Washington: The Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank will be conducted in hybrid format this year, after going completely virtual in the wake of COVID-19 in 2020.
“The 2021 Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will take place from Monday, October 11, through Sunday, October 17,” the IMF announced in a release on Tuesday.
While some members will be attending in person, all public events and press conferences will be virtual, the IMF informed. The IMF and WBG buildings will only be open to essential staff, and select Ministers/Governors and delegates attending the Meetings.
‘The International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) and Development Committee (DC) meetings will be held in a hybrid format and their members invited to attend in person. All public and by-invitation-only events—including the Program of Seminars and other public events, ministerial meetings, CSO engagements, and press conferences—will be virtual and accessible on IMF and World Bank digital platforms. To accommodate time differences, events may take place outside of the principal week,” the release added.
The IMF and WBG are also prepared for any change in the plan if the situation demands so. They will “continue to monitor the worldwide epidemiological situation” and if needed, amend this plan in accordance with relevant (WHO and CDC) guidance, the IMF said.
