華盛頓 —
聯合國（UN）、國際貨幣基金組織（IMF）和世界銀行（WB）是全球公認的在第二次世界大戰結束後的廢墟上建立的國際秩序的三大支柱。但是當其中一個支柱的最高領導人，對另外兩個支柱提出強烈的批評並呼籲推動重大改革的時候，各界都會頗覺意外。
聯合國秘書長安東尼奧·古特雷斯（Antonio Guterres）表示，國際貨幣基金組織讓富國而不是窮國受益。他還認為，國際貨幣基金組織和世界銀行對新冠疫情的反應“完全失敗”，從而讓幾十個國家深陷債務危機。
這並不是古特雷斯頭一次對聯合國的這兩個兄弟組織表達不滿，但卻是他對國際貨幣基金組織和世界銀行的問題所做的最為深入的分析。古特雷斯在最近發表的一篇文章中強調，這兩個國際組織對新冠疫情的反應是這兩個組織經曆的“壓力測試”。
美聯社報道說，古特雷斯是在法國總統馬克龍（Emmanuel Macron）於星期四和星期五在巴黎召集有關改革多邊開發銀行等問題的會議開幕前發表上述看法的。
美聯社指出，國際貨幣基金組織和世界銀行都拒絕對聯合國秘書長的批評和建議直接置評，但是古特雷斯的說法呼應了一些體製外批評者的呼聲。這些體製外批評者認為，國際貨幣基金組織和世界銀行的領導層收到控製他們的大國的限製，而聯合國其實也被人這麽批評過，因此也有人呼籲聯合國進行改革。
美國喬治·梅森大學公共政策教授莫裏斯·庫格勒（Maurice Kugler）向美聯社表示，這些機構未能對最需要幫助的國家提供幫助“反映了一種自上而下的行事方法，那就是世界銀行行長必須是由美國總統任命的一位美國公民擔任，而國際貨幣基金組織則必須是一位由歐洲委員會任命的歐盟國家公民擔任”。
國際危機組織駐聯合國主任理查德·高恩（Richard Gowan）也向美聯社表示，各界對美國及其歐洲盟友控製國際貨幣基金組織和世界銀行的決策有很強的挫折感，這也讓非洲國家的“投票權微不足道”。高恩指出，發展中國家也抱怨說銀行的借貸規則也對他們不利。
“公平說來，銀行也在努力更新其借貸程序以便化解這些關切，但是所采取的步驟遠遠不能滿足南半球國家的需求，”高恩說。
古特雷斯表示，是要求國際貨幣基金組織和世界銀行糾正它們曆史錯誤以及“目前國際金融體製內嵌的偏見與不公”的時候了。國際金融體製籌建的時候，現在的許多發展中國家仍然處於殖民統治之下。
古特雷斯認為，國際貨幣基金組織和世界銀行的作為根本跟不上全球的發展。他指出，世界銀行擁有可用於各國政府發展計劃的低息貸款和資助款220億美元實繳資本。如果按照全球國內生產總值的占比來看，這還不到1960年貸款和資助款數額的五分之一。
而與此同時，許多發展中國家卻深陷金融危機，高通脹、高利息以及債務減免的停滯更讓它們雪上加霜。
“有些政府為了支付公共部門的員工，被迫在償付貸款和違約之間做選擇—有可能毀掉它們未來多年的信用評級，”古特雷斯說。他指出，“非洲現在償付債務的成本要高於在衛生健康上支出的資金。”
古特雷斯表示，國際貨幣基金組織的借貸規則不公平地偏重富國。在新冠疫情期間，總人口約為7.72億的七大工業國集團（G7）從國際貨幣基金組織獲取了相當於2800億美元的貸款，而總人口約為11億的最不發達國家隻被分配了80億美元。
“這些都是按規則行事的，”古特雷斯說。“但是這在道義上是錯誤的。”
UN steps up criticism of IMF and World Bank, the other pillars of the post-World War II global order
From the ashes of World War II, three institutions were created as linchpins of a new global order
UNITED NATIONS -- From the ashes of World War II, three institutions were created as linchpins of a new global order. Now, in an unusual move, the top official in one — the secretary-general of the United Nations — is pressing for major changes in the other two.
Antonio Guterres says the International Monetary Fund has benefited rich countries instead of poor ones. And he describes the IMF and World Bank ’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic as a “glaring failure” that left dozens of countries deeply indebted.
Guterres’ criticism, in a recent paper, isn’t the first time he’s called for overhauling global financial institutions. But it is his most in-depth analysis of their problems, cast in light of their response to the pandemic, which he called a “stress test” for the organizations.
His comments were issued ahead of meetings called by French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Thursday and Friday to address reforms of the multilateral development banks and other issues.
Neither the IMF nor the World Bank would comment directly on the secretary-general’s criticisms and proposals. But Guterres’ comments echo those of outside critics, who see the IMF and World Bank’s leadership limited by the powerful nations that control them — a situation similar to that of the United Nations, which has faced its own calls for reform.
Maurice Kugler, a professor of public policy at George Mason University, told The Associated Press that the institutions’ failure to help the neediest countries “reflects the persistence of a top-down approach in which the World Bank president is a U.S. national appointed by the U.S. president and the IMF managing director is a European Union national appointed by the European Commission.”
Richard Gowan, the International Crisis Group’s U.N. director, said there is a lot of frustration with the U.S. and its European allies dominating decision-making, leaving African countries with only “a sliver of voting rights.” Developing countries also complain that the bank’s lending rules are weighted against them, he said.
“In fairness, the bank has been trying to update its funding procedures to address these concerns, but it has not gone far enough to satisfy countries in the Global South,” Gowan said.
Guterres said it’s time for the boards of the IMF and the World Bank to right what he called the historic wrongs and “bias and injustice built into the current international financial architecture.”
That “architecture” was established when many developing countries were still under colonial rule.
The IMF and what is now known as the World Bank Group were created at a conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, in July 1944 to be key institutions of a postwar international monetary system. The IMF was to monitor exchange rates and lend reserve currencies to countries with balance of payment deficits. The World Bank would provide financial assistance for postwar reconstruction and for building the economies of less developed countries.
Guterres said the institutions haven’t kept pace with global growth. He said the World Bank has $22 billion in paid capital, the money used for low-interest loans and grants for government development programs. As a percentage of global GDP, that’s less than one-fifth of the 1960 funding level.
At the same time, many developing countries are in a deep financial crisis, exacerbated by inflation, rising interest rates and a standstill in debt relief.
“Some governments are being forced to choose between making debt repayments or defaulting in order to pay public sector workers — possibly ruining their credit rating for years to come,” Guterres said, adding that “Africa now spends more on debt service costs than on health care.”
The IMF’s rules unfairly favor wealthy nations, he said. During the pandemic, the wealthy Group of Seven nations, with a population of 772 million, received the equivalent of $280 billion from the IMF while the least developed countries, with a population of 1.1 billion, were allocated just over $8 billion.
“This was done according to the rules,” Guterres said. This is “morally wrong.”
He called for major reforms that would strengthen the representation of developing countries on the boards of the IMF and World Bank, help countries restructure debts, change IMF quotas, and revamp the use of IMF funds. He also called for scaling up financing for economic development and tackling the impact of climate change.
IMF spokesperson Julie Kozack, asked about Guterres’ proposals at a June 8 news conference, said “I’m not in a position to comment on any of the specifics.”
She added that a review of IMF quotas is a priority and is expected to be completed by Dec. 15.
In a written response to a query from the AP, the IMF said it has mounted “an unprecedented” response to the largest-ever request from countries for help dealing with recent shocks.
After the pandemic hit, the IMF approved $306 billion in financing for 96 countries, including below-market rate loans to 57 low-income countries. It also increased interest-free lending fourfold to $24 billion and provided around $964 million in grants to 31 of its most vulnerable nations between April 2020 and 2022 so they could service their debts.
The World Bank Group said in January that its shareholders have initiated a process “to better address the scale of development.”
The bank’s development committee said in a March report that the bank “must evolve in response to the unprecedented confluence of global crises that has upended development progress and threatens people and the planet.”
Guterres’ push for reforming the IMF and World Bank comes as the United Nations also faces demands for an overhaul of its structure, which still reflects the post-World War II global order.
Gowan said many U.N. ambassadors think it might be “marginally easier” and more helpful to developing countries to overhaul the IMF and World Bank than to reform the U.N. Security Council, which has been debated for more than 40 years.
While Guterres and U.N. ambassadors talk about reforming the financial institutions, any changes are up to their boards. Gowan noted that when the Obama administration engineered a reform of IMF voting rights in 2010, “Congress took five years to ratify the deal — and Congress is even more divided and dysfunctional now.”
“But Western governments are aware that China is an increasingly dominant lender in many developing countries,” Gowan said, “so they have an interest in reforming the IMF and World Bank in ways that keep poorer states from relying on Beijing for loans.”
Beyond the Paris meeting, the debate over IMF and World Bank reforms will continue in September at a summit of leaders of the Group of 20 in New Delhi, and at the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations.
U.S. climate chief John Kerry said in an Associated Press interview Wednesday that he will be attending the Paris summit along with IMF and World Bank officials.
“Hopefully, new avenues of finance will be more defined than they have been,” he said. “I think it’s really important.”
