The 2022 IMF/World Bank Group Annual Meetings: Unity in a time of crises
As we prepare for the upcoming IMF-World Bank Group Annual meetings, the impacts of the ongoing economic crisis continue to bear down on nearly all facets of the global economy - pushing more people into poverty and impacting lives and incomes around the world. The pandemic has forced roughly 70 million more people into extreme poverty and global median incomes declined for the first time since measurements began in 1990.
Further complicating these global development challenges are the effects of the high food, fuel, and fertilizer prices rippling through the supply chains of an interconnected world, creating global disruptions and battering incomes and livelihoods - especially among the poorest and most vulnerable populations around the globe.
It is amid these many overlapping crises that we approach the Annual Meetings. If the previous Spring Meetings worked to strengthen the case for global collective action and showcase the role international development agencies like the World Bank Group and the IMF can play to overcome ongoing global challenges, this year’s Annual Meetings will serve as lodestar for how to not just address the overlapping crises development is facing today - but create the conditions necessary to avoid their recurrence going forward.
In his speech at Stanford University on September 28, 2022, framing the context for this engagement, World Bank Group President David Malpass addressed the crisis facing development today and outlined a series of critical areas where intervention by the global development community could have the biggest impact on helping overcome this crisis and any that should follow. Among those areas were a need to increase spending on education and health preparedness, adjust macroeconomic policies to improve the allocation of global capital, and intensify efforts to make concessional finance and grants for climate initiatives more available.
The President also highlighted the unprecedented efforts undertaken by the Bank Group to respond to these calls to action. In Fiscal Year 2022, the institution deployed a record $115 billion in financing to support countries in bolstering their responses to COVID-19 and other health concerns; boosted education systems to better respond to the challenges of online learning and prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow; delivered $31.7 billion in climate financing; and mobilized $13 billion in emergency financing from partners to respond to the war in Ukraine.
This sets the context for the 2022 IMF-World Bank Group Annual Meetings - which will bring together stakeholders from around the globe to discuss the way forward for development and outline key actions to meet this moment. For the first time in more than two years, this year’s Annual Meetings will take place in person.
The blog that follows is itself a roadmap, offering information on the weeklong meetings and providing opportunities to engage throughout this week. Find out how to follow events on inclusive growth, climate, the food and fuel crises, and education. Join David Malpass and Kristalina Georgieva as they address multiple crises in an era of volatility and watch the Opening Press Conference. And learn how to participate throughout the week through online polls, in-person quizzes, virtual Q&A, social media engagement and beyond. Join us for the entire week, starting on October 10.
Our World Bank Live platform houses all of the most current information for our Annual Meetings , including: live events; polls and surveys; on-demand viewing of previous events; updates in real time and; content to engage with speakers and events throughout the meetings.
Below you can find a rundown of the key events throughout the week of our Annual Meetings. You’ll find the full schedule here.
Access all of these events and accompanying activities in the following languages:
Events
MONDAY, October 10 | 8:30 AM EDT
The Way Forward: Addressing Multiple Crises in an Era of Volatility
TUESDAY, October 11 | 1:30 PM EDT
Inclusive Growth: The Key to a Lasting Recovery
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11 | 4:00 PM EDT
A Shortage of Life’s Essentials: The Human Cost of the Food and Fuel Crises
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12 | 1:45-2:15 PM EDT
Second Ministerial Roundtable Discussion for Support to Ukraine
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12 | 4:00 PM EDT
At the Heart of a Resilient Future: Investing in Education for Our Children and Youth
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13 | 8:45 AM EDT
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13 | 3:00 PM EDT
Investing in People and Planet: Financing the Low-carbon, Resilient Transition
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15 | 3:00 PM EDT
Panel Discussion: Protecting Human Capital Amidst a Global Food Crisis
* Engage with all of these events by taking our unique polls (found on each event page) and by voting on which questions you would most like to hear addressed by our panelists. Learn more here.
Get Social
Throughout the meetings, we will be tweeting live information and updates on our social media channels in English, Arabic, French and Spanish – including unique hashtags for each individual event. Share, like, and retweet!
Hashtags:
Annual Meetings 2022 Hashtag: #ResilientFuture
Inclusive Growth: The Key to a Lasting Recovery: #Growth4All
The Human Cost of the Food and Fuel Crises: #FoodFuel4All
Investing in Education for Our Children and Youth: #EndLearningPoverty
Financing the Low-carbon, Resilient Transition: #PeopleAndClimate
Follow Us on Twitter
David Malpass, President, World Bank Group @DavidMalpassWBG
Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director, IMF (@KGeorgieva)
Makhtar Diop, Managing Director, IFC (@Diop_IFC)
Mari Pangestu, Managing Director, Development Policy and Partnerships, World Bank Group (@Mari_Pangestu)
Axel Von Trotsenburg, Managing Director for Operations, World Bank Group (@AxelVT_WB)
Indermit Gill, Vice President and World Bank Group Chief Economist (@IndermitGill)
You can also follow across a number of other channels, including: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,
Join Our Social Media Wall
We want to hear from you and feature your takes on our Social Media wall. The Digital Media Zone returns to the Atrium of the World Bank Main Complex to welcome you and all of our visitors. If you are in Washington, D.C., please stop by and take your photo at our Annual Meetings 2022-branded wall and share your support for a #ResilientFuture online. You can also participate in our Development Genius challenge to test your international development knowledge. Check the Social Media wall to see if your posts or photos have made it there.
If you are not here, no worries. You can still participate, add your voice, and support our mission for a #ResilientFuture from wherever you are. Use our Instagram and Facebook Annual Meetings 2022 filters below to take your photo, post it online, tag the country you are watching from, and tag our channels.
Be a Development Genius
Are you an expert in development? Join in person in our Main Complex, where we would like to challenge you and give you an opportunity to test your knowledge with our Development Genius Quiz. Compare your results with other contestants and share your results using #ResilientFuture for a chance to be featured on our @WorldBank channel.
Take QUIZ
Subscribe to our newsletter
Don’t miss an update by joining our mailing list for special news and updates about the 2022 World Bank Group-IMF Annual Meetings. This will be the space to find news, updates, and recaps of all of our events. By subscribing to our newsletter, you will also receive updates on all World Bank Group news, events, and announcements throughout the year. Click here to subscribe.
Got Questions?
We're here to answer them. This is how you can reach us.
Join the Conversation