ActionAid International’s chair joins IMF advisory group

ActionAid International chair Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda will bring a global south perspective to a new external advisory group set up by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The 12-strong group announced today by Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the IMF, was brought together to provide different perspectives from around the globe on key development and policy issues, including how to respond to the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis.

At the group’s first meeting this morning, Nyaradzayi raised ActionAid’s concerns about the crippling affect that the new debt crisis is having on Africa. As cases of coronavirus increase across the continent, health systems are vastly underfunded and ill-prepared for the pandemic.

On Tuesday (14 April), ActionAid will launch a series of recommendations ahead of the IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings, aimed at securing a cash injection to avert the looming threat of a health and economic emergency posed by COVID-19.  

The members of the Managing Director’s External Advisory Group are:

Ms. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former Finance Minister of Nigeria

Mr. Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Senior Minister of Singapore and Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore

Ms. Kristin Forbes, Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Mr. Kevin Rudd, former Prime Minister of Australia

Lord Mark Malloch Brown, former United Nations Deputy Secretary-General

Mr. Feike Sijbesima, former Chief Executive Officer, Royal DSM

Mr. Raghuram Rajan, Professor, University of Chicago

Ms. Ana Botín, Group Executive Chairman, Santander

Ms. Carmen Reinhart, Professor, Harvard University

Mr. Mohamed A. El-Erian, Chief Economic Adviser, Allianz

Mr. Scott Minerd, Chief Investment Officer, Guggenheim Investments

Ms. Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, Board Chair, ActionAid International.

Kristalina Georgieva’s announcement can be read in full on the IMF website.