This interim work program statement reflects the imperative of accelerating the process of reform that has been underway in the Fund for some time.

An unprecedented policy response and rapid progress in vaccinations have helped pull the global economy from a deep recession, but the outlook is marked by high uncertainty and great divergence. Against this background, the Fund continues its efforts to achieve a durable exit from the crisis, minimize long-term scarring, and build a more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive global economy. In line with the strategic directions laid out in the Spring 2021 Global Policy Agenda and the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) Communiqué, this Work Program puts forward a prioritized Board agenda focused on activities of most critical importance to our members.

This Work Program puts forward an IMF Board agenda focused on activities of critical importance to our members. In line with the strategic directions laid out in the Fall 2021 Global Policy Agenda and the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) Communiqué, the Work Program supports three policy priorities: (i) vaccinate the world to combat the pandemic everywhere; (ii) calibrate bilateral and multilateral policies to support the recovery and reduce scarring and divergences; and (iii) accelerate the transformation of the global economy to make it greener, more digital, and inclusive. To deliver on this agenda, it is also important to ensure that the Fund remains appropriately equipped to maintain its role at the center of the global financial safety net.

This Work Program (WP) translates the policy priorities and strategic directions laid out in the Spring 2017 Global Policy Agenda (GPA) and the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) Communiqué into an Executive Board agenda for the next twelve months. The Managing Director’s GPA, welcomed by the IMFC, called on members to continue using supportive policies based on a three-pronged approach to sustain the recovery, to work together within the multilateral framework toward strong and more balanced growth, and to provide economic opportunities for all. It outlined how the Fund would support the membership by promoting efforts to sustain the recovery, lift productivity and increase resilience, and by promoting sustainable policies toward a more inclusive global economy, while facilitating multilateral solutions to global challenges. Where the work extends beyond traditional areas, the WP will focus on macro-relevant issues that are systemically important or relevant for many countries and amenable to change through economic policies.

The COVID 19 crisis continues to take a heavy human and economic toll. The outlook remains highly uncertain as many countries are facing the economic fallout of the pandemic. This has led to an unprecedented surge in demand for Fund support and a strain on staff resources. Against this backdrop, and in line with the strategic priorities laid out in the Spring 2020 Global Policy Agenda and the International Monetary and Financial Committee Communiqué, this crisis focused Work Program (WP) lays out essential work during May to October aimed at helping countries to mitigate the crisis, restore stability, and prepare for a strong and sustainable recovery. The WP implies a large increase in Board items compared with last year, reflecting mostly informal and more frequent updates on how this rapidly evolving crisis affects economic and financial developments and relevant policies. Other work streams are delayed; they are outlined in the WP and will be included in the Board agenda once there is more clarity on how the evolution of the pandemic will impact crisis related work.

This Work Program (WP) translates the strategic directions and policy priorities laid out in the Fall 2017 Global Policy Agenda (GPA) and the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) Communiqué into an Executive Board agenda for the next twelve months, with a focus on the next six months. The Managing Director’s GPA, fully supported by the IMFC, called on members to take advantage of the window of opportunity from the more favorable conjuncture to tackle key policy challenges by undertaking well-sequenced reforms to increase productivity, reduce policy uncertainty and future risks, and improve governance. Reforms should also aim to harness the benefits of technology and economic integration and ensure that their benefits are widely shared. Tackling challenges to the global economy continues to require cooperation and joint action across the membership.

The Managing Director’s Global Policy Agenda (GPA) presented to the IMFC last month highlights the challenges associated with a rapidly changing and uncertain world. The limited room for policy maneuver and the need to adapt to new realities pose difficult trade-offs between supporting demand and current activity, reducing financial risks as financial conditions tighten, and implementing needed structural reforms to revive growth. Against this backdrop the GPA called to support growth today, invest in resilience and safeguard financial stability, improve the sustainability of the public finances, implement the structural reforms needed for sustainable and inclusive medium-term growth, and secure the effectiveness of the 2010 reforms. This document translates the policy priorities and strategic directions laid out in the Fall 2015 GPA and the IMFC communiqué into an Executive Board agenda for the next twelve months. The key focus of this agenda is to continue to refine and adapt the Fund’s core activities?surveillance, lending, and capacity building?to the challenges faced by member countries. The 2015 Work Program continues the implementation of the 2014 Triennial Surveillance Review (TSR) recommendations and underpins a broader effort of the Fund to respond to the needs of the membership in an even more agile, integrated, and member-focused manner.