New Rules begins building IMF NGO Network

News Press ReleasesNew Rules begins building IMF NGO Network

As New Rules continues to push IMF reform, we hope to do so in unison with civil society organizations from low-income countries. To achieve this, New Rules is developing a network of CSOs that are educated about the IMF, monitor its actions, and advocate to change its behavior so it supports the rights of the poor. Right now this is exploratory. As you may or may not know, trying to find funds to do this kind of work has become extremely difficult, but we are going to try—PROVIDED there is real need or demand from organizations in low-income countries and the Global South.

Based on our work over many years, New Rules for Global Finance suggests that such a network would have 4 aspects:

1. Some education on how the IMF functions, including important decision moments.

2. Country-specific information some organizations want or need but cannot find on their own.

Advocacy in Washington that supports the efforts in-country on specific Article IV or specific loans and loan programs (conditions)
As an international network, advocacy vis-à-vis other major donors or powers within the IMF

3. General policies of the IMF

Governance, including allocation of votes (and voice) according to a (hopefully better) quota formula
Adequate funds for low income countries to borrow what they need at no or very low costs—this money comes from donors directly to the Fund and is located in facilities such as the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT)
Monitoring the IMPACT of conditions attached to loans or the policies required by the annual review (surveillance) of a country
Collaborating with various campaigns such as those for debt reduction from the IMF
Pushing for accountability of the Fund for its actions, recommended policies

4. Poverty Impact Assessments of Macro-economic Policies

Testing a new approach that the IMF and national governments and in-country think-tanks, Parliaments, NGOs, Academics can use to anticipate the costs and benefits of macro-economic policies—
by type of product (agricultural, service, manufacturing), whether it is used in-country or exported; by type of worker (rural—landless, production for family only, production for domestic or for external markets) and urban (informal or formal; manufacturing, service)
We have been working for several years to find a way to do this that both the government and local institutions can test different policies to choose which would be least harmful (or maybe even helpful!) to the poorest.
This will be tested at the earliest in 2013.

These are New Rules’ ideas; they are NOT the final answer. There may be interest in other actions or agendas, depending on your feedback. We cannot tell you there will be new money available to do this work. That would be a false promise.

We are talking with other networks such as the Bretton Woods Project in London, EURODAD in Brussels and AFRODAD in Africa. If you or your organization is interested in joining this network, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Current partners in this initiative

Country	Organization
Albania	Urban Research Institute
Albania	Centre for Development and Democratization of Institutions (CDDI)
Argentina	Civil Association for Equity and Justice
Azerbaijan	Oil Workers Rights’ Protection Organization Public Union
Azerbaijan	Caucasus Research Resource Center
Bosnia Herzegovina	Center for Investigative Reporting
Botswana	Centar za istraživačko novinarstvo (CIN) (Center for Investigative Reporting)
Burundi	Cadre Burundais de l’Audit Social
Cambodia	SILAKA
Cameroon	Budget Information Centre (BIC)
Cameroon	Association Voies Nouvelles
Chad	Groupe de Recherches Alternatives et de Monitoring du Projet Pétrole Tchad-Cameroun (GRAMP-TC)
Chile	Fundacion Jaime Guzmn E. (Jaime Guzman Foundation)
Columbia	Foro Joven
Democratic Republic of the Congo	Coalition Dette Extérieure de la RDC (CDE/RDC)
Democratic Republic of the Congo	Forum Social RDCongo (FSC)
Dominican Republic	Fundacion Solidaridad
Ecuador	Grupo FARO (Foundation for the Advancement of Reforms and Opportunities)
Egypt	Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR)
El Salvador	Fundacion Maquilishuatl
Fiji	Transparency International Fiji
Ghana	Ghana Integrity Initiative
Ghana	Youth Empowerment for Africa (YEA)
Ghana	Social Enterprise Development Foundation of West Africa (SEND Foundation)
Guatemala	Instituto Centro Americano De Estudios Fiscales (ICEFI)
Honduras	Civil Society Group (GSC)
Honduras	Instituto Centroamericano de Estudios Fiscales (ICEFI)
Indonesia	Perkumpulan Inisiatif
Israel	Friends of the Earth Middle East
Kenya	Jamaa Resources Initiatives
Kyrgyzstan	UNISON – Civic Environmental Foundation
Kyrgyzstan	Economic Policy Institute “Bishkek Consensus”
Kyrgyzstan	Secretariat to the Investment Council under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic
Lebanon	Arab NGO Network for Development
Macedonia	Centre for Research and Policy Making
Malawi	Malawi Economic Justice Network (MEJN)
Malawi	The Catholic Center for Social Concern in Malawi
Malawi	Consumer Association of Malawi (CAMA)
Mali	Groupe de recherche en économie appliquée et théorique
Mexico	Interamerican Development Bank
Mongolia	Center for Human Rights and Development
Mongolia	OT Watch
Montenegro	The Network for Affirmation of the NGO Sector
Morocco	Transparency Maroc
Morocco	Democratic Confederation of Labour (CDT)
Mozambique	Mozambique Foundation for Community Development (FDC)
Mozambique	Fórum Mulher
Mozambique	Crozeiro do Sul Instituto de Investigação para o Desenvolvimento
Mozambique	Centro de Integridade Publica (CIP)
Nepal	Freedom Forum
Niger	Alternative Espaces Citoyens (AEC)
Nigeria	Initiative for Food, Environment and Healthy Society
Nigeria	Nigeria Network of NGOs (NNNGO)
Norway	Norwegian Coalition for Debt Cancellation
Philippines	Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ)
Russia	St. Petersburg Humanities and Political Studies Center
Rwanda	Collectif des Ligues et Associations de Dfense des Droits de lHomme au Rwanda (CLADHO)
Serbia	Transparency International Serbia
Sierra Leone	Society for Democratic Initiatives
Singapore	National University of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy
South Africa	Treatment Action Campaign (TAC)
South Africa	Public Service Accountability Monitor (PSAM)
Spain	Access Info Europe
Tajikistan	Bureau of Human Rights and Rule of Law
Tanzania	HakiElimu
Thailand	Focus on the Global South
Tunisia	independent activist
Turkey	Green Peace
Uganda	Create Impact Alliance
Ukraine	International Centre for Policy Studies
United Kingdom	Jubilee Debt Campaign
United States	Jubilee USA
Uruguay	ICD Uruguay (Insitito de Comunicacion y Desarrollo
Uruguay	Social Watch
Yemen	Economics Media Center & Studies
Yemen	Yemen Parliamentarians Against Corruption (Yemen Pac)
Zambia	Treatment Advocacy and Literacy Campaign (TALC)