The IMF and the World Bank
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the
World Bank are institutions in the United Nations
system. They share the same goal of raising
living standards in their member countries. Their
approaches to this goal are complementary, with
the IMF focusing on macroeconomic issues and
the World Bank concentrating on long-term
economic development and poverty reduction.
What are the purposes of the Bretton Woods
Institutions?
The International Monetary Fund and the World
Bank were both created at an international
conference convened in Bretton Woods, New
Hampshire, United States in July 1944. The goal
of the conference was to establish a framework
for economic cooperation and development that
would lead to a more stable and prosperous
global economy. While this goal remains central
to both institutions, their work is constantly
evolving in response to new economic
developments and challenges.
The IMF’s mandate. The IMF promotes
international monetary cooperation and provides
policy advice and capacity development support
to help countries build and maintain strong
economies. The IMF also makes loans and
helps countries design policy programs to solve
balance of payments problems when sufficient
financing on affordable terms cannot be
obtained to meet net international payments.
IMF loans are short and medium term and
funded mainly by the pool of quota contributions
that its members provide. IMF staff are primarily
economists with wide experience in
macroeconomic and financial policies.
The World Bank’s mandate. The World Bank
promotes long-term economic development and
poverty reduction by providing technical and
financial support to help countries reform certain
sectors or implement specific projects—such as
building schools and health centers, providing
water and electricity, fighting disease, and
protecting the environment. World Bank
assistance is generally long term and is funded
both by member country contributions and
through bond issuance. World Bank staff are
often specialists on particular issues, sectors, or
techniques.
Framework for cooperation
The IMF and World Bank collaborate regularly
and at many levels to assist member countries
and work together on several initiatives. In 1989,
the terms for their cooperation were set out in a
concordat to ensure effective collaboration in
areas of shared responsibility.
High-level coordination. During the Annual
Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the IMF
and the World Bank, Governors consult and
present their countries’ views on current issues
in international economics and finance. The
Boards of Governors decide how to address
international economic and financial issues and
set priorities for the organizations.
A group of IMF and World Bank Governors also
meet as part of the Development Committee,
whose meetings coincide with the Spring and
Annual Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank.
This committee was established in 1974 to
advise the two institutions on critical
development issues and on the financial
resources required to promote economic
development in low-income countries.
Management consultation. The Managing
Director of the IMF and the President of the
World Bank meet regularly to consult on major
issues. They also issue joint statements and
occasionally write joint articles, and have visited
several regions and countries together.
Collaboration. IMF and Bank staffs collaborate
closely on country assistance and policy issues
that are relevant for both institutions. The two
institutions often conduct country missions in
parallel and staff participate in each other’s
missions. IMF assessments of a country’s
general economic situation and policies provide
input to the Bank’s assessments of potential
development projects or reforms. Similarly, Bank
advice on structural and sectoral reforms is
considered by the IMF in its policy advice. The
staffs of the two institutions also cooperate on
the conditionality involved in their respective
lending programs.
The 2007 external review of Bank-Fund
collaboration led to a Joint Management Action
Plan on World Bank-IMF Collaboration (JMAP)
to further enhance the way the two institutions
work together. Under the plan, Fund and Bank
country teams discuss their country-level work
programs, which identify macroeconomic and
sectoral issues, the division of labor, and the
work needed in the coming year. A review of
Bank-Fund Collaboration underscored the
importance of these joint country team
consultations in enhancing collaboration.
To strengthen the IMF-WB collaboration at the
Board level, the President of the World Bank
addressed the IMF Board in late 2017, which was
followed by a presentation by the Managing
Director of IMF to the WB Board. Joint meetings of
Executive Directors of the two institutions are held
once or twice a year to exchange views and
capitalize on the strong complementarities in the
two institutions’ work
Reducing debt burdens. The IMF and World
Bank have also worked together to reduce the
external debt burdens of the most heavily
indebted poor countries under the Heavily
Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative and
the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI).
They continue to help low-income countries
achieve their development goals without creating
future debt problems. IMF and Bank staff jointly
prepare country debt sustainability analyses
under the Debt Sustainability Framework (DSF)
developed by the two institutions.
Reducing poverty. In 1999, the IMF and the
World Bank launched the Poverty Reduction
Strategy Paper (PRSP) approach as a key
component in the process leading to debt relief
under the HIPC Initiative and an important
anchor in concessional lending by the Fund and
the Bank. While PRSPs continue to underpin the
HIPC Initiative, the World Bank and the IMF
adopted in July 2014 and July 2015,
respectively, new approaches to country
engagement that no longer requires PRSPs. The
IMF streamlined its requirement for poverty
reduction documentation for programs supported
under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) or the
Policy Support Instrument (PSI).
Setting the stage for the 2030 development
agenda. Between 2004 and 2015 the IMF and
the Bank jointly published the annual Global
Monitoring Report (GMR), which assessed
progress towards meeting the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs). In 2015, with the
replacement of the MDGs with the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) under the 2030
Global Development Agenda, the IMF and the
Bank have actively engaged in the global effort
to support the Development Agenda. Each
institution has committed to new initiatives,
within their respective remits, to support member
countries in reaching their SDGs. They are also
working together to better assist the joint
membership, including through enhanced
support of stronger tax systems in developing
countries, and support of the G-20 Compact with
Africa to promote private investment in Africa.
Assessing financial stability. The IMF and the
World Bank are also working together to make
financial sectors in member countries resilient
and well regulated. The Financial Sector
Assessment Program (FSAP) was introduced in
1999 to identify the strengths and vulnerabilities
of a country's financial system and recommend
appropriate policy responses.
POSITIVE EFFECTS OF GLOBALIZATION.
It is not easier to discuss the extent of positive
globalization in the world. However, the positive
impacts have been experienced in various
societal demographic segments. For example
Global market
The privatization of industries owned by the
state has enabled the emerging markets to be
successful. Most of the companies are
increasing the consumer demand through
extension and expansion of their value chain to
international levels. As a result, the positive
effects of globalization are expressed by the
rising transactions across the borders.
Globalization has resulted in the formation of
multinational corporations. The concentration of
corporations in specific geographical economies
has led to investment in other new geographical
areas, where market competition is very high.
Due to increased competition, the corporations
continue to enlarge their market, in order to
enjoy the economies of scale. This is because
globalization enables economies to compete
fairly at all levels, hence attracting investors.
Competition
Competition in the market is largely due to
globalization. As a result, the positive effects
are visible, since global competition leads to
products of high quality. The enhanced quality
of both products and services are based on
production approaches of customer demands
and customer services.
For domestic companies to survive in the
market, they are forced to raise their customer
satisfaction levels, as well as their standards,
while fighting competition from foreign
companies. Besides, a global product must live
to its goodwill when it gets into a new country.
For example, the competition between Samsung
and Apple has raised the market standards, as
well as the customer service. Also, the two
brands are living on their goodwill to survive the
competition.
Culture
Globalization has resulted in numerous positive
effects on culture. There is no single civilization
that had all good practices. Instead, the coming
together of various cultures has made the world
today a better place. The welcoming of people
from various backgrounds and civilizations has
resulted in the creation of new cultures, thus
leading societal growth.
Fluctuation in prices
Globalization has led to increased market
competition, hence leading to fluctuation in
prices. For example, developed countries like
the USA have been forced to reduce their
products prices, because countries such as
China offer the same products at cheaper prices.
This is because the production cost in China is
lower than in the USA. As a result, for developed
countries like the US to withstand the
competition and have customers, they are forced
to lower their prices. The impact is adverse, as
the ability to sustain social welfare in the US
gets reduced.

Legal effects Job insecurity

Human rights have been improved as a result of
globalization since media coverage on violations
of the rights receives attention from all over the
world. It is through globalization that leaders
address inequalities since information and
openness get promoted. In most cases, the
result is enhanced prosperity and democracy.
Stable security
Due to globalization, most global economy jobs
are insecure and temporary. The impact is
mostly felt in developed countries since they can
outsource cheaper white collar and
manufacturing jobs. For example, wages and
manufacturing costs are lower in India and
China, making countries like US and UK to
outsource cheaper labor. The effect is people in
developed countries losing or having fewer jobs.

Although the effect cannot be seen directly,

globalization has contributed greatly in
enhancing the world security. For example, it is
extremely difficult to see two countries attacking
each other if the economy of one of the
countries depends largely on the economy of the
other country.

Irrespective of the many violence that is being

experienced in the world today, it is evidently
clear that if some countries were not depending
on each other’s economy, deadlier conflicts
could have or would occur, but all have been
halted by globalization.

NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF GLOBALIZATION

Environmental Damage

Increased production means increased

utilization of natural resources. Besides,
increased trade results to increased transport,
which uses fossil fuels. As a result, pollution has
increased, leading to climate change. The
changes in climate are now a serious threat to
humanity and the future of the world, all because
of globalization.