International Financial Institutions

International financial institutions, such as the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund, are a key pillar of the rules-based international order. These institutions facilitate multilateral solutions for today’s most pressing economic opportunities and risks. Bi-annual IMF/World Bank meetings also provide the Atlantic Council the opportunity to convene global policy makers to discuss the most pressing economic and societal challenges.

Featured Analysis

Linscott joins U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum to discuss “India’s Technical Barriers to Trade Briefing”

New Atlanticist Oct 7, 2025

How a weaker US dollar can help debt-burdened African countries

By Bart Piasecki

Trump’s drive to weaken the US dollar is having global side effects. For some African countries, it is helping to ease immediate fiscal pressures.
Africa Fiscal and Structural Reform
Linscott joins U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum to discuss “India’s Technical Barriers to Trade Briefing”

New Atlanticist Aug 4, 2025

Trump’s review of US membership in the IMF offers a rare chance for reform

By Martin Mühleisen

The institution needs its major shareholders aligned to tackle new challenges, and it deserves a management team qualified to lead it on this new path.
Economy & Business International Financial Institutions
Linscott joins U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum to discuss “India’s Technical Barriers to Trade Briefing”

Econographics May 12, 2025

Multilateralism under pressure: Takeaways from the 2025 IMF Spring Meetings

By Bart Piasecki

The 2025 IMF Spring Meetings unfolded against a backdrop of mounting geopolitical tensions, economic fragmentation, and rising doubts about the future of multilateral cooperation. Here are the key insights.
International Financial Institutions Macroeconomics

Content

Timely Commentary & Analysis

Sep 14, 2021

Linscott joins U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum to discuss “India’s Technical Barriers to Trade Briefing”

By Atlantic Council

Economy & Business India

SouthAsiaSource

Sep 13, 2021

Afghanistan’s economy is in free fall mode

By Farshid Hakimyar

On August 18, Ajmal Ahmadi, the former governor of Afghanistan’s Central Bank, tweeted about the bank’s balance sheet, citing that all DAB assets are safeguarded in the US Federal Reserve, the World Bank, and the Bank of International Settlements in the form of US Treasury bills, bonds, gold and cash–a total of $9.6 billion that, just one day before the collapse, the US government had frozen and banned from all financial transactions.

Afghanistan Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Sep 10, 2021

Afghanistan’s ex-central bank chief: The Taliban has money to ‘run an insurgency but not a government’

By Dan Peleschuk

At an Atlantic Council event, Ajmal Ahmady discussed how the Taliban must govern a country short on cash and mired in multiple crises.

Afghanistan Conflict

BelarusAlert

Sep 3, 2021

Broadening the pressure on the Lukashenka regime

By Daniel Fried

Recent news of fresh IMF financing for Belarus has sparked controversy at a time when the democratic world is seeking to impose sanctions on the country's Kremlin-backed dictator Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

Belarus European Union

In the News

Aug 30, 2021

Moehr quoted in ETF Trends about the rise of CBDCs

By Ole Moehr

Read the whole article here.

Digital Currencies Financial Regulation

In the News

Aug 27, 2021

Mark interviewed in Radio Free Europe on IMF SDR allocations to Belarus

By Jeremy Mark

Read the whole article here.

Belarus Economy & Business

EconoGraphics

Aug 23, 2021

IMF delivers fiscal firepower

By Niels Graham and William Howlett

On August 23 the IMF released a historic $650 billion allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs)

Inclusive Growth International Financial Institutions

In the News

Aug 19, 2021

Lipsky interviewed on NPR about denying the Taliban access to funds

By Josh Lipsky

Listen to the interview here.

Afghanistan Economy & Business

In the News

Aug 18, 2021

Lipsky op-ed on the Taliban’s access to IMF SDRs published in Wall Street Journal

By Josh Lipsky

Read the whole article here.

Afghanistan Economy & Business

In the News

Aug 18, 2021

Wechsler and Lipsky in The Wall Street Journal: “Will the IMF Bankroll the Taliban?”

By Atlantic Council

"The first real test of whether the Taliban will be accepted by the international community will happen in the IMF boardroom," write Josh Lipsky and William Wechsler in the WSJ.

Afghanistan Crisis Management
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Experts

Fellow

Neil Parekh

Senior Advisor

Freedom and Prosperity Center

Economy & Business Freedom and Prosperity

Fellow

Caroline Perrin

Nonresident Fellow

Freedom and Prosperity Center

Economy & Business English

Staff

Bart Piasecki

Assistant Director

GeoEconomics Center

Fiscal and Structural Reform International Financial Institutions

Fellow

Daniel H. Rosen

Nonresident Senior Fellow

GeoEconomics Center

China East Asia

Millennium fellow

Melissa Saphier

Associate Portfolio Strategist, Bridgewater Associates

Millennium Leadership Program

Economy & Business International Financial Institutions

Fellow

Elizabeth Shortino

Nonresident Senior Fellow

GeoEconomics Center

Economy & Business Inclusive Growth
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Events

Public Event Tue, April 7, 2026 • 11:30 am ET

Ajay Banga on the World Bank Group’s jobs agenda and global development

AN AC FRONT PAGE EVENT—Ajay Banga, president of the World Bank Group, discusses the World Bank Group’s role in supporting job creation and economic development in a fast-changing global economy.

Economy & Business International Financial Institutions
Online Event Mon, April 13, 2026 • 8:00 am ET

2026 IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings at the Atlantic Council

The Atlantic Council hosts a series of special events with finance ministers and central bank governors from around the globe during the 2026 spring meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
Economy & Business International Financial Institutions
Public Event Thu, April 16, 2026 • 9:30 am ET

Investing in Africa Forum
Africa Artificial Intelligence Critical Minerals Economy & Business