempe that the upcoming US election will "have ramifications around the world in a very significant way." "The United States is leading in multiple ways and has to deploy its leadership for the common good," Lagarde said. For more on her insights regarding Europe’s economic challenges and the path forward during IMF-World Bank Week at the Atlantic Council, watch the full conversation: https://www.youtube.com/live/OfQpPZRB0Ww
YouTube Video CcVQTBWGu6o

Christine Lagarde: "A lot is at stake" for the world in the US elections

"We have significant bilateral trade with the US," says Ireland's Finance Minister Jack Chambers. "We're quite clear on having that pro-trade approach." "I am concerned, though, about the wider narrative that exists both in parts of the EU and indeed the US on a protectionist outlook taking hold and we have to guard against that," he added. He was speaking to the Atlantic Council's Charles Lichfield during the 2024 IMF-World Bank Annual meetings. For more, watch the full conversation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Nf9jYEs-uI
YouTube Video M4_MfP-wPPk

Irish Finance Minister: The US and EU must “guard against” rising protectionism

Europe must have "its own view" on trade and tariffs, says Spanish Minister of Economy Carlos Cuerpo. "“We are not the US. We are not China,” he said. Cuerpo said Spain's economy "thrives thanks to multilateralism" and trade under World Trade Organization rules, but "it’s 2024. It’s not 2004. We have to be open, but we should not be naive." He spoke to Josh Lipsky at the Atlantic Council during the 2024 IMF-World Bank annual meetings. For more, watch the full conversation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLHIT2je-BI
YouTube Video pfd-WBF1zWY

Spain's economy minister: Europe must have "its own view" on trade and tariffs

Ukraine's Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko reacts to the news that the US will participate in the G7 ERA loan using immobilized Russian assets and shares his perspective on how the funds will be allocated. He was speaking to the Atlantic Council's Charles Litchfield at the IMF-World Bank annual meetings. For more, watch the full conversation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdiA8bG5ync
YouTube Video Uiy45yZgTd8

Ukraine's Finance Minister on the importance of the G7 ERA loan

What’s your pick? IMF or World Bank? Micro or macro? Digital dollar or paper dollar? Watch this video from inside the IMF-World Bank annual meetings in Washington to see what people are saying. #shorts
YouTube Video MKaDMbW2iWs

IMF or World Bank. What's your pick?

Atlantic Council Senior Fellow Hung Tran discusses the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) October 2024 World Economic Outlook during a panel at IMF headquarters in Washington, DC. Tran highlights a key point missing from the report: "Inflation might be lower because of lower activity and fiscal tightening, but the structural component of inflation is persistently high", he tells Josh Lipsky, senior director at the Atlantic Council's GeoEconomics Center. He adds, "The stickiness of inflation is something we need to keep an eye on." Stay up to date and get live analysis from the IMF-World Bank meetings by visiting our New Atlanticist blog: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/get-an-inside-look-at-the-imf-world-bank-meetings-as-finance-leaders-navigate-a-geopolitically-fragmented-world/
YouTube Video GKso2TNpeMQ

What the IMF's October 2024 World Economic Outlook overlooked

At the intersection of economics, finance, and foreign policy, the GeoEconomics Center is a translation hub with the goal of helping shape a better global economic future.

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Content

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Mar 3, 2025

Financing the future: Unlocking private capital for global infrastructure and climate goals

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MDBs and international financial institutions alone cannot bridge the climate and development financing gaps.

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Mar 3, 2025

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Mar 3, 2025

Fragmentation and the role of the IMF

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Here's how the IMF can adapt to ensure that the international system has an effective insurance mechanism.

Economy & Business Financial Regulation

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Feb 25, 2025

Martin Mühleisen testifies to House Committee on Financial Services on the role of multilateral financial institutions in competition with China

By Martin Mühleisen

On February 25, Senior Fellow Martin Mühleisen testified to the House Committee on Financial Services at a hearing titled, "Examining Policies to Counter China" 

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Jan 3, 2025

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The answers to each of these questions will help determine the United States’ economic standing in the next twenty-five years.

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Dec 3, 2024

The IMF and World Bank did well under the first Trump administration. Will they again?

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The geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China has become more intense since Trump’s first term, which could affect how the incoming administration approaches the Bretton Woods institutions.

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