Reforming the global financial architecture: towards a system that delivers for the south

The World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Annual Meetings in Marrakech, Morocco, in October 2023 were a turning point. Calls for reform of the Bretton Woods institutions to increase the voice and representation of sub-Saharan countries continue unabated. Specific and urgent calls for reform include more representative global governance, increasing the World Bank’s operational and financial capacity, prioritizing programs that would integrate Africa into the global economy, connecting the continent’s critical infrastructure and trade routes, and increasing participation and collaboration with bilateral public and private lenders and investors, such as China, sovereign wealth funds, and multinationals.