Bailing Out on Rights: Evidence-Based Discussion on the High Cost of IMF Deal in Lebanon

December 13th, 2022
Speakers: Salma Hussein (Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung) Ziad Abdel Samad (Arab NGO Network for Development)
As the Lebanese crisis continues, Lebanese governments seek external international support and resources, albeit amidst ongoing policy inaction. In May 2020, the Lebanese government approached the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for assistance, and negotiations between the two started shortly after with much opacity surrounding the process. Although a staff-level agreement was reached in Spring 2022 and the Lebanese government committed to initiating the required reforms, to date, no concrete reforms have been implemented. Public discourses among policy-makers, civil society actors, and experts on a possible IMF bail-out for Lebanon remain scarce and with little nuance, either rejecting an IMF deal altogether or having high hopes regarding its implementation. However, little is discussed about potential socio-economic impacts of an IMF loan, and about alternatives. This webinar presents the findings of a joint report co-authored by the Arab NGO Network for Development and the Centre for Social Sciences Research and Action. It also seeks to understand, and address, via the example of the IMF, how evidence based research can impact public debates and policy making processes.

To watch the video: Click here