As the global economy enters a more volatile and uncertain phase, the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) – the IMF’s key decision-shaping forum – has become a critical venue for charting a collective response to mounting global economic challenges. At the 2025 IMF Annual Meeting, Dr. Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the IMF joined Hon. Mohammed Al-Jadaan, Minister of Finance of Saudi Arabia and Chair of the IMFC, to discuss key policy priorities and some of the most pressing vulnerabilities facing their 191 member countries.
“Let me highlight three areas where our membership agrees we need to make it a priority for the work ahead. First, strengthening fundamentals. This means rebuilding fiscal buffers, bringing down debt levels, and investing in strong institutions and policy frameworks, so we can keep macroeconomic and financial stability in check. Second, taking determined steps to durably boost growth; this was a very present theme across all discussions. How to do that? Embracing regulatory housecleaning to unlock private sector potential as the main objective to get dynamism and lift up productive and growth. Third, reducing excessive global imbalances. We talked about it in the spring; at that time we got a homework to do much more work in this area. And we continue to see an understanding across the membership, that we need a more balanced world economy, boosting demand in surplus countries, consolidating in deficit countries. It is a global issue, but the work has to be done at home. And finally, in this world of heightened uncertainty, members expressed support for the role of the Fund and expectation that the Fund will be an anchor of stability,” said Kristalina.
These priorities build on a shared understanding among IMFC members of both the urgency and complexity of the moment. Alongside efforts to strengthen fundamentals, unlock growth, and reduce imbalances, members have also emphasized the need for concrete institutional measures – from reinforcing the IMF’s financial base and advancing Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT) reforms, to expanding capacity development, stepping up coordinated action on debt vulnerabilities, and pursuing targeted reforms from program design and conditionality to streamlined operations. These steps are intended to give the Fund the flexibility and tools it needs to respond effectively in an environment of persistent uncertainty. It is against this backdrop that IMFC Chair Mohammed Al-Jadaan underscored the broader economic transformation underway, and the need for collective resolve to navigate it.
“At this time, the global economy is undergoing a profound transformation, bringing uncertainty and challenges, but also offering tremendous opportunities. In this environment, we need to work closely together as a multilateral institution to adapt sound policies that foster confidence, build resilience and safeguard macroeconomic and financial stability. The outlook are tilted to the downside, with low growth and excessive global imbalances. Importantly, it is imperative that we work towards a lasting peace around the world to support sustainable growth and long-term stability,” concluded Al-Jadaan.
