IMF and World Bank face stability tests at Bangkok meetings

The upcoming IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok will take place amidst significant global instability, including geopolitical tensions and economic imbalances. Key challenges facing the meetings include rising energy prices and inflation driven by conflict in Iran, as well as food price volatility and European uncertainty resulting from the war in Ukraine.

While the IMF projects global growth to remain at or above 3 percent for the current and following year, several risks persist. These include stretched financial valuations, the emergence of artificial intelligence risks, and widening global trade imbalances. Furthermore, increasing political polarization in advanced economies and a decline in multilateral cooperation among major powers may hinder the IMF’s ability to manage future economic shocks and enforce its mandate of promoting international monetary cooperation.