Number: RL30575
Title: THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND: AN OVERVIEW OF ITS MISSION AND OPERATIONS
Authors: J.F. Hornbeck, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division 
Abstract: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an integral part of the mechanism for maintaining international financial stability, yet events over the past five years suggest that it has struggled to keep pace with this mission. The U.S. Congress appropriated additional funding for the IMF in October 1998 in the midst of the Asian financial turmoil, a decision that engendered considerable debate in the light of the growing criticism of the IMF's track record. Congress attached to the funding a number of conditions, including a call for major reevaluation of the IMF. This report supports congressional interest in the IMF by providing a basic understanding of its mission and operations, and how they may have evolved over time.
Pages: 10
Date: Updated June 6, 2000