Reporting by the Fund of Overdue Obligations

The Executive Board decides that overdue financial obligations to the Fund of members having obligations overdue for six months or more will be reported in aggregate by category of obligation but without identifying the members involved, in the Fund’s Annual Report, quarterly Financial Statements of the General Department and the SDR Department, yearbook issue of Balance of Payments Statistics, and International Financial Statistics.

Declarations of ineligibility to use the Fund’s general resources will be reported in the Fund’s Annual Report and will identify the members concerned, beginning with the 1985 Annual Report.

Decision No. 7931-(85/41)

March 13, 1985

Publicity Upon Declaration of Ineligibility

Effective following the publication of the Annual Report for 1985, the Fund shall issue a press release upon the declaration of a member’s ineligibility to use the general resources of the Fund and thereafter upon the restoration of the member’s eligibility to use the Fund’s general resources, and shall also include the information contained in such press releases, where pertinent, in the Annual Reports for the year concerned.

Decision No. 7999-(85/90)

June 5, 1985

Publicity Upon Suspension of Voting Rights and Termination of Suspension

The Fund shall issue a press release upon its decision to suspend the voting rights of a member and thereafter upon termination of suspension and shall also include the information contained in such press releases, where pertinent, in the Annual Report for the year concerned.

Decision No. 10305-(93/32)

March 10, 1993

Pilot Project for the Publication of Article IV Consultation Staff Reports

The Fund establishes a pilot project under which a staff report on Article IV consultation discussions with a member, including one that also relates to the use of Fund resources, may be published. A member wishing to participate in the project will notify the Managing Director. Prior to the publication of a report, the member concerned may propose to the Managing Director the deletion of highly market-sensitive information. the Fund will publish (including on its web site) the report, along with the Public Information Notice and any statement by the member on the Article IV consultation, as soon as the Public Information Notice is finalized. A participating member will be free to withdraw from the project at any time. After a year, a review of experience under the project will be commenced. the project will terminate on October 4, 2000, unless otherwise decided by the Fund.

Decision No. 11973-(99/58)

June 3, 1999

Summing Up by the Acting Chairman—Transparency and Use of Fund Resources Executive Board Meeting 99/135, December 20, 1999

Executive Directors welcomed the opportunity to revisit transparency-related issues, including the questions of the release of use of Fund resources (UFR) staff reports and whether there should be UFR summings up/Public Information Notices (PINs) following Board discussion of a request for the use of Fund resources…

Concerning the release of UFR staff reports, a clear majority of the Board agreed with the staffs proposal to complete the reviews of the recent UFR transparency initiatives and the Article IV pilot project that are scheduled for June and August, 2000, before proceeding to a decision on the possible publication of UFR staff reports…

In considering the question of whether there should be UFR summings up and PINs, Directors agreed with the proposal to continue publishing Chairman’s statements, emphasizing the key points made by the Board in approving or reviewing the program. …Directors considered that the current procedures for the timely publication of Chairman’s statements worked well and should not be modified in advance of the June 2000 review. However, it was agreed that, in view of the clarification of the legal situation relating to such statements, the Executive Director for the country concerned would have, separately, an opportunity to review the Chairman’s statement, and would need to give a decision on its publication, subject to very minor revisions, if any, within a very short time of the Board meeting. In the event that the Executive Director did not agree to publication of the Chairman’s statement, the Fund would release publicly a short factual statement indicating that the Board meeting had been held and that resources were being provided. The Executive Director for the country concerned would inform the Board of the reasons why publication of the Chairman’s statement had not been accepted.

Several Directors expressed the view that, for internal purposes, the Chairman should present a summing up at the end of UFR Board discussions, and the Board agreed to institute this practice.

The Board will review the experience with the transparency initiatives under way in June and August 2000, and will return to the issue of the release of UFR staff reports in the context of the August 2000 review of the pilot project on the voluntary release of Article IV staff reports.

EBM 99/135

December 20, 1999

Transparency and Fund Policies-Continuation of Publication of Article IV Consultation Staff Reports Under Rules of Pilot Project

Pending the adoption of a decision pursuant to the Summing Up by the Chairman on the Review of the Pilot Project for Voluntary Release of Article IV Staff Reports and Other Issues in Fund Transparency (SUR/00/85, 9/6/00), the publication of Article IV consultation staff reports shall remain possible under the same rules set out in the pilot program established by Decision No. 11973-(99/58), adopted June 3, 1999 (SM/00/190, Sup. 2,10/11/00).

Decision No. 12317-(00/102)

October 18, 2000

Publication Policies of the Fund

Authorization and Consent

1. The Managing Director shall arrange for publication by the Fund of the documents on the attached list, subject to the consent of the member concerned in the case of Documents 1-11, 13, and 16-17 and to the authorization of the World Bank in the case of Documents 6 and 11. for purposes of this decision: (i) Documents 1-4, 6, 9-10, 11, 13, and 17 will be referred to as “Country Documents”; (ii) Documents 5, 7-8, and 16 will be referred to as “Country Policy Intentions Documents”; and (iii) Documents 14 and 15 will be referred to as “Fund Policy Documents.”

2. The Executive Board encourages each member to consent, where required, to the publication by the Fund of a document under this decision. It is recognized that for some members such publication would be a longer term objective.

3. In the case of Documents 5-8 and 11, which pertain to a member’s use of Fund resources, a member’s consent for Fund publication shall be voluntary but presumed. Such presumption means that if, in a particular case, a member does not wish to consent to Fund publication of a document, the member will need to notify its decision and should provide an explanation, which may be done through an Executive Director appointed, elected, or designated by the member, before the Executive Board takes a decision relating to the member’s use of Fund resources. In the case of a Chairman’s Statement (Document 10), if the member does not consent to its publication by the Fund, a brief factual statement describing the Executive Board’s decision relating to the member’s use of Fund resources (including any information on waivers, HIPC initiative decisions, and endorsements of Documents 5) will be released instead, in the cases of Documents 1-4, 9, 13, and 16-17, publication shall be voluntary.

4. In the case of a member’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP), Interim PRSP, or PRSP progress report (Document 5), the Managing Director will not recommend its endorsement by the Executive Board if the member concerned does not consent to its publication.

5. For the purposes of paragraph 1, a member’s actual consent shall normally be communicated to the Secretary of the Fund. Such consent may be communicated by the Executive Director elected, appointed, or designated by the member.

6. In respect of documents circulated to the Executive Board for which publication requires a member’s consent, the Secretary’s cover note will indicate whether a communication has been received from the member in this regard and, if so, the member’s intentions.

Member’s Statement Regarding Fund Staff Reports

7. If a Fund staff report (Documents 1, 9, and 17) on a member is to be published under this decision, the member concerned shall be given the opportunity to provide a statement regarding the staff report and the Executive Board assessment. Such statement shall be communicated to the Fund and published together with the staff report.

Deletions

8. Prior to publication of a Country Document, or a certain Country Policy Intentions Document (Documents 7-8) that has been the basis of a Fund decision, or Document 16, the member concerned may propose deletions to the Managing Director. in the case of a serious disagreement between the Managing Director and the member, the Managing Director, or the Executive Director elected, appointed, or designated by that member, may refer the matter to the Executive Board for its consideration. Deletions should be limited to highly market-sensitive information, mainly exchange rate and interest rate matters, in particular, deletions will not apply to information in the public domain or politically sensitive information that is not highly market sensitive. in the case of Documents 7-9 and 16, performance criteria (if applicable) and structural benchmarks may not be deleted.

9. Deletions will not generally apply to a PRSP, an Interim PRSP, or a PRSP progress report that has been the basis of a Fund decision.

Chairman’s Statements in Respect of Use of Fund Resources

10. After the Executive Board adopts a decision regarding a member’s use of Fund resources (including a decision completing a review under a Fund arrangement), or completes a discussion on a member’s participation in the HIPC Initiative, PRSP, Interim PRSP, or PRSP progress report, a Chairman’s statement on the discussion, emphasizing the key points made by Executive Directors, will be released to the public. Where relevant, the Chairman’s statement will contain a summary of HIPC Initiative decisions pertaining to the member and the Executive Board’s views on the member’s PRSP, Interim PRSP, or PRSP progress report. Waivers for nonobservance, or of applicability, of performance criteria, if any, will be mentioned in the press release containing the Chairman’s statement. Before the statement is released, it will be read by the Chairman to the Executive Board and Executive Directors will have an opportunity to comment at that time. the Executive Director elected, appointed or designated by the member concerned will have the opportunity to review the Chairman’s statement, to propose very minor revisions, if any, and to consent to its publication immediately after the Executive Board meeting. Notwithstanding the above, no Chairman’s Statement released under this paragraph shall contain any reference to a discussion or decision pertaining to: (i) a member’s overdue financial obligations to the Fund; or (ii) a request to amend a repurchase expectation schedule pursuant to paragraph l(b) of Decision No. 5703-(78/39) or paragraph 10(a) of Decision No. 4377-(74/114). in the case of an Executive Board meeting pertaining solely to a discussion or decision described in either (i) or (ii) above, no Chairman’s statement will be released.

Fund Policy Documents

11. After the Executive Board meets on policy issues, it may decide to publish the staff report considered at the meeting (Document 14) and/or a Public Information Notice (PIN, Document 15) on the discussion. The factors on which this decision shall be based shall include whether the discussions have reached completion or, if not completed, whether informing the public of the state of the discussions would be useful, the staff shall make a recommendation on the publication of a staff policy paper and/or a PIN on its cover. A PIN on policy discussions will be based on the decision that may have been adopted by the Executive Board or the Chairman’s summing-up of the discussions. It will also include a short section setting out background information.

Timing and Means of Fund Publication

12. Documents may be published under this decision only after their consideration by the Executive Board, except for: (i) PRSPs, Interim PRSPs, or PRSP progress reports; (ii) documents circulated to the Executive Board for information only; and (iii) Reports on Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSCs). Documents under items (i) and (ii) may be published immediately after circulation to the Executive Board. Documents under item (iii) may be published after notifying the Executive Board of the intention to publish.

13. Publication by the Fund under this decision shall mean normally publication on its website but may include publication through other media.

Repeal of Superseded Decisions

14. The following decisions are repealed: (i) “Use of Fund Resources - Release of Chairman’s Statement,” Decision No. 11971-(99/58), adopted June 3, 1999; (ii) “Public Information Notices for Policy Matters,” Decision No. 11972-(99/58), adopted June 3, 1999; (iii) “Publication of Letters of Intent, Memoranda of Economic and Financial Policies and Policy Framework Papers,” Decision No. 11974-(99/58), adopted June 3, 1999; and (iv) “Release of Information - Reports on Recent Economic Developments and Statistical Appendices and Annexes,” Decision No. 10138-(94/61), adopted July 11, 1994. The decision set forth in EBD/98/64 (6/19/98), which was approved on a lapse-of-time basis on June 24, 1998, is repealed to the extent that it relates to the publication of the final Decision and Completion Point documents under the HIPC Initiative.

Article XII, Section 8

15. Nothing in this decision shall be construed to be inconsistent with the power of the Fund to decide under Article XII, Section 8, by a seventy percent majority of the total voting power, to publish a report made to a member regarding its monetary or economic conditions and developments which directly tend to produce a serious disequilibrium in the international balance of payments of members.

Review

16. This decision shall be reviewed in light of experience not later than 18 months from the date of its adoption.

List of Documents Covered by the Decision

I. Surveillance and supporting documents

1. Article IV and Combined Article IV/Use of Fund Resources Staff Reports

2. Recent Economic Developments Reports, Selected Issues Papers, Statistical Appendices

3. Reports on Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSCs)

4. Public Information Notices (PINs) following Article IV consultations and regional surveillance discussions

II. Use of Fund Resources by a member

5. Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs), Interim PRSPs, and PRSP Progress Reports

6. Joint Fund/World Bank Staff Assessments of PRSPs, Interim PRSPs, and PRSP Progress Reports

7. Letters of Intent and Memoranda of Economic and Financial Policies (LOIs/MEFPs)

8. Technical Memoranda of Understanding (TMUs) with policy content

9. Use of Fund Resources and Post-Program Monitoring Staff Reports (excluding staff reports dealing solely with a member’s overdue financial obligations to the Fund)

10. Chairman’s Statements

11. Preliminary, decision point, and completion point documents under the HIPC Initiative

12. Statements on Fund decisions on waivers of applicability, or for nonobservance, of performance criteria

13. PINs following Executive Board discussions on post-program monitoring

III. Fund Policy Documents

14. Fund Policy issues papers

15. PINs following Executive Board discussions on policy issues

IV. Other documents

16. LOIs/MEFPs for Staff Monitored Programs (SMPs)

17. Stand-alone Staff Reports on SMPs

Decision No. 12405-(01/02)

January 4, 2001