WASHINGTON, D.C., October 15, 2019 – The Hon. Peter Turnquest, Bahamas Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, is scheduled to arrive in Washington, D.C. today (October 15) to participate in the annual meetings of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) currently being held from October 14-20.
In the fall of each year, the meetings “bring together central bankers, ministers of finance and development, parliamentarians, private sector executives, representatives from civil society organizations and academics to discuss issues of global concern, including the world economic outlook, poverty eradication, economic development, and aid effectiveness,” according to the World Bank website.
“Also featured are seminars, regional briefings, press conferences, and many other events focused on the global economy, international development, and the world’s financial system,” the website notes.
The annual meetings are attended by “approximately 2,800 delegates from our member countries, 350 observer organization representatives and 800 members of the press,” the website states.
Approximately 550 accredited civil society members also participate in the meetings, which are “comprised of events open to all attendees, ministerial-level invitation-only sessions, closed bilateral meetings, and events open only to the Press.”
According to an article on the Commonwealth Secretariat website, “Commonwealth Ministers of Finance will meet on 17 October 2019 for their annual summit. The Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting (CFMM) will take place in the margins of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Annual Meetings in Washington D.C. It will be chaired by Cyprus, and will focus on the theme ‘Avoiding Debt Crises: The Role of Creditors and Debtors’. Senior officials and central bank governors will meet before the finance ministers’ plenary on 16 October 2019.”
