The International Monetary Fund 1946 1967

This paper reviews key findings of the IMF’s Annual Report for the fiscal year ended September 1946. This report covers the operations and policies of the IMF in the period from May 6, 1946, when the Executive Directors held their first meeting in Washington, through early September 1946. Since it is intended that in future years the annual report of the Executive Directors will cover the operations of the IMF in the preceding fiscal year, such figures as are here presented deal mainly with the period ending June 30, 1946.

The Annual Report to the Board of Governors reviews the IMF's activities and policies during any given year. There are five chapters: (1) Overview, (2) Developments in the Global Economy and Financial Markets, (3) Policies to Secure Sustained and Balanced Global Growth, (4) Reforming and Strengthening the IMF to Better Support Member Countries, and (5) Finances, Organization, and Accountability. the full financial statements for the year are published separately and are also available, along with appendixes and other supplementary materials.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), conceived at the Bretton Woods conference in July 1944, is the multilateral organization focused on the international monetary system. Created in 1946 with 46 members, it has grown to include 187 countries. The IMF has six purposes: promoting international monetary cooperation; expanding the balanced growth of international trade; facilitating exchange rate stability; eliminating restrictions on the international flow of capital; ensuring confidence by making the general resources of the Fund temporarily available to members; and adjusting balance-of-payments imbalances in an orderly manner. Contents of this report: Introduction; Background; Institutional Aspects; Functions of the IMF; U.S. Engagement with the IMF; Policy Issues for Congress; U.S. Contributions to the IMF and the Federal Budget. Figures and tables. This is a print on demand report.

This paper reviews key findings of the IMF’s Annual Report for the fiscal year ended April 1948. The report highlights that during 1947 and in the early part of 1948, considerable progress was made in strengthening the economies that suffered devastation and dislocation as a result of the war. Over the world, generally production rose and recovery continued, despite widespread political tension and conflict, and disturbances. In nearly all countries, however, the need and demand for goods continued to be abnormally great, and there were increasing difficulties in meeting international payments for import surpluses.

This volume sets out the IMF’s By-Laws, which are adopted under the authority of, and are intended to be complementary to, the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, which are considered to prevail in the event of any conflict. The By-Laws cover a number of topics, including the size and composition of the IMF’s Board of Governors and Executive Board, applications for IMF membership, IMF quotas, voting rights, staff regulations, and the IMF’s Special Drawing Rights.

IMF economists work closely with member countries on a variety of issues. Their unique perspective on country experiences and best practices on global macroeconomic issues are often shared in the form of books on diverse topics such as cross-country comparisons, capacity building, macroeconomic policy, financial integration, and globalization.