The 2026 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group opened in Bangkok

China News Service, Bangkok, October 12 (Wang Qi, Li Yingmin) The 2026 Annual Meeting of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group opened in Bangkok on the 12th. More than 15,000 representatives from 191 countries and regions will discuss issues such as global economic policy coordination, international development cooperation, financial stability, and artificial intelligence.

The annual meeting will be held from the 12th to the 18th at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok. This is the first time in 35 years since 1991 that Thailand has hosted the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group.

According to the agenda of the annual meeting, the impact of artificial intelligence on employment and economic growth, the global economic situation, financial market stability, development financing, climate change adaptation, and private capital mobilization will become important topics. During the annual meeting, plenary meetings, ministerial meetings, seminars and press conferences will also be held, and important reports such as the World Economic Outlook Report and the Global Financial Stability Report will be released.

The International Monetary Fund stated that day that investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure is currently becoming an important driving force for global economic growth, but the rapid development of artificial intelligence may also have structural impacts on employment, education, and the tax system. International Monetary Fund President Georgieva said that artificial intelligence will bring new growth opportunities to the global economy, and it also requires countries to actively respond to its possible social and economic impacts.

The Thai government has set the theme of this annual meeting as “Thailand’s New Horizons: Empowering People, Building Resilience” and has carried out related activities around topics such as digital and artificial intelligence transformation, economic resilience in a fragmented world, climate change adaptation, and demographic changes.

The World Bank Group said that issues such as international development, global economy and financial markets will also be discussed during the annual meeting. Among them, the plenary meeting of the Board of Governors of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund will be held on October 16, and the plenary meeting of the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) will be held on October 17.

The annual meeting was held in Bangkok and was also regarded by Thailand as an important platform to showcase Thailand’s economic resilience, digital financial development and regional and international cooperation capabilities. Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Enidi previously stated that holding the annual conference will help enhance Thailand’s international influence and bring development opportunities to tourism, service industries and related industries.