The selection process for a new managing director for the International Monetary Fund has begun, its board coordinators have said.

The board coordinators of the IMF executive board, Afonso Bevilaqua and Abdullah BinZarah, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

It said, “We are very pleased to announce that the Executive Board has adopted an open, merit-based, and transparent process for the selection of the next managing director, similar to the one used in recent rounds.

“The executive board underscores the importance it places on the successful candidate having the requisite global standing to lead the fund, which stands at the centre of the global financial system.

“Individuals may be nominated by a fund Governor or Executive Director and as with past practice, we aim to reach a decision by consensus. The board intends to complete the process by the end of April 2024.”

The board coordinators said the board approved that the successful candidate for the position of managing director will have a distinguished record in economic policymaking at senior levels.

“He or she will have an outstanding professional background, will have demonstrated the managerial and diplomatic skills needed to lead a global institution, and will be a national of any of the fund’s members.

“As Chief of the fund’s staff and as Chair of the Executive Board, (s)he will be capable of providing strategic vision for the work of a high-quality, diverse, and dedicated staff.

“S(he) will be firmly committed to advancing the goals of the fund by building consensus on key policy and institutional issues, including through close collaboration with the executive board, under whose direction (s)he will fulfil his or her responsibilities,” they added. “(S)he will have a proven understanding of the fund and the policy challenges facing the fund’s diverse global membership.”

According to the statement, the candidate will have a firm commitment to and appreciation of multilateral cooperation, demonstrate objectivity and impartiality, and be an effective communicator.

The statement said, “An individual may be nominated for the position of managing director by a fund governor or an executive director during a nomination period.

“This nomination period shall commence on March 14, 2024, at 12:01 a.m. Washington, D.C. time and will close on April 3, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. Washington, D.C. time.

“All nominations shall be communicated to the fund secretary, who shall obtain confirmation from each nominee of his or her willingness to be considered as a candidate.”

It explained that the fund secretary shall hold the names of the nominees in confidence until the end of the nomination period, noting that at the end of the nomination period, the secretary shall disclose to the executive board the names of those nominees who have confirmed their desire to be candidates.

“If the number of candidates exceeds three, the executive board will keep the names of these nominees in confidence until it has drawn up a shortlist of three candidates, taking into account the above candidate profile without geographical preferences.

“The shortlisting process will be implemented through indications of which candidates receive the most support among directors, taking into account the fund’s weighted voting system. This is with the objective of completing the shortlisting process within seven days following the disclosure to the board of the candidates,” stated IMF.

Although the executive board might adopt a shortlist by a majority of the votes cast, “its objective is to adopt a shortlist by consensus,” it noted.

“The executive board will meet with the shortlisted candidates (or all of the candidates if there were fewer than four) in Washington, D.C. Thereafter, the executive board will meet to discuss the strengths of the candidates and make a selection.

“Although the executive board may select a managing director by a majority of the votes cast, the objective of the board is to select the managing director by consensus to complete the selection process by the end of April 2024,” the statement said. 

(NAN)