IMF Conference

July 10, Monday

19:30 – 21:30

Dinner

Introduction: 

Boris Vujčić, Governor, Croatian National Bank

Key Note Address: 

Gerard Roland, Professor, University of California, Berkeley

July 11, Tuesday

8:00 – 8:40

Coffee

8:40 – 8:50

Welcoming remarks: 

Boris Vujčić, Governor, Croatian National Bank

8:50 – 9:00

Opening remarks: 

Poul Thomsen, Director, European Department, International Monetary Fund

Session I

9:00 – 10:30

Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe’s (CESEE) Convergence Experience

Key questions:

• Where do we stand regarding convergence? Various dimensions.
• Why has potential growth slowed after the global financial crisis? The role of investment, demographics, productivity.
• What is driven by global financial crisis legacies versus longer-term trends?
• What are the prospects for convergence in the context of mediocre global growth and long-term headwinds (demographics)?
• What role can institutions and governance play?

Chair: 

Jörg Decressin, Deputy Director, European Department, International Monetary Fund

Presentations:

1. CESEE convergence: where do we stand?

Laura Papi, Assistant Director, European Department, International Monetary Fund

2. Is convergence assured? Governance and rule of law for sustainable growth.

Luis F. López-Calva, co-Director of the World Development Report 2017, World Bank Group

Discussants:

1. Convergence and Institution Building.

Servaas Deroose, Deputy Director-General, DG ECFIN, European Commission

2. The Journey of Structural Reforms: Achievements and the Road Ahead.

Anders Åslund, Atlantic Council and Center for Social and Economic Research

Round table discussion with Q&As from the audience

10:30 –11:00

Coffee Break

Session II

11:00 –12:40

How to Strengthen Institutions and Governance

Key questions :

• Where does the region stand regarding institutions/governance and where is it headed?
• What are the determinants of good governance and institutions and how does change happen? What is the role of external factors, e.g. the EU?
• How to strengthen legal systems, law enforcement and property rights?
• How to improve government efficiency, state-owned enterprise performance and control of corruption?
• What are the political economy obstacles to reforms?

Chair: 

Martina Dalić, Deputy Prime Minister, Republic of Croatia

Presentations:

1. Inclusive institutions and Prosperity: CESEE countries’ path so far, how they are likely to evolve, and possible lessons.

Alina Mungiu-Pippidi, Professor, Hertie School of Governance

2. Political economy and reforms. Do reforms have to be popular to be successful?

Sergei Guriev, Chief Economist, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Discussants:

1. Country experience with strengthening institutions.

Peter Kažimir, Minister, Ministry of Finance, Slovak Republic

Oleksandr Danyliuk, Minister, Ministry of Finance, Ukraine

2. Improving governance.

Jan Švejnar, Professor, Columbia University and Center on Global Economic Governance

Round table discussion with Q&As from the audience

13:00 –14:30

Lunch

Session III

14:30 –16:00

Policy Round Table

Key issues:

• What are the lessons from the countries that have made the greatest strides in convergence, institution building, and governance improvements?
• What are the hallmarks of successful and durable reforms? Are the nascent institutions deep-routed enough to prevent reversals and drive the next phase of sustainable growth and convergence?
• The role of the external environment: what is the role of the EU going forward?

Moderator: Karen Tso, CNBC

Panelists:

• Christine Lagarde, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund
• Alina Mungiu-Pippidi, Professor, Hertie School of Governance
• Gerard Roland, Professor, University of California, Berkeley
• Jacek Rostowski, former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Republic of Poland

16:00 –16:15

Closing Remarks:

Zdravko Marić, Minister, Ministry of Finance, Republic of Croatia

19:30 – 21:00

Dinner*