What is being called the “Global Economic Crisis” has severely impacted economies worldwide. The global recession, which has been described as the worst since the Great Depression, has crippled industries such as manufacturing, finance and banking in many countries. Central bank rates are at historic lows, access to credit has been tightened and job losses are widespread. Governments in North America and Europe have introduced stimulus packages to kick start their economies. Effects of the downturn have also been felt across the globe in countries as far away as China. Beyond simply trying to resuscitate fledgling economies, global leaders are reevaluating oversight of the global financial system. The crisis has raised serious questions about regulation and governance. Leaders from G20 countries have gathered to discuss solutions and proposals that could fundamentally alter the system. The role of multilateral institutions such as the International Monetary Fund is also under review.

There has been an active agenda of research, events and scholarly outputs surrounding the global economic crisis.

• CIGI's global economic crisis activities

CIGI’s experts have written research papers and commentaries as events have unfolded that are shifting and shaping the global economy.

Special Reports

• CIGI Special G20 Report: Flashpoints for the Pittsburgh Summit (Edited by Andrew F. Cooper and Daniel Schwanen)
• The Future of the International Monetary Fund: A Canadian Perspective (Edited by Bessma Momani and Eric Santor)
• Environmental Sustainability and the Financial Crisis: Linkages and Policy Recommendations (Edited by Jennifer Clapp)
• China and the Financial Crisis (CASS/CIGI Task Force Report uner the CASS/CIGI Young Scholars Network for Chinese Public Policy
• The Effect of the World Financial Crisis on Developing Countries: An Initial Assessment (CIGI Task Force on Developing Countries)
• Soundings Series: National Perspectives on Global Leadership (CIGI-Brookings Institution project led by Colin Bradford)

Papers

• Down and Almost Out: A Time for Reflection on the Future of the Multilateral Trading System (Conference Report by John M. Curtis, E. Daniel Ciuriak, Simon J. Evenett and Henry Lotin)
• From London to L'Aquila: Bridging the G20 and the G8 (CIGI-Chatham House Policy Brief by Eric Helleiner and Paola Subacchi)
• Cooper: Down but not out (chapter in the downloadable book The G8 2009: From La Maddalena to L'Aquila)
• The G20 and Green Protectionism: Will We Pay the Price in Copenhagen? (Policy Brief by John Whalley and Simon J. Evenett)
• The Oil-Producing Gulf States, the IMF and the International Financial Crisis (Policy Brief by Bessma Momani)
• Sense and Nonsense About Deflation (Web-Exclusive Policy Brief by Eric Helleiner)
• The G20 Leaders' Summit and the Regulation of Global Finance: What Was Accomplished (Web-Exclusive Policy Brief by Eric Helleiner and Stefano Pagliari)
• Global Governance for a Global Age: The Role of Leaders in Breaking Global Deadlocks (Policy Brief by Barry Carin and Ramesh Thakur)
  

Commentaries

• Cooper: Propelling the G20 from Concept to Reality
• Chin: Cat's Out of the Bag: China's Currency Challenge
• Clapp: The G8's Global Food Security Initiative
• Cooper: Competing Gs
• Cooper: The G20 Summit: An Ambitious but Incomplete Advance in Global Re-ordering
• Chin: China and the end of the G8
• Schwanen: Global action offers shelter to weather economic storm
• Helleiner: The Washington G20 Meeting: A New Bretton Woods?

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