2026 IMF-WBG Annual Meetings Plenary
The Annual Meetings Plenary opened with a vibrant celebration of Thai music and dance, followed by remarks from Annual Meetings Chairman Carlos Carvallo Spalding, President of the Central Bank of Paraguay, and IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. World Bank Group President, Ajay Banga, outlined a development model centered on creating jobs at scale by bringing together public finance, private investment, philanthropy, and technology around country priorities. He highlighted progress in mobilizing private capital, expanding access to energy, health, and water, supporting MSMEs, and putting practical AI to work. His message: with 1.2 billion young people entering the workforce, development must move faster and deliver opportunity at scale. CHAPTERS 00:00 Opening of the 2026 IMF–World Bank Annual Meetings 03:15 Thai cultural performance: The River of Angels 12:59 Anutin Charnvirakul: Trade, investment and global cooperation 19:13 IMF and World Bank: 35 years of change since Bangkok 1991 22:20 Carlos Carvallo Spalding: Economic resilience and development 29:51 Annual Meetings: Adoption of reports and recommendations 31:22 ICSID Annual Meeting: Resolutions and FY2027 budget 33:16 Kristalina Georgiev*: IMF Managing Director’s annual address 55:11 Ajay Banga: World Bank Group President’s annual address 57:07 Addressing the developing world’s 800 million jobs gap 58:08 The future of development finance and private investment 58:59 World Bank Group reforms: Faster projects and greater lending capacity 1:00:20 Three pillars of job creation 1:01:45 Scaling private capital mobilization 1:04:03 Country-led development strategies and partnerships 1:04:58 Small AI: Practical tools for developing economies 1:05:58 MSME strategy: Finance and markets for small businesses 1:06:52 Mission 300: Expanding electricity access in Africa 1:07:55 Water security, AgriConnect and HealthWorks 1:09:00 Critical minerals and economic corridors 1:10:17 Creating an emerging market development asset class 1:12:10 Development, global cooperation and the next generation 1:16:04 Closing remarks and adjournment The IMF–World Bank Group Annual Meetings brought global leaders together in Bangkok, October 12–18, 2026, to discuss jobs, investment, growth, and practical solutions for development. Learn more https://live.worldbank.org/en/event/2026/annual-meetings-plenary?cid=ECR_YT_worldbank_EN_EXT 🔔 Sign up to receive updates about upcoming events: http://wrld.bg/cxHK50W56x3 ▶️ Watch more event recordings: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE9mrcoX-oE-2f1BL-iPPoQ/streams/streams ABOUT US 🌐 The World Bank Group (WBG) is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for low-income countries. Its five institutions share a commitment to reducing poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development on a livable planet. http://www.worldbank.org #WBGmeetings