Special Drawing Rights

The escalating US–Israeli war on Iran has triggered one of the largest energy supply shocks in modern history, hitting developing economies the hardest. A rapid, large-scale issuance of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) by the IMF could provide immediate, cost-free relief—boosting reserves, stabilizing economies, and helping countries maintain access to essential imports.

In an article published in Phenomenal World, CEPR’s Alex Main and Ivana Vasić-Lalović explain how Venezuela lost access to its SDRs, and how unfreezing them could help set the country on a path to economic recovery.

A December workshop examined the role of IMF Special Drawing Rights for global stability and sustainable economic transformation.

A new working paper shows how an IMF playbook could boost the global economy by providing guidance to countries on how best to maximize use of the Special Drawing Rights they receive.

A new CEPR report projects that up to over a hundred-thousand US jobs could be saved were the International Monetary Fund to make a new major allocation of Special Drawing Rights, like it did in 2021.

A new CEPR report projects that up to over a hundred-thousand US jobs could be saved were the International Monetary Fund to make a new major allocation of Special Drawing Rights, like it did in 2021.

The Center for Economic and Policy Research, ActionAid USA, MENAFem, Bretton Woods Project, and Latindadd hosted a panel discussion at the IMF-World Bank 2025 Spring Meeting Civil Society Policy Forum.

The Center for Economic and Policy Research, ActionAid USA, MENAFem, Bretton Woods Project, and Latindadd invite you to a panel discussion at the IMF-World Bank 2025 Spring Meeting Civil Society Policy Forum.

The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) recent revision to its surcharge policy will reduce the number of countries paying surcharges but fails to significantly reform the policy, which remains onerous, procyclical, and counterproductive. These are among the key findings of a new report from the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) that examines the IMF’s recent review of, and reforms to, its controversial surcharge fee policy.

Project Syndicate: With global growth slowing and many developing countries facing debt crises, the world needs another infusion of the International Monetary Fund’s reserve asset. But while the benefits would be far-reaching and free of risk, the US Treasury has been standing in the way.