The G20 agreement is significant and will support the immediate Covid-19 response. But the breathing space it provides countries may be short-lived.

The world is facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis triggered by the outbreak of COVID-19. As the Bretton Woods Institutions (BWIs) deliver their virtual Spring Meetings, there are strong calls for an ambitious response.

As the world grapples with responding to the Covid-19 pandemic, this blog explores the key issues for countries in the global south.

On 13 April, the IMF announced an initiative to provide debt relief for a selected group of 25 countries. 

On World Health Day, amid an unprecedented global crisis, more than 100 organisations are calling for developing country debt to be cancelled to fight the Covid-19 health and economic crisis.

El costo humano y económico de la crisis causada por COVID-19 es un claro recordatorio de la fragilidad de nuestra sociedad globalizada.

#Covid-19 #Debt #LIEs #LatinAmerica #IMF #WB #WorldBank #CIDSE #GPF #JobVacancy

This briefing is provided to inform development of policy responses to the Covid-19 crisis and in support of calls from wider civil society for debt cancellations for the world’s poorest countries in the face of the current crisis. 

The IMF and WB are calling on the G20 to support debt relief for impoverished countries in the face of the Covid-19 outbreak. But the institutions must break with the past to ensure debt relief fulfils its purpose.

This briefing provides an assessment of the costs and implications of an immediate debt moratorium for 69 countries classified as Lower Income Economies.