The Standards and Codes Initiative (“Initiative”) has been identified as one of several building blocks for the overhaul of the global financial architecture after the Asian crisis in the late 1990s. Twelve policy areas were selected as key for sound financial systems and a framework for Reports on the Observance of Standard and Codes (ROSCs) was established and has been implemented by the Bank and the Fund for about a decade. Since the Initiative’s inception, a majority of member countries have had one or more ROSCs, although—in part due to the voluntary nature of ROSCs—the coverage is not fully complete. After peaking in 2003, the annual number of ROSCs completed has declined considerably. In particular, the number of fiscal transparency and data ROSCs has dropped, reflecting the downsizing of the Fund, and changes in departmental priorities. The reduction in financial sector ROSCs—generally done as a part of the Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP)—has been less, although fewer ROSCs have been done per FSAP. Revisions to the standards to incorporate the lessons from the crisis, the initiatives of the Financial Stability Board (FSB), and changes to financial surveillance are likely to have important implications for the future of the Initiative. In particular, the commitment by FSB members to undergo FSAPs every 5 years and the FSB’s framework to enhance adherence to international financial standards are likely to boost demand for financial sector ROSCs. These resource pressures impose a greater burden on the prioritization process, and strategic decisions will have to be made to augment resources for the Initiative or on where the resource cuts could come from in order to maintain adequate coverage of non-G20 countries.
This paper informs Executive Directors of the operational changes that are being made to the Fund’s work on Standards and Codes, to implement the Fund’s Medium-Term Strategy (MTS) and the recommendations of the 2005 IMF-World Bank review of the Standards and Codes Initiative. The changes aim at improving (i) the country coverage and prioritization of Reports on the Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSCs) to make more efficient use of resources, (ii) the integration of ROSCs with Fund surveillance and technical assistance, for a better use of ROSC findings and greater support of reform efforts, and (iii) the clarity and timeliness of ROSCs. The paper focuses on the actions that are being taken and does not elaborate on the rationales for the corresponding recommendations, which were discussed by Directors in the context of the MTS and 2005 Review. The actions being taken are summarized in Table 1. Many of the actions do not apply to ROSCs carried out under the aegis of the Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP), which are typically subject to a separate set of procedures under the FSAP, or to financial sector ROSCs of Offshore Financial Centers, which are conducted separately. According to the proposals in the MTS, the next review of the Standards and Codes Initiative would take place in 2010.
The standards and codes (S&C) initiative was launched in the aftermath of the emerging market crises of the 1990s as part of efforts to strengthen the international financial architecture, with a focus on emerging markets. The initiative has aimed at promoting international standards and codes to improve economic and financial resilience by assisting countries in strengthening their economic institutions and informing World Bank and IMF work. The four previous reviews confirmed a fairly high appreciation of the overall initiative, while also raising questions about the initiative’s link to surveillance and capacity development efforts, weak uptake by market participants, as well as a need to improve traction with policy makers. This review reaffirms the country authorities’ appreciation for S&C work, and its focus and scope are guided by the February 2017 paper.
This volume documents decisions, interpretations, and resolutions of the Executive Board and Board of Governors of the International Monetary Fund, as well as documents relating to the United Nations and other international organizations.
Financial crises have become an all too common occurrence over the past twenty years, largely as a result of changes in finance brought about by increasing internationalization and integration. As domestic financial systems and economies have become more interlinked, weaknesses can significantly impact not only individual economies but also markets, financial intermediaries, and economies around the world. This volume addresses the twin objectives of financial development in the context of financial stability and the role of law in supporting both. Financial stability (frequently seen as the avoidance of financial crisis) has become an objective of both the international financial architecture and individual economies and central banks. At the same time, financial development is now seen to play an important role in economic growth. In both financial stability and financial development, law and related institutions have a central role.
Focusing empirically on how political and economic forces are always mediated and interpreted by agents, both in individual countries and in the international sphere, Constructing the International Economy sets out what such constructions and what various forms of constructivism mean, both as ways of understanding the world and as sets of varying methods for achieving that understanding. It rejects the assumption that material interests either linearly or simply determine economic outcomes and demands that analysts consider, as a plausible hypothesis, that economies might vary substantially for nonmaterial reasons that affect both institutions and agents' interests. Constructing the International Economy portrays the diversity of models and approaches that exist among constructivists writing on the international political economy. The authors outline and relate several different arguments for why scholars might attend to social construction, inviting the widest possible array of scholars to engage with such approaches. They examine points of terminological or theoretical confusion that create unnecessary barriers to engagement between constructivists and nonconstructivist work and among different types of constructivism. This book provides a tool kit that both constructivists and their critics can use to debate how much and when social construction matters in this deeply important realm. Contributors: Rawi Abdelal, Harvard Business School; Jacqueline Best, University of Ottawa; Mark Blyth, Brown University; Mlada Bukovansky, Smith College; Jeffrey M. Chwieroth, London School of Economics; Francesco Duina, Bates College; Charlotte Epstein, University of Sydney; Yoshiko M. Herrera, University of Wisconsin–Madison; Paul Langley, Northumbria University; Craig Parsons, University of Oregon; Catherine Weaver, University of Texas at Austin; Wesley W. Widmaier, Saint Joseph's University; Cornelia Woll, CERI-Sciences Po Paris
The Thirty-Seventh Issue of Selected Decisions and Selected Documents of the International Monetary Fund includes decisions, interpretations, and resolutions of the Executive Board and the Board of Governors of the International Monetary Fund, as well as selected documents to which frequent reference is made in the current activities of the Fund. In addition, it includes documents relating to the IMF, the United Nations, and other international organizations.
The papers in this volume draw on background work done in preparation for the study Governance of the IMF: An Evaluation, Independent Evaluation Office, International Monetary Fund, May 28, 2008 (available at http://www.ieo-imf.org). This compilation presents in one collection the most recent work to date on the subject of governance of the IMF and contributes to the ongoing dialogue on how best to strengthen the governance of this important global institution. Good governance can contribute to the IMF’s legitimacy by ensuring appropriate voice and representation for the membership, by allowing the Fund to fulfill its mandates effectively and efficiently, and by facilitating accountability for relevant stakeholders. Three main conclusions follow from the studies in this volume. First, to strengthen its legitimacy and effectiveness, the Fund needs greater, higher level and more transparent involvement of member country authorities in its governance. Second, the Board needs to play a stronger role in strategy development and oversight, which requires a shift away from the day-to-day business of the organization. Finally, there are significant accountability gaps that need to be addressed if the IMF is to remain effective and regain legitimacy.