New SEC Exemption Unlocks $700 Million for the International Development Association
Published: February 10, 2026
The Bretton Woods Committee (BWC) welcomes the passing of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) exemption for the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA).
As the World Bank’s lending arm, IDA supports over 70 of the world’s poorest countries by providing concessional loans and grants to improve their development outcomes, often serving as a last resort. The newly introduced SEC exemption will boost IDA’s lending power by saving resources spent on compliance that could otherwise be spent on addressing key development challenges.
BWC Advisory Council Member Whitney Debevoise said, “It is gratifying to see the Congress adopt an exemption from the US securities laws for IDA; this will open the market for IDA securities to a broader range of investors without removing SEC oversight, and allow IDA to lower interest costs by accessing private markets, just as IBRD and IFC already do.”
As low-income countries continue to grapple with economic uncertainty, rising debt levels, and worsening humanitarian crises, this exemption helps IDA reinforce its crucial role in fostering a more stable global economy.
“I’m pleased to see Congress take this important step. BWC has supported this legislation because it enables the World Bank to provide nearly $700 million in additional resources to the world’s poorest countries,” said BWC Executive Director, Emily Slater.
In addition to the SEC exemption for IDA, BWC is pleased to see Congress robustly invest in the International Financial Institutions (IFIs) in the FY26 spending package. Signed into law on February 3, the bill includes contributions to the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), IDA, the Asian Development Bank, the African Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development. The budget also includes an authorization for the private sector arm of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB Invest).
About the Bretton Woods Committee:
The Bretton Woods Committee (BWC) is the preeminent non-profit organization dedicated to effective global economic and financial cooperation. BWC demonstrates the value of multilateralism and enhances the performance of international financial institutions (IFIs) through public dialogue, advocacy, and policy analysis.
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Read the original post on the Bretton Woods Committee’s website.
