13 October - The IMF and Social Protection, Washington
DFI chaired a panel discussing the report of the IMF Independent Evaluation Office into the IMF and social protection. Held in the CSO Forum at the BWI Annual Meetings, the event allowed CSOs to hear more about IMF social protection policy, as well as social safeguards (spending floors) in IMF programmes.
Two key issues emerged: the need to include social protection spending in IMF social spending floors (it is often currently excluded) and the need to ensure that IMF spending recommendations are compatible with reaching the SDG aiming for universal social protection floors for all citizens (rather than targeting mechanisms at a small group of the poorest citizens).