Following calls from various social organisations and as part of the international protests against the management of foreign debt, the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal held a session on the policies of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, at the request of the American Association of Jurists in West Berlin from 26 to 29 September 1988. The session aimed to examine the responsibility of these institutions for the debt crisis and the social consequences of the structural adjustment programmes they have implemented in developing countries.
Based on the evidence presented, the Tribunal analysed how both institutions functioned, reconstructed their role in managing international debt, and documented the economic, social, and political effects of structural adjustment policies, particularly on the decision-making capacity of indebted states and the living conditions of their populations.
In its Judgement, the Tribunal concluded that the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are obliged to respect the principles of international law and the rights of peoples. It also found that their policies had exacerbated inequalities, limited the autonomy of indebted states, and violated the right of peoples to development and economic self-determination.
Requesting organisations: American Association of Jurists
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