As the International Monetary Fund (IMF) conducts its once-in-a-decade review, the side event "The IMF Review of Conditionality: Putting the IMF’s Money Where Its Research Is" focused on how IMF loan programs can overcome past shortcomings and work better for people and communities, drawing from lessons from Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Sri Lanka.
As the IMF reviews how it designs loan programs, it’s now more important than ever to flag the gaps in such programs, including their misalignment with the institution’s own research. The session discussed the counter-productive nature of IMF programs’ reliance on cutting essential social spending, their failure to promote fair, progressive and growth-positive taxation, and their tendency to overlook how political realities affect policies. These shortcomings have harmed people in borrowing countries and weakened the very factors needed for economic growth, while introducing policies that can deepen and lengthen economic crises.
Speakers: Tim Hirschel-Burns, Rabie Nasser, Sarah Saadoun, and Timothy E. Kaldas.
Moderator: Hossein Cheaito.
This session was co-sponsored by Global Social Justice, Arab Watch Coalition, The International Trade Union Confederation, Arab NGO Network for Development, Wemos, Third World Network, TA’AFI Initiative, Noria Research, Gherbal Initiative, Egyptian Front for Human Rights, MENA Fem Movement for Economic, Development and Ecological Justice, Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors, Human Rights Watch, EuroMed Rights, Bretton Woods Project, Syrian Center for Policy Research, Center for Egyptian Women's Legal Assistance, Boston University Global Development Policy Center, Shirakat Foundation, Success Capital Africa, Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center, Refugee Platform Egypt, Arab Reform Initiative, Al Bawsala, The Sanaa Center for Strategic Studies, Egyptian Human Rights Forum, Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms, Recourse, and Eurodad.
The event took place at the Civil Society Policy Forum (CSPF), held during the 2026 Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG). The CSPF took place from 14 to 17 April 2026.
