Transparency at the IMF - a guide for civil society on getting access to information

While at times technical and full of jargon, the information published by the IMF can be important for civil society organizations that want to hold their governments to account for decisions made on economic policies. Especially important is how governments spend their money. This can often be constrained by the decisions of the IMF. Only by using all information and resources available will civil society organizations, such as those trying to improve health systems, be able to confront governments and international institutions and advance reform.

This guide first reviews the Funds disclosure policy and measures some of its key elements against the Transparency Charter for the IFIs. The next section discusses what information is available from the IMF and which documents contain it. The fourth section covers mechanisms of getting access to those documents before concluding. A glossary of IMF jargon can be found after that.