"IMF policies undermine human rights: UN expert", 19 October 2017

[WASHINGTON] The International Monetary Fund's lending policies are undermining United Nations human rights and development goals, an independent expert commissioned by the UN said….

In nations facing poverty and health crises, the global crisis lender's conditions on support can weaken social spending and hinder countries' respect for human rights, increasing unemployment, lowering labour standards and harming public health and the environment…said…Alfred de Zayas, appointed by the UN's Human Rights Council and tasked with promoting fairness in the international order.

…De Zayas said the IMF insisted on aggressive privatisation and austerity measures.

This year, according to Mr de Zayas, the IMF suspended loan disbursals to Tunisia while demanding the privatization of state-owned banks and the abolition of 10,000 public sector jobs.

…IMF support - which required borrowers to demonstrate rapid growth and conservative fiscal policies - weakened African countries' ability to respond to the 2014 Ebola epidemic.