The Third World Institute, together with many partners, is organizing an event during the World Bank-IMF yearly meeting in Bangkok, on October 14, 2026. Join us onsite or online!

Whose Buffers? New Global Evidence on Fiscal Austerity, the Cost of Adjustment and Rearmament

“Rebuilding buffers” is today’s lexicon for fiscal consolidation — austerity in practice. New global data by CSOs and UN document adjustment measures in IMF conditionalities and surveillance, showing costs shifting onto households, weakening public services and deepening social/gender inequalities. Panelists and IMF staff will examine financing options to expand fiscal space.

Organizers: Global Social Justice, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), ActionAid International, Christian Aid, Arab Reform Initiative (ARI), Oxfam, End Austerity Campaign, Instituto del Tercer Mundo (IdTM), International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), MENAFem, IBON International, Latindadd, Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP), Reality of Aid Asia Pacific, Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (GI-ESCR), Centre for Social Sciences Research and Action (CeSSRA), Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER-Uganda), Arab NGO Network for Development, AWC, African Women’s Development and Communications Network (FEMNET), Free Trade Union Development Centre (FTUDC) and Wemos, Christian Aid.

Location: 2-210A and online

Interpretation: Arabic, Thai

Moderator: Roberto Bissio, Asesor, Instituto del TercerMundo and Coordinator EndAusterity Campaign

Speakers

  • Isabel Ortiz, Global Social Justice, Director
  • Chiara Mariotti, Human Rights Officer, Office of theUnited Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
  • Farah Al Shami, Social Protection Program Director andSenior Fellow, Arab Reform Initiative (ARI)
  • Rodrigo Valdes, Director, Fiscal Affairs Department, IMF
  • Roos Saalbrink, Global Lead on Economic Justice and Public Services, ActionAid

The 2026 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG) will take place from Monday, October 12 to Sunday, October 18 in Bangkok, Thailand. The Civil Society Policy Forum (CSPF) will take place in a hybrid format.