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IMF Gold Campaign

In 2009, ONE launched a campaign to urge the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to use profits from a proposed gold sale to help the world’s poorest countries weather the financial storm brought on by the global financial crisis.

As a result, the IMF delivered a package of new assistance for low-income countries. It also increased its concessional lending capacity to poor countries to US$17 billion through 2014. All loans to low-income countries were 0% interest until 2011 and the IMF permanently lowered interest rates after that.

What we achieved

The International Monetary Fund approved a sale of 403 metric tonnes of gold reserves, in a move likely to raise $13 billion in cash to replenish its coffers for lending to low-income countries hit by the global economic downturn.

What we did

  • We launched a petition to the IMF managing director, which received 50,000 signatures from ONE members.
  • Bob Geldof met with the IMF managing director in April 2009 to present the petition.
  • We held a press conference with the African Development Bank at the IMF headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Inspired?

See some of our ongoing campaigns and learn more about how you can lend your voice to fight against extreme poverty.

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