The world’s major multilateral development banks (MDBs) collectively hold $1.2 trillion in callable capital – a unique type of guarantee provided by shareholder governments. The G20-mandated Independent Review of MDBs’ Capital Adequacy Frameworks recommended in July 2022 that MDBs ‘incorporate a prudent share of callable capital into their own calculation of capital adequacy’, but a number of practical and conceptual issues must be addressed before this can be achieved.

How should MDBs, shareholders and capital market actors understand the value of callable capital? The answer is not obvious. No major MDB has ever come close to making a capital call, so the instrument is untested. MDB statutes describe callable capital only in broad terms, without clarifying procedures or timeframes, while shareholder governments vary widely in how they incorporate callable capital commitments into their budgetary frameworks.

ODI is leading a project on MDB callable capital in collaboration with the MDB Challenge Fund. The aim of this workshop is to highlight the project’s preliminary research findings, build awareness of the callable capital agenda, engage relevant stakeholders and receive feedback to inform the next phase of the research project.

The key topics to be discussed in the workshop include:

– The legal and financial parameters of callable capital

– Credit rating agency evaluation of callable capital

– Modelling the circumstances that could lead an MDB to make a capital call, as well as timings and probabilities

– How MDB shareholders account for callable capital in their budgetary frameworks

– How callable capital fits into the broader toolkit to help MDBs face financial stress

The workshop will start with a brief presentation by project team members, followed by comments from the four panellists and an extended Q&A session with the audience.

Attendees are warmly invited to an ODI-sponsored lunch that will follow the workshop.