Regional Capacity Development Centers

August 12, 2022

The IMF has a global network of 17 regional centers that coordinate much of its capacity development work in countries. Tailored to regional priorities, these centers work closely with member countries and development partners to respond quickly to emerging needs. Member and host countries, as well as external partners, help the IMF finance these centers. Their activities are complemented by capacity development financed by the IMF’s special thematic funds  and the IMF’s own resources.

Africa

The six regional centers in Africa deliver a significant share of IMF capacity development (CD) on the ground. Current external partners include Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the African Development Bank, and the European Investment Bank.

East AFRITAC was opened in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in 2002, and works with Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, South Sudan,Tanzania (including Zanzibar), and Uganda. AFRITAC West was established in 2003 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and is working with Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, and Togo. AFRITAC Central was opened in Libreville, Gabon, in 2007 to work with Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) countries: Gabon, Cameroon, Chad, Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, and Equatorial Guinea, as well as Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and São Tomé and Príncipe. AFRITAC South was established in Mauritius in 2011, and works with Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe—it is co-located and jointly managed with the Africa Training Institute (see below). AFRITAC West 2, opened in 2013 in Accra, Ghana, works with the English and Portuguese‑speaking members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), covering Cabo Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.

The Africa Training Institute (ATI) opened in Mauritius in June 2013. It conducts hands-on training and regional workshops for officials from 45 sub-Saharan African countries. Its current external partners include Australia, China, Germany, Korea, and the European Investment Bank.

Asia-Pacific

The Pacific Financial Technical Assistance Center (PFTAC), established in Suva, Fiji, in 1993, supports 16 Pacific island countries and territories: The Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor‑Leste, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. External partners include Australia, Canada, the European Union, Korea, New Zealand, the United States, and the Asian Development Bank.

The IMF-Singapore Regional Training Institute (STI) was established in Singapore in 1998 as a joint initiative with the government of Singapore. The STI works closely with other IMF capacity development providers in the region, as well as the South East Asian Central Banks (SEACEN) Research and Training Centre. Financing for the STI is provided by Singapore and Japan, with additional support from Australia.

The IMF Capacity Development Office in Thailand (CDOT) was established in Bangkok in 2012. Core beneficiary countries are Myanmar, Lao P.D.R., Cambodia, and Vietnam. Select capacity development projects based in CDOT also cover other countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Island region. The Bank of Thailand hosts the CDOT Office and Japan provides financial support.

The South Asia Regional Training and Technical Assistance Center (SARTTAC), which began operations in January 2017, is the first center to fully integrate training and technical assistance. Located in New Delhi, India, SARTTAC works with Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Member countries finance two-thirds of the center’s budget, with additional funding from Australia, the European Union, Korea, and the United Kingdom.

The China-IMF Capacity Development Center (CICDC) was launched in April 2018 and trains primarily government officials from China, as well as some from other countries (including those associated with the Belt and Road Initiative) The CICDC is anchored in Beijing, supports activities both inside and outside of China, and is fully funded through the People’s Bank of China (PBC).

Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Mongolia

The Joint Vienna Institute (JVI) was established in 1992 by the IMF, Austria (represented by the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Austrian National Bank), and several other international institutions. The oldest of the IMF’s regional capacity development centers, the JVI has trained more than 45,000 public officials, many of whom have gone on to senior positions, including central bank governor, minister, prime minister, and one president. Financial support for the JVI is mainly provided by its primary members, Austria and the IMF. In cooperation with the JVI and the Ministry of Finance of Georgia, the IMF has been delivering additional training through the Georgia Training Program to public officials from 11 Caucasus and Central Asian countries.

The Caucasus, Joint Central Asia, and Mongolia Regional Capacity Development Center  (CCAMTAC), opened on February 1, 2021. Based in Almaty, Kazakhstan, the CCAMTAC will initially operate virtually. The center will provide technical assistance and peer-to-peer workshops for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Financial support is provided by Kazakhstan, CCAMTAC member countries, the IMF, and external partners (currently the China, Korea, Poland, Russia, Switzerland, and the Asian Development Bank,). Classroom-type training for countries in the Central Asia and the Caucasus region will continue to be largely met by JVI and, for Mongolia, STI.

Middle East

The Middle East Regional Technical Assistance Center (METAC) was established in Beirut, Lebanon, in 2004 and works with Afghanistan, Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, West Bank and Gaza, and Yemen. External partners include the European Union, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.

The IMF Middle East Center for Economics and Finance (CEF) was established in Kuwait in 2011. CEF offers a comprehensive program of courses for government officials from 22 Arab countries. It is funded by Kuwait.

Western Hemisphere 

The Caribbean Regional Technical Assistance Center (CARTAC) was established in Bridgetown, Barbados, in 2001. It serves 23 Caribbean countries and territories: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Maarten, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turks and Caicos. Current external partners include Canada, the European Union, Mexico, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Caribbean Development Bank, and the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank.

 

The Central America, Panama and the Dominican Republic Regional Technical Assistance Center (CAPTAC-DR) launched in 2009 in Guatemala City, Guatemala, and works with Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and the Dominican Republic. Current external partners include Colombia, the European Union, Luxembourg, Mexico, Norway, Spain, and the Central American Bank for Economic Integration.