Rabat – In 2021, Morocco will play host to the global meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), its Ministry of Economy and Finance said this Tuesday (24). This will be the first time an African country hosts the event since 1973, Maghreb Arabe Presse (MAP) reported.
IMF and World Bank annual meetings are held in Washington, DC, United States for two years straight, and then a different country is chosen every third year. In 2018, the meetings will take place in Indonesia from October 12 to 14. Both organizations also have meetings in the first half of each year. In 2018, those happened from April 20 to 22 in Washington, DC.
MAP said the choice of Morocco will mark the 60th anniversary of the country’s accession to both organizations, in 1958.
The Moroccan news outlet added that the country’s choice attests to the IMF and World Bank’s confidence in Morocco’s ability to host world-class events. In 2016, the country hosted COP 22, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The Ministry also said the choice reflects the organizations’ support to the economic policies and structural reforms underway in Morocco. The meetings will be held in Marrakech.
The IMF and World Bank annual meetings are the premier events for discussion of international finance and economy, featuring ministers of Finance and central bank governors from the 189 IMF and World Bank member countries, plus private sector players, NGOs and academicians.
On March 13 and 14, Morocco’s Economy and Finance minister Mohamed Boussaid led a delegation to Washington, DC to promote the country’s host bid. MAP said 13 countries bid to host the meetings.
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
