IMF-World Bank Week at the Atlantic Council - Atlantic Council

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Key moments

"We want multilateralism, but we are not waiting for it. We are going ahead with bilateral," India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told the Atlantic Council's Michael Kugelman.

She spoke about India's approach to trade and trade agreements during the IMF-World Bank annual meetings in Bangkok, Thailand.

For more, watch the full event.

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India's finance minister on multilateralism, bilateral agreements, and trade

"The bond market is doing its job putting pressure on French politicians to behave."

France's Finance Minister Roland Lescure warns his potential successors: "You're going to inherit the office. You're also going to inherit one of two things. Either a budget...or a mess."

He was speaking to the Atlantic Council's Charles Lichfield at the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok. For more, watch the full conversation.

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French finance minister on the bond market's political "pressure"

At the 2026 IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde spoke to Atlantic Council Vice President and Chair of International Economics Josh Lipsky on Europe's digital future.

For more, watch the full event.

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ECB President Christine Lagarde on European payment sovereignty

Step into the ring with the Atlantic Council's Josh Lipsky as he breaks down the emerging fight in the global bond markets and the impact on households, with the help of Thai fighters at the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok.

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Who will win the battle of the bonds?

"In terms of all our partners who have helped us on the aid side, we want to move from aid to trade and investment," Pakistan's Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb told the Atlantic Council's Michael Kugelman when asked how his country would navigate the changing aid landscape.

They spoke at the 2026 IMF-World Bank Annual meetings in Bangkok, Thailand.

For more, watch the full event.

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Pakistan's Finance Minister on moving "from aid to trade and investment"

At the 2026 IMF–World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok, the @imf @WorldBankGroup and @BankofThailandofficial launched the Bangkok Blueprint, a new framework to help countries prevent, detect, and respond to the growing threat of cyber-enabled fraud in digital financial services.

The Atlantic Council's Josh Lipsky moderated the event, where IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva emphasized that the initiative will become part of the “lasting legacy of these meetings.”

Launching is just the first step. Georgieva outlined how the IMF, World Bank, and international partners can translate the framework into meaningful action through stronger regulation, international coordination, and measurable progress in combating financial fraud.

For more, watch the full event.

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IMF's Kristalina Georgieva: the Bangkok Blueprint to prevent fraud will be a “lasting legacy"

At the Atlantic Council's IMF-World Bank studio in Bangkok, Thailand, Deputy Governor for Financial Stability at the Bank of England Sarah Breeden spoke about the potential uses of artificial intelligence in central banks.

For more, watch the full conversation.

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Bank of England's Sarah Breeden on AI and the future of financial oversight

Go behind the scenes with Atlantic Council GeoEconomics Center's Juliet Lancey for an exclusive look at the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings venue and the Atlantic Council's studio in Bangkok, Thailand.

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A behind-the-scenes look at the Atlantic Council studio in Bangkok, Thailand

At the Atlantic Council's 2026 IMF-World Bank Week studio in Bangkok, Thailand, Palestine Monetary Authority Governor Yahya Shunnar spoke about Palestinian financial resilience and his views on dollar- and shekel-backed stablecoins.

For more, watch the full conversation.

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Palestine Monetary Authority Governor Yahya Shunnar on stablecoins

Is AI a bubble? How could the war in the Middle East affect the US economy?

Global economic leaders from 190 countries are in Bangkok, Thailand this week for the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings to address some of the biggest economic issues of our time.

So what questions do people in Washington have about the economy? We took your questions to our Atlantic Council GeoEconomic Center experts Martin Mühleisen and Hung Tran in Bangkok.

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AC on the Streets: We answer your economic questions from Bangkok, Thailand

At the 2026 IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings, Megan Greene, external member of the Monetary Policy Committee at the Bank of England, spoke with Atlantic Council Vice President & Chair of International Economics Josh Lipsky on pressure on central banks and the importance of central bank independence for effective monetary policy.

For more, watch the full event.

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The Bank of England's Megan Greene on the importance of central bank independence

At the 2026 IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, spoke with Atlantic Council Vice President & Chair of International Economics Josh Lipsky on the outlook for global merchandise trade, highlighting artificial intelligence (AI) as a potential driver of growth in international commerce.

For more, watch the full event here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRkTw8Fk85I

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World Trade Organization Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on global merchandise trade

Next week, the world's Central Bank governors and finance ministers are gathering for the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings. And this year, the meetings are traveling from Washington, DC, all the way to Thailand. The decisions made during this week impact every person on the planet, and the Atlantic Council will be there to break it all down for you from our studio and content hub at the heart of the official venue in Bangkok.

For key takeaways, sign up for our Bangkok Briefing newsletter here: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/imf-world-bank-week/#stay-updated

And for all of the conversations and analysis happening live and at your fingertips, download our IMF-World Bank Week app: https://link.atlanticcouncil.org/download-the-app

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Join the Atlantic Council at the IMF-World Bank Annual meetings in Bangkok

Ahead of the IMF-World Bank Week meetings in Thailand, we’re launching a new series of issue briefs and interviews examining the biggest economic questions facing the global economy.

In our first interview, Associate Director Jessie Yin speaks with Amin Mohseni-Cheraghlou about his new issue brief, “ASEAN-5 in an era of geoeconomic realignment: Opportunities and risks in a fragmenting global economy.”

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Road to Bangkok: ASEAN-5 in an era of geoeconomic fragmentation

Thailand’s Deputy Finance Minister Santitarn Sathirathai says foreign direct investment (FDI) can help Thailand grow by strengthening local businesses, skills, and jobs.

Speaking to the Atlantic Council during the IMF–World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok, he draws lessons from a previous wave of investment that helped build Thailand’s automotive industry and shifted its economy from agriculture toward manufacturing.

For more, watch the full event.

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How can Thailand take advantage of a new wave of foreign investment?

"Multilateralism works" is European Investment Bank President Nadia Calviño's message at the 2026 IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok.

She tells the Atlantic Council's Josh Lipsky that Europe will "continue to carry the flag of peace and multilateralism and all these values that have guided us for the past 80 years."

For more, watch the full conversation.

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"Multilateralism works," says European Investment Bank's Nadia Calviño

In the heart of the official venue, the Atlantic Council welcomed central bank governors, finance minsters, and economic leaders from around the world for over 50 events across 5 days of high-level programming at the 2026 IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok, Thailand.

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Inside IMF-World Bank Week in Bangkok: Highlights from the Atlantic Council in Thailand

Top takeaways

The Atlantic Council partnered with BanterBox on an AI-assisted synthesis of the common themes across five days and twenty-two hours of our high-level conversations and coverage in Thailand during the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings.

Explore the interactive

Events

Select a day, then choose a session to watch on demand.

Bangkok briefings

At the 2026 IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings, Mahesh Uttamchandani, Regional Practice Director for Digital and AI in the East Asia and Pacific and South Asia at the World Bank Group spoke with the GeoEconomics Center's Alisha Chhangani on the opportunities and progress on small AI in Asia.

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The World Bank Group's Mahesh Uttamchandani on small AI in Asia

Leslie Maasdorp, Chief Executive Officer of UK development finance institution British International Investment, explores the barriers preventing capital from reaching frontier markets, what it will take to unlock greater private investment and how development finance institutions can help turn investment potential into meaningful impact at the 2026 IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok, Thailand.

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BII's Leslie Maasdorp on unlocking capital for frontier markets

At the 2026 IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok, Thailand, Director of Strategy and Operations of the People Vice Presidency at the World Bank Group Dena Ringold spoke with the GeoEconomics Center's Juliet Lancey on the current state of public-private partnerships around the world and the importance of collaboration between the two in improving lives.

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The World Bank Group's Dena Ringold on public-private collaboration

Doron Avni, Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy for Emerging Markets, spoke with the GeoEconomic Center's Jessie on AI's growth potential in emerging markets and his message to governments.

Google is a partner of the Atlantic Council GeoEconomics Center.

For more, follow our programming throughout the week: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/imf-wb-week-app/

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Google's Doron Avni on AI in emerging economies

At the 2026 IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in 2026, KPMG's Mark Fitzgerald spoke with the GeoEconomics Center's Juliet Lancey on development finance and the opportunity for AI to accelerate development. KPMG is a partner of the Atlantic Council GeoEconomics Center.

KPMG is a partner of the Atlantic Council GeoEconomics Center.

For more, follow our programming throughout the week: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/imf-wb-week-app/

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KPMG's Mark Fitzgerald on accelerating development

In this Bangkok Briefings episode, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNOPS Jorge Moreira da Silva spoke with Atlantic Council Senior Fellow for South Asia Michael Kugelman at IMF-World Bank Week in Bangkok, Thailand.

They discussed urgent priorities for disaster recovery, how to build more disaster-resilient healthcare systems and the role of the international community in supporting long-term preparedness.

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Executive Director of UNOPS Jorge Moreira da Silva on building resilience in a time of crisis

Stellar Development Foundation Chief Legal Officer Candace Kelly spoke with GeoEconomics Center Associate Director Alisha Chhangani on anticipatory finance and increasing access to tokenized assets at the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok, Thailand.

Stellar Development Foundation is a partner of the Atlantic Council GeoEconomics Center.

For more, follow our programming throughout the week: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/imf-wb-week-app/

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Stellar Development Foundation's Candace Kelly on tokenization and financial inclusion

At the 2026 IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok, Thailand, Winnie Wong, Mastercard Country Manager for Thailand and Myanmar, spoke with the GeoEconomics Center about fighting fraud and building trust in increasingly digital economies.

Mastercard is a partner of the Atlantic Council GeoEconomics Center.

For more, follow our programming throughout the week: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/imf-wb-week-app/

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Mastercard's Winnie Wong on digital services and growth

Simon Weaver, Global Head of Sustainability Advisory at KPMG, spoke with the GeoEconomic Center's Juliet Lancey on how climate adaptations can drive innovation and growth, and the importance of mitigation against climate impacts.

KPMG is a partner of the Atlantic Council GeoEconomics Center.

For more, follow our programming throughout the week: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/imf-wb-week-app/

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KPMG's Simon Weaver on climate adaptation as an economic opportunity

At the Atlantic Council studio in Bangkok, Thailand, World Bank Group Department for Outcomes Director Lisandro Martín spoke with the GeoEconomics Center's Juliet Lancey on private capital mobilization, and what the World Bank Group can do to unlock investment in emerging economies through its jobs agenda.

For more, follow the Atlantic Council's programming throughout the week: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/imf-wb-week-app/

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The World Bank Group's Lisandro Martín on private capital mobilization

All in one place

Atlantic Council’s IMF-World Bank Week app

Available now on the Apple App store, Google Play store, and as a web app.

Analysis

EconoGraphics

Live updates from the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Thailand as financial leaders take on AI, debt, and geopolitical upheaval

By Atlantic Council experts

Our experts are on the ground talking to leaders and getting the behind-the-scenes scoop on how the Bretton Woods institutions are taking on the most urgent challenges in the global economy.

Economy & Business Energy & Environment

Issue briefs

IMF-World Bank Week at the Atlantic Council

Issue Brief Oct 6, 2026

The new geoeconomics of Bretton Woods

By Amin Mohseni-Cheraghlou, Martin Mühleisen, Nicole Goldin, Hung Tran, and Nisha Narayanan

Trade, investment, technology, finance, energy, and critical minerals are increasingly intertwined with national security. But globalization is not ending—it is becoming more contested and fragmented.

Economy & Business

IMF-World Bank Week at the Atlantic Council

Issue Brief Aug 3, 2026

ASEAN-5 in an era of geoeconomic realignment: Opportunities and risks in a fragmenting global economy

By Amin Mohseni-Cheraghlou

ASEAN-5 is poised to become an increasingly important engine of global growth, supported by young populations, improving human capital, abundant resources, and deep integration into global supply chains. Yet fragmentation, trade tensions, climate risks, infrastructure gaps, and regulatory constraints could limit this potential, making coordinated reforms essential to securing resilient and sustained regional economic progress.

East Asia Economy & Business

Econographics

IMF-World Bank Week at the Atlantic Council

Econographics Sep 28, 2026

The IMF’s big test in Bangkok

By Martin Mühleisen

The IMF is heading to Bangkok with plenty on its plate. From China’s industrial policy to US fiscal deficits and Europe’s economic challenges, the annual meetings will put the Fund’s global mandate in the spotlight.

Economy & Business International Financial Institutions

IMF-World Bank Week at the Atlantic Council

Econographics Sep 22, 2026

To achieve its next economic leap, Vietnam needs to move beyond the factory floor

By Amin Mohseni-Cheraghlou

Vietnam’s export-driven growth has been remarkable. But with domestic firms capturing relatively little of the value, Hanoi now needs to turn foreign investment into broader gains at home.

Economy & Business South Asia

IMF-World Bank Week at the Atlantic Council

Econographics Sep 15, 2026

The Philippines needs to turn fast growth into productive growth

By Amin Mohseni-Cheraghlou

The Southeast Asian nation has proved it can grow. Now, amid shifting supply chains and rising geopolitical tensions, it must prove it can grow more productively.

Economy & Business Indo-Pacific

IMF-World Bank Week at the Atlantic Council

Econographics Sep 9, 2026

The five issues to watch at next month’s IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings

By Hung Tran

From soaring debt to trade fragmentation and AI disruption, the global economy faces no shortage of challenges. Here are the five issues to watch at next month’s fall meetings.

Economy & Business Inclusive Growth

IMF-World Bank Week at the Atlantic Council

Econographics Aug 21, 2026

From manufacturing to AI, Thailand must reinvent its growth model

By Amin Mohseni-Cheraghlou

Thailand is at an economic crossroads. Slowing growth and rising structural pressures are exposing the limits of its manufacturing-led model. Can EVs, green industries, and AI drive its next phase of growth?

East Asia Economy & Business

IMF-World Bank Week at the Atlantic Council

Econographics Aug 14, 2026

Indonesia has all that it takes to move up the value chain

By Amin Mohseni-Cheraghlou

Ahead of the 2026 IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings, Indonesia has a chance to showcase its growing economic clout. The challenge is turning its natural resources, young population, and strategic position into lasting productivity gains.

Economy & Business South Asia

Past meetings

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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.