Speech by Vtor Constncio, Vice-President of the C!,
The "olden Series lecture at the #fficial Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum $#MFIF%, &ondon, '( )o*ember '+,, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is with pleasure that I have accepted the invitation from the OMFIF Golden Series on World Money to talk about the future of the international monetary system !his sub"ect has become very topical this year, not least in view of the discussions and pro#ress achieved at the very recent $annes Summit I will start by briefly recallin# the key features of a #ood international monetary system and on this basis, I will try to define what are, in my view, the main weaknesses of the present system %or &non'system( as many describe it) !his will allow me to dwell upon the possible evolution over the medium run of some of the main components of the international monetary system When concludin#, I will assess whether such an evolution may prove to be an ade*uate response to the challen#es we are confronted with What can we expect from a good-quality international monetary system? !he ultimate #oal of the international monetary system %hereafter+ IMS) is to maintain an orderly system of payments amon# nations !o this aim, the IMS has to provide the services of an international currency, ensure ade*uate creation of #lobal li*uidity, define an e,chan#e rate re#ime amon# national currencies and include an ad"ustment mechanism to avoid e,cessive e,ternal real and financial imbalances across nations -oth #lobal li*uidity and the ad"ustment mechanism can be interpreted as #lobal public #oods %see e# .ichen#reen /012, $amdessus /000, 3orrucci and Mc4ay 56//) It is indeed only throu#h access to global liquidity that it becomes possible to participate in, and finance, the #lobal economy by usin# one or more reserve currencies as a means of payment, a unit of account or a store of value 7nd it is only throu#h an efficient and effective adjustment mechanism that it becomes possible to benefit from &e,ternal stability(, namely a #lobal sustainable constellation of cross'country 1 economic linka#es %e# via current accounts and asset8liability positions) Once e,ternal stability is achieved, cross'country linka#es do not #ive rise to disruptive developments, such as disorderly e,chan#e rate and asset price swin#s or contractions in real output and employment .,ternal stability crucially depends on the policy behaviour of those issuers and holders of international currencies that are systemically relevant !he exchange rate and capital flow regimes are probably the core elements of the ad"ustment mechanism, since they define the de#ree of fle,ibility of each IMS, ie its adaptability to chan#in# economic circumstances In contrast to the -retton Woods system with fi,ed e,chan#es rates, semi'closed capital accounts and a strict ad"ustment mechanism, an IMS such as the present one en"oys a much hi#her de#ree of adaptability .ach country is free to choose its e,chan#e rate and capital account re#ime, and the reserve'issuin# countries face no IMS'embedded limits to the creation of #lobal li*uidity !his is a fundamental stren#th of today9s system, but it may also become : as we will see : a ma"or weakness to the e,tent that it creates scope for unsustainable domestic #rowth models and the ensuin# accumulation of real and financial imbalances What are the shortcomings of the present non-system -esides the persistent e,ternal imbalances, there are many other shortcomin#s bein# mentioned about the present &non'system( I can mention a few of them+ abrupt reversal of capital flows; systematic inflows #oin# from emer#in# to developed countries; inefficient accumulation of reserves by emer#in# countries; e,cessive e,chan#e rate volatility ineffective to ensure e,ternal balance; asymmetry of ad"ustment pressure between deficit and surplus countries; absence of mechanisms to ensure the sufficient and timely supply of #lobal li*uidity in times of financial crises !his list means that, potentially, all the features of an IMS can be at stake in the present discussion, contrary to what happened in the late nineties when the discussion revolved around the functionin# of the financial sector and the crisis prevention and resolution in emer#in# economies !he debate then was not about the reform of the IMS but rather about a new Global Financial 7rchitecture, meanin# the international framework for safe#uardin# and ensurin# the efficient functionin# of the #lobal financial system 2 !oday, after the start of the crisis in 5662, the issues under discussion are at the core of what constitutes an International Monetary System+ /) 7re new international currencies necessary and8or unavoidable in the present circumstances< 5) Should chan#es be introduced in the forei#n e,chan#e re#ime< =) 3oes the system need new and stron#er instruments of li*uidity provision, especially in times of financial crises< >) What chan#es should be introduced in the ad"ustment mechanism< ?) Which reforms are needed in the about international re#ulation of the financial sector< I will not address this last point @e#ardin# the second issue on the e,chan#e rate re#ime, I will only mention that I see no "ustification to chan#e the floatin# re#ime amon# the ma"or currencies or to modify the recommendation that bi# emer#in# economies should also adopt much more fle,ible rate re#imes !his means that in the conflict characterised by Mac4innon %/00>) between the international adjustment view of e,chan#e rates and the monetary standard view, I take the side of the former 7lso, the present situation of financial #lobalisation confirms the early Abipolar viewA of 7le,ander Swoboda that with hi#h capital mobility the only stable e,chan#e rate re#imes are floatin# rates or hard pe#s, of which monetary unions are an e,treme e,ample %see .ichen#reen, 56/6) Towards an unavoidable, but desirable, multi-polar !"? !here are many predictions about the #radual addition of other currencies to the dollar as truly international currencies What seems to make this unavoidable it is not only the emer#ence of the euro, the increasin# stren#th of $hina or the #rowin# vulnerabilities of the BS !he #rowth in importance of emer#in# countries, that have seen their share in the world G3C au#mented by /? percenta#e points in the last 56 years, creates a structural increase for the demand of reserves that the developed countries, includin# the BS7, will not be in a position to supply !his *uestion is linked with the problem of the provision of official international li*uidity 7s Maurice Obstfeld %56//) has recently recalled, there is a fiscal dimension to the supply of official reserves Do sin#le country in the world could indefinitely offer its currency as the reserve asset that could satisfy all the needs of a #rowin# rest of the world In the present circumstances where deficit and debt ratios need to be decreased, the BS could not offer its bonds and !'bills as the almost e,clusive reserve asset of the world In this conte,t, .uro assets are necessary .ven if they are clearly seen as an unrealistic 3 prospect, .urobonds, from the pure perspective of the International Monetary System, would be useful as a reserve asset for the world economy In the future, the system will also need assets in the $hinese currency, when $hina will have a convertible currency, a fle,ible e,chan#e rate and a developed bond market 7ll this implies that one possible scenario is the evolution towards a truly multi-polar !", which, as many have recently observed, would produce credible alternatives to dollar'denominated investments, thereby enhancin# policy discipline in the core reserve issuer 7lso, a multi'currency world would imply #reater monetary policy autonomy in emer#in# economies such as $hina, which would thus be in a better position to tackle its own imbalances %see e# -ini Sma#hi 56//) !here are five key conditions for a currency to become a ma"or international currency !he first one is havin# a very large economy, which en#enders network e,ternalities and lowers transaction costs !he second is #iven by deep, efficient and open financial markets !hird, #ood political and macroeconomic governance is of course of the essence to preserve the e,ternal value of a currency Fourth, full enforcement of the rule of law is e*ually crucial as it ensures the protection of investors9 property ri#hts Fifth, one should not overlook the importance of geopolitical influence and political stability It is therefore not easy for a currency to fill all the conditions necessary for it to have an international role $onse*uently, I do not think that we will see a ma"or chan#e in the role of the US dollar over the ne,t /6'/? years : thou#h the conclusion may well be different over a lon#er horiEon !he appearance of the euro as a new #lobally important currency has not produced a shift to a #enuine duopoly in the supply of international currencies, and had little impact on the dollar9s centrality in the IMS We are likely to see the shares of other currencies #rowin# over time, but it is unlikely that there will be "ust one currency replacin# the BS dollar9s he#emony !he euro has established itself as the second most important international currency after the BS dollar 7t the same time, this role is predominantly re#ional in nature, since the euro is mainly used by economic a#ents resident in euro area nei#hbourin# countries with special political and economic ties to the .uropean Bnion and the euro area More recently, it is known that 7sian investors and forei#n 4 central banks accounted for a siEable share of the demand for bonds issued by the .uropean Financial Stability Facility %.FSF) Lookin# ahead, the share of the euro in international markets has the potential to rise further once financial stability and market inte#ration is restored in the euro area !he on#oin# efforts to improve the #overnance of the euro area and provide it with a credible crisis resolution mechanism will also indirectly affect the international use of the euro, even if the .$- and the .urosystem do not take any initiatives to directly promote its use %7n#eloni, Sapir 56//) !his neutral stance : neither foster nor hinder : is based on our conviction that the international use of currencies should be a by'product of autonomous market decisions driven by the aforementioned five determinants !urnin# to the Chinese renminbi, one can observe that the use of the renminbi as an international currency has remained limited althou#h $hina is now the third lar#est economy %after the Bnited States and the euro area) and second lar#est e,porter %after the euro area) of the world !he $hinese authorities have launched several initiatives since March 5660 to promote a wider international use of the renminbi, e# in trade invoicin#, in deepenin# the role of the offshore centre played by Fon# 4on# S7@, or in a#reein# local currency swap a#reements with several central banks Devertheless, the full potential of the renminbi can ultimately only be achieved with the liberalisation of the capital account, accompanied by the reform of domestic financial markets Once these will be in place, a ma"or internationalisation of the renminbi will happen as a by'product For the time bein#, $hinese authorities seem to be tryin# to prudently promote financial liberaliEation via e,perimentin# with market'driven renminbi securities in Fon# 4on# S7@ -ut this comes at the e,pense of increasin# e,posure to capital flows which poses challen#es for the macro'prudential set'up, especially #iven the current undervaluation of the renminbi Fence, $hinese authorities may also slow down the use of the renminbi abroad should tensions for domestic policy makers mount 7ll in all, the potential for the renminbi to up#rade as an international currency is clearly hu#e, but the timin# is difficult to predict The necessary reform of the ad#ustment mechanism 5 I share 4re#el9s %56/6) view that &the basic problem Gwith the current IMSH is not the particular national liability that serves as the international currency, but the failure of an efficient ad"ustment mechanism for #lobal imbalances( Indeed, one needs only to look at the problem of #lobal payment imbalances to find weaknesses of the current IMS, or rather &non' system( !he build up of increasin#ly lar#e current account surpluses in some e,port'oriented economies, which rely on a #rowth'model based on over'savin#s, was, in con"unction with accumulatin# deficits in a number of consumption'driven economies, a ma"or source of concern in the years which preceded the #lobal financial crisis Such imbalances were coupled with &twin #luts( in #lobal li*uidity and planned savin#s which led to historically low risk premia : the main symptom that systemic risk was escalatin# in the presence of easy finance accommodatin# complacent borrowers .ven the #lobal financial crisis and the policy responses have reduced the imbalances only partly and temporarily over the most recent years !he fact that these imbalances have persisted for so lon# e,poses a key weakness of the system, namely the inadequacy of the ad#ustment mechanisms Let me e,plain this in more detail by lookin# at the various stakeholders+ $ational authorities in deficit and surplus countries had little incentives to depart from their #rowth model and policy course Indeed, prior to the crisis the economies with the lar#est e,ternal imbalances were often outperformin# their peers in terms of G3C #rowth+ the lar#er the imbalance, the hi#her was the #rowth rate over the short run Moreover, the deficit and surplus countries, rather than e,ertin# policy discipline on each other, in fact accommodated the other in the pursuit of their respective #rowth models %see 3ooley et al 566=) !ar%et discipline also proved partly unreliable for a number of reasons Firstly, markets fre*uently do not function in line with fundamentals as e,pected, leadin# to mispricin# and undue volatility in, for e,ample, e,chan#e rates and credit risk premia !his may be e,plained in part by factors such as herdin# behaviour, but also the lack of a shared view on the relevant fundamentals 6 Secondly, market behaviour has also been constrained by structural factors and policy re#imes On the deficit side, the fact that the Bnited States provides the deepest and most li*uid financial market ' and issues the dominant reserve currency ' provides it with an unparalleled platform to offer &safe( debt instruments !he insatiable demand for such debt instruments puts stron# pressure on the BS financial system and its incentives %$aballero 5660) 7t the same time, the BS derives its &e,orbitant privile#e( from this situation !he demand for BS assets constrains the #rowth in credit and e,chan#e rate risk premia char#ed by markets on risin# BS debt !his effectively limits the increase in e,ternal borrowin# costs, thus removin# an incentive to curb borrowin# On the surplus side, the semi'fi,ed e,chan#e rate re#imes and the semi'closed capital account of some ma"or surplus countries prevent markets from e,ertin# e,cessive pressure on capital flows or the e,chan#e rate of such countries !hirdly, accommodated by a trend towards self're#ulation, financial markets encoura#ed rather than tamed e,cessive borrowin# Income constraints on debt accumulation were circumvented throu#h innovative debt instruments, which were insufficiently checked by *uality credit analysis and internal controls Moreover, in the search for yield and diversification, capital flows to emer#in# markets and &carry trade economies( have sur#ed, promptin#, in certain cases, the imposition of capital controls to limit the potentially disruptive influences of both e,cess inflows and their reversals !he international community has a role to play in e,ertin# pressure on countries to ad"ust, primarily the International Monetary Fund %IMF) and the G56 7lthou#h helpful policy recommendations have been put forward at the #lobal level, the traction #ained by the international community has often not been as stron# as it needed to be !he IMF, to some e,tent, has been hampered in its efforts to ensure the stability of the IMS !he e,istin# rules were desi#ned for the pre' #lobalisation era and the enforcement mechanisms are not sufficiently effective @e#ardin# the rules, these were a#reed in an era of fi,ed e,chan#e rates, closed capital accounts and hi#hly re#ulated financial markets when the financial sector was the handmaiden of the real economy !his was well before the widespread liberalisation of trade, financial markets and capital accounts that defines #lobalisation For e,ample, under the IMF 7rticles of 7#reement, members are free to pursue capital account re#imes and e,chan#e rate re#imes of their choice, with only limited constraints 7 !he outcome is a #lobal constellation of e,chan#e rate re#imes that does not ensure sustained economic, financial and monetary stability !he pe# of currencies of a number of emer#in# economies to the BS dollar creates a symbiosis that fosters ever lar#er imbalances and hence risks of disorderly ad"ustment Carticularly when one of the emer#in# economies is very lar#e, the pe##in# of its currency to another risks limitin# the fle,ibility of ad"ustment in both, which in turn threatens to distort the e,chan#e rate of other ma"or currency pairs, with implications for #lobal economic performance !urnin# to the enforcement mechanisms, surveillance and peer policy review have an essential role to play in identifyin# risks and encoura#in# remedial policy action -ut international pressure : includin# via the IMF and the G56 : still suffers from lack of #rip .ven when risks are correctly identified and policy recommendations are appropriate, as it happened durin# IMF9s multilateral consultations in 566I'62, there is no #uarantee of necessary policy ad"ustments bein# made !his remains the weakest aspect of the surveillance process !he crisis has led to increased efforts to improve surveillance, e# with the transformation of the Financial Stability Forum into the Financial Stability -oard %FS-) with an enlar#ed membership and broadened mandate, chan#es inside the IMF, and the launchin# of the G56 Framework for Stron#, Sustainable, and -alanced Growth and its Mutual 7ssessment Crocess !here is a #eneral reco#nition of the need to stren#then the multilateral an#le of surveillance, to better encompass interlinka#es and spillover effects, and to better inte#rate macroeconomic and financial sector More work needs to be done, however, to further stren#then the effectiveness of surveillance !here is no widespread consensus yet on how a country9s policies impact on other countries and : more importantly : no willin#ness of countries to submit themselves to closer scrutiny -y contrast, we can observe a lot of mutual fin#er' pointin#, mainly between advanced and emer#in# economies, but to some e,tent also within the two #roups It follows that .M.s push for an inclusion of #lobal li*uidity and its drivers into multilateral surveillance, whereas advanced countries see a need for more scrutiny of reserve accumulation practices, e,chan#e rate policies and capital controls 7#ainst this back#round, it is also obvious that a lot of countries do not have any appetite to chan#e the IMF9s 7rticles of 7#reement to ratify a broadenin# and stren#thenin# of surveillance 8 What can be done in such circumstances< I think that first of all we need to work even harder to achieve a better understandin# of interlinka#es and spillover effects !his implies the need for more and better analysis !he new pilot spillover reports that the IMF started this year with a handful of systemically important countries are one welcome step in that direction Further research on the impact of policies in systemically important economies on #lobal li*uidity conditions and on capital flows will also help framin# the discussions Goin# forward, better awareness, a certain spirit of multilateralism and, last but not least, improved mechanisms to foster traction of policy advice will be crucial elements to stren#then the effectiveness of surveillance in contributin# to #lobal stability &volution of global official liquidity 7nother area in which views are very much divided is the debate about the enhancement of official li*uidity provision One idea is to stren#th the so'called global financial safety net '()"$*+ It would be used in those e,ceptional situations when countries with sound fundamentals suffer from financial market disruptions : such as forei#n currency li*uidity shorta#es or sudden stops in capital inflows : caused by conta#ion from ma"or %e# Lehman'type) e,ternal shocks + 7lso here si#nificant pro#ress has been achieved over the last years+ IMF resources have been tripled compared to 5661, access ri#hts to IMF financin# increased, and new facilities were created -ut some believe that this is not enou#h, and ar#ue with pertinent ar#uments, that further enhancin# the #lobal financial safety net would provide incentives for countries to decrease their reserve holdin#s %see Fahri, Gourinchas and @ey, 56//) Fowever, as I mentioned earlier, the accumulation of lar#e stocks of reserves is not only based on precautionary motives .ven the most customer'friendly IMF facilities mi#ht not lead countries to lower their reserves since they offer a hi#her level of comfort and convenience than IMF facilities 7t the same time, countries mi#ht face problems in actually usin# their reserves in times of crisis, #iven that markets mi#ht not focus on the absolute level, but rather on the relative chan#es Further reforms of the Fund9s toolkit need to be based on a thorou#h assessment of the e,perience with the e,istin# tools and the resource implications further insurance'type facilities would have !he call for increased Fund resources, which is recently bein# voiced a#ain, has also to be assessed carefully in li#ht of e,istin# and potential demand 9 for Fund support $oncernin# another S3@ allocation, one should consider that durin# the recent crisis only a very small amount of S3@s allocated in 5660 has actually been converted into usable currencies What would seem to be "ustified is to foresee established mechanisms to provide li*uidity in times of financial crises when private li*uidity suddenly disappears In this conte,t there have been also calls on central banks to establish a permanent scheme of swap lines to help countries in times of systemic stress Fowever, while central banks will certainly continue to assume their responsibilities in times of distress, they cannot commit e,'ante to any si#nificant provision of li*uidity as this could interfere with their mandate and create moral haEard ,oncluding remar%s- s this enough? Will the chan#es in the IMS which, based on current information, we are likely to witness over the ne,t ten'fifteen years be sufficient to make it resilient and sustainable< I am certainly not amon# those who consider that this is the case -ut then, what further chan#es are indispensable< !he answer to this *uestion depends upon the lon#er' term vision If we are really headin# towards a multi'polar system, this may well set stron#er incentives for policy discipline, since the e,orbitant privile#e will be more widely shared -ut will the road towards the new multi'polar system be smooth or very bumpy< Well, a lot will depend on the path of further financial market development, capital account liberalisation and e,chan#e rate fle,ibility in .M.s, since this will pro#ressively reduce the demand for safe debt instruments issued by advanced economies It will also allow a better channellin# of domestic credit to investment and consumption, which in turn will help to promote #rowth driven by domestic demand 7nd a lot will obviously also depend on the ability of advanced economies, startin# with the euro area, to learn the appropriate lessons from the current soverei#n debt and bankin# crisis !he speed and scope of this process will depend on decisions of policy makers and market participants in the various parts of this world If this whole process will be resolute and #radual at the same time, it should allow for an orderly transition towards a multi'polar IMS 7nother *uestion is whether the new IMS would be steady in nature or whether a new he#emon would emer#e possibly to accomplish the &he#emonic stability theory( promoted by 4indleber#er %4indleber#er, /026) !he answer will, a#ain, depend predominantly on policy' 10 makers It remains to be seen whether the currency competitors of such a multi'polar world will be of relatively close wei#ht, both in economic and financial terms, but also with respect to the political and #overnance factors discussed before when considerin# the preconditions for a currency to become a ma"or international currency 7s re#ards the necessary chan#es to international cooperation, we will need to see a #reater awareness amon# #lobal partners about their interlinka#es and the ensuin# responsibilities to ensure the stability of the whole system I am convinced that, without a minimum spirit of multilateralism and a minimum de#ree of cooperation, no future IMS will remain stable for lon# It is to be hoped that countries, especially those with systemic relevance, understand that it is in their best self' interest to consider e,ternalities and cooperate -ut such &enli#htenment( alone will not be sufficient to ensure stability If the IMS as such does not deliver the ri#ht incentives, the international community will have to eventually a#ree on enhanced ad"ustment mechanisms, e# in order to foster the traction of policy recommendations It is to be hoped that we do not need another #lobal crisis to instil the necessary incentives .eferences 7n#eloni, -Jnassy'KuJrJ, $arton, 3arvas, 3estais, Cisani'Ferry, Sapir and LallJe %56//)+ &Global currencies for tomorrow+ 7 .uropean perspective(, -rue#el -lueprint Series, vol MIII 7n#eloni, I and Sapir, 7 %56//), !he international monetary system is chan#in#+ What opportunities for .urope<, paper for -rue#el'CII. $onference !he !ransatlantic @elationship in an .ra of Growin# Multipolarity, -erlin, 52 September 56/6 -ini Sma#hi, L %56//)+ &!he !riffin dilemma revisited(, speech at the Conference on the International Monetary System sustainability and reform proposals, markin# the /66th anniversary of @obert !riffin; the !riffin International Foundation, -russels, = October 56// $aballero, @ %5660), &!he NOther9 Imbalance and the Financial $risis(, paper for the !affi "ecture delivered at the -anca d9Italia, /6 3ecember $amdessus, M %/000), &International Financial and Monetary Stability+ 7 Global Cublic Good<(, remarks at the IM#$%esearch Conference 11 entitled &'ey Issues in %eform of the International Monetary and #inancial System(, Washin#ton, 3$, 51 May 3orrucci, . and Mc4ay, O %56//), )he International Monetary System after the #inancial Crisis, Occasional *aper Series, Do /5=, .$-, Frankfurt am Mai, February 3ooley, MC, Folkerts'Landau, 3 and Garber, C %566=), &7n essay on the revived -retton Woods System(, +!,% -orking *apers, Do 002/, Dational -ureau of .conomic @esearch, September .ichen#reen, - %56/6) &.,chan#e rate re#imes and capital mobility+ how much of the Swoboda thesis survives<( in $harles WyplosE %ed) & )he +ew International Monetary System( @outled#e .ichen#reen, - %56//), ,.orbitant *rivilege / )he 0ecline of the 0ollar and the #uture of the International Monetary System, O,ford Bniversity Cress, Oanuary .ichen#reen %/012), &Fe#emonic Stability !heories of the International Monetary System(, +!,% -orking *apers, Do 5/0=, Dational -ureau of .conomic @esearch, March Farhi, ., Gourinchas, C'O and @ey, F %56//) &%eforming the International Monetary System( $.C@ 4indleber#er, $ %/026)+ & *ower and Money1 )he ,conomics of International *olitics and the *olitics of International ,conomics(, -asic -ooks, Dew Pork 4re#el, O %56/6), &7n 7lternative Cerspective on Global Imbalances and International @eserve $urrencies( : .conomic Cublic Colicy -rief 7rchive, Levy .conomics Institute Mc4innon, @onald %/00>) 3iscussion of Ceter 4enen &Floatin# e,chan#e rate re#imes reconsidered( in Ceter - 4enen et al %ed) &)he International Monetary System( $ambrid#e Bniversity Cress, pa#e /I? Obstfeld, Maurice %56//) &International li*uidity+ the fiscal dimension( 4eynote speech at the -ank of Oapan, Institute of Monetary and .conomic Studies, International $onference, !okyo, Oune 5'=, 56// !riffin, @ %/0I6)+ &Gold and the dollar crisis(, Pale Bniversity Cress, Dew Faven 12 13