The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing debt vulnerabilities by causing a surge in public debt. It has also created new challenges for debt managers: greater uncertainty about the financial outlook, higher financing needs, changes in investor behavior, and limited capacity to raise funds at a reasonable cost. Some countries face debt distress. Crisis management has been—and remains—critical. At the same time, issues surrounding debt transparency have come to the fore.
The 11th Debt Management Facility (DMF) Stakeholders’ Forum focuses on helping debt managers tackle these issues. The 2021 forum, titled Debt Management During the Global Crisis is organized by the World Bank. It will foster high level-discussions on global trends, the impact of the pandemic on debt sustainability, debt management practices during a crisis, and debt transparency.