Press Release No. 10/350

Press Release: IMF Regional Advisory Groups to Hold First Joint Meeting During 2010 Annual Meetings

September 23, 2010

The Regional Advisory Groups of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will hold their first joint meeting on October 10 during the IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings to discuss with IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn and Senior Fund Management the different and common challenges in their regions. The groups from Africa, Asia and Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Central Asia, and Western Hemisphere were established last year as part of the Fund’s broader effort to strengthen its engagement with the membership.

“Past experience has shown that to be more effective, the IMF needs to deepen its understanding of the geo-political and socio-economic issues and concerns of the regions and individual countries,” IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn said. “The regional advisory groups provide an important channel to listen to prominent voices in the regions about the economic challenges and prospects. I am looking forward to fruitful discussions with the groups during the Annual Meetings.”

The groups, who are comprised of prominent experts—acting in their personal capacity—from the private and public sectors, as well as academia and civil society, have an independent, advisory function and bring different perspectives to the Fund’s work in the regions. Advice from these groups will provide valuable input to the IMF in its activities in the regions and policy dialogue with countries.

Following individual group meetings over the past year, this will be the groups’ first joint meeting.