U.S. Can Break the International Borrow-and-Bailout Cycle

The 2026 spring meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) take place from April 13-19 in Washington. High on the agenda will be a discussion of how to reduce debt, which has risen to unsustainable levels in many low-income countries. Advocates are again calling for forgiveness to “fix” unsustainable debt burdens. Some, including the United Nations, go further seeking to use the situation to expand international governance.