Coronavirus Fear; IMF - World Bank Spring Meetings Turns Virtual

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group agreed to change the 2020 IMF - World Bank Spring Meetings into a virtual format following the evolving situation regarding the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) and the human tragedy that consequently followed.

“Given growing health concerns related to the virus, the Management of the IMF and World Bank Group and their Executive Boards have agreed to implement a joint plan to adapt the 2020 IMF - World Bank Spring Meetings to a virtual format,” said Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and Mr. David Malpass, President of the World Bank Group in a joint statement issued on imf.org on Tuesday. 

They assert that this decision is made “to serve our membership effectively” while also ensuring the health and safety of Spring Meetings participants and staff.

“We remain fully committed to maintaining a productive dialogue with our stakeholders and will leverage our IT-related and virtual connection capabilities to the fullest to hold our essential policy consultations with the membership,” the IMF communications department stated in the written statement on Tuesday, March 3, in response to the global coronavirus development. 

ANTARA | IMF.ORG