Article I – Purposes

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Article I – Purposes is the foundational section of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement that sets out the institution’s core objectives, including promoting international monetary cooperation, exchange stability, balanced trade growth, and financial assistance to members.

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Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf legal provision
treaty article
adoptedAt United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference at Bretton Woods NERFINISHED
adoptedBy member countries of the International Monetary Fund
adoptionYear 1944
aimsAt prevention of beggar-thy-neighbor policies in exchange rates
promotion of multilateralism in payments and trade
stability of the international monetary system
appliesTo all members of the International Monetary Fund
belongsToOrganization International Monetary Fund NERFINISHED
bindingOn all IMF members upon accession
cameIntoForce 27 December 1945
defines purposes of the International Monetary Fund
governs objectives of IMF operations
hasAmendments subsequent amendments to IMF Articles of Agreement
historicalContext post–World War II reconstruction and monetary stabilization
influences IMF lending policies
IMF surveillance activities
IMF technical assistance priorities
interpretedBy IMF Executive Board NERFINISHED
language English
French
Spanish
legalEffect guides IMF conditionality and program design
guides surveillance over members’ exchange rate policies
sets outer limits of IMF jurisdiction
locatedInDocument Chapter I of the IMF Articles of Agreement NERFINISHED
objectiveType institutional mandate
partOf Articles of Agreement of the International Monetary Fund NERFINISHED
purposeStated to assist in the establishment of a multilateral system of payments for current transactions
to avoid competitive exchange depreciation
to contribute to high levels of employment and real income
to contribute to the development of the productive resources of all members
to correct balance of payments maladjustments without resorting to destructive measures
to eliminate foreign exchange restrictions that hamper world trade
to facilitate the expansion and balanced growth of international trade
to give confidence to members by making the Fund’s resources temporarily available
to maintain orderly exchange arrangements among members
to promote exchange stability
to promote international monetary cooperation
to shorten the duration and lessen the degree of disequilibrium in the international balances of payments of members
relatedTo Article IV of the IMF Articles of Agreement NERFINISHED
Article V of the IMF Articles of Agreement NERFINISHED
shortName Article I of the IMF Articles of Agreement NERFINISHED
subjectArea international economic law
international monetary law
subjectOf academic commentary on IMF mandate
interpretative decisions by the IMF Executive Board

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.