Only a handful of places — including Taiwan, Vietnam and New Zealand — acted in time to contain the coronavirus last year, causing the world to spend trillions of dollars fighting an infection that has led to the deaths of more than 3 million people so far. The World Health Organization shoulders so...

A selection of correspondence

Owing to years of grassroots mobilization and the rise of renewables and low-carbon assets, financial markets are finally shifting gears to account for the inevitable decline of fossil fuels. But to make the most of the current moment, policymakers must heed the financial industry's call for clear s...

International Women’s Day, March 8, marks a year from the start of widespread lockdowns in response to COVID-19. As an IMF article warned back in July, women have borne the economic and social brunt of the pandemic. With many governments preparing budgets for the next fiscal year, we now have a gold...

After four years of inaction, the Biden administration faces a more daunting climate crisis than ever. Special Envoy John Kerry said the administration wants “to develop a U.S. climate finance plan, as well as a plan for ending international financing of fossil fuel projects with public money.” This...

Since the International Monetary Fund already has the ability to inject liquidity into the global economy through its reserve asset, special drawing rights, it is understandable that many would advocate the use of this mechanism to help struggling developing economies. But in their current form, SDR...