The 2026 Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) focused on creating jobs for young people at scale by building a business-enabling environment, investing in physical and human infrastructure, and mobilizing private capital. Participants discussed the state of the global economy, received regional economic updates, and announced new initiatives and governance reforms.
The Spring Meetings, which convened from 13-18 April 2026 in Washington, D.C., US, included meetings of the joint Development Committee and the IMF’s International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC), as well as numerous seminars, regional briefings, press conferences, and other events focused on the global economy, international development, and the world’s financial markets.
The Development Committee, formally known as the Joint Ministerial Committee of the Boards of Governors of the Bank and the Fund on the Transfer of Real Resources to Developing Countries, is a WBG/IMF ministerial forum for building intergovernmental consensus on development issues.
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Discussions in the Development Committee highlighted how shocks on the global economy are hindering efforts to sustain economic growth, reduce poverty, and create jobs. According to the Chair’s statement, which “reflects the views of the majority of Committee Members,” the Committee welcomed WBG’s focus on jobs and encouraged it “to unlock opportunities in infrastructure and energy, agribusiness, health care, tourism, and value-added manufacturing, leveraged by digital and financial innovations.”
Members supported continued improvements in WBG’s operational efficiency and effectiveness to strengthen delivery and impact to help countries become more self-sufficient. They supported WBG’s 2030 targets on social safety nets, quality health services, women’s access to capital, and digital development, and welcomed sector-specific initiatives on improving electricity access, strengthening food security and moving farmers up the value-chain, and providing safe water and irrigation.
The IMFC Chair’s statement acknowledges the global economy’s resilience in the face of repeated shocks, including wars and conflicts. It highlights the IMF’s priority “to reinforce macroeconomic and financial stability, while enabling strong and broad-based growth, through timely, adaptable, and credible policies, effective policy coordination and multilateral cooperation” in an uncertain environment.
IMFC members endorsed a set of principles that will guide future discussions on IMF quota and governance reforms. The Chair’s statement describes the principles as “a significant collective achievement” and “an important milestone in the Fund’s governance reform agenda.”
Announcements made during the Spring Meetings include:
- The launch of the Water Forward global platform – a global push to make water security a driver of jobs, investment, and growth;
- Introduction of the Targets Map – part of the World Bank Group Scorecard, which tracks progress against WBG’s nine 2030 goals that support job creation;
- Agreement on a common approach across multilateral development banks (MDBs) to measure job outcomes for better accountability and visibility;
- Agreement among MDBs to strengthen collaboration on critical minerals; and
- Agreement among MDBs on a common framework on value for money in procurement.
The 2026 Annual Meetings of the WBG and IMF are scheduled for October in Bangkok, Thailand. [IMF 2026 Spring Meetings Website] [WBG 2026 Spring Meetings Website] [WBG 2026 Spring Meetings Highlights]