Too Little, Too Late

Too Little, Too Late
Author: Martin Guzman
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Total Pages: 307
Release: 2016-05-10
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 023154202X

The current approach to resolving sovereign debt crises does not work: sovereign debt restructurings come too late and address too little. Though unresolved debt crises impose enormous costs on societies, many recent restructurings have not been deep enough to provide the conditions for economic recovery (as illustrated by the Greek debt restructuring of 2012). And if the debtor decides not to accept the terms demanded by the creditors, finalizing a restructuring can be slowed by legal challenges (as illustrated by the recent case of Argentina, deemed as "the trial of the century"). A fresh start for distressed debtors is a basic principle of a well-functioning market economy, yet there is no international bankruptcy framework for sovereign debts. While this problem is not new, the United Nations and the global community are now willing to do something about it. Providing guidance for those who intend to take up reform, this book assesses the relative merits of various debt-restructuring proposals, especially in relation to the main deficiencies of the current nonsystem. With contributions by leading academics and practitioners, Too Little, Too Late reflects the overwhelming consensus among specialists on the need to find workable solutions.

Sovereign Debt Restructurings 1950-2010

Sovereign Debt Restructurings 1950-2010
Author: Mr.Udaibir S. Das
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 128
Release: 2012-08-01
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1475505531

This paper provides a comprehensive survey of pertinent issues on sovereign debt restructurings, based on a newly constructed database. This is the first complete dataset of sovereign restructuring cases, covering the six decades from 1950–2010; it includes 186 debt exchanges with foreign banks and bondholders, and 447 bilateral debt agreements with the Paris Club. We present new stylized facts on the outcome and process of debt restructurings, including on the size of haircuts, creditor participation, and legal aspects. In addition, the paper summarizes the relevant empirical literature, analyzes recent restructuring episodes, and discusses ongoing debates on crisis resolution mechanisms, credit default swaps, and the role of collective action clauses.

Collective Action Clauses and the Restructuring of Sovereign Debt

Collective Action Clauses and the Restructuring of Sovereign Debt
Author: Patrick S. Kenadjian
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter
Total Pages: 280
Release: 2013-08-01
Genre: Law
ISBN: 3110314525

The volume contains articles based on presentations given at a conference hosted by the Institute for Law and Finance of Goethe University on October 27, 2011. Collective action clauses are an example of the typical dichotomy of financial regulation: While the problems are economic in nature, the solutions need to be implemented by law. The Institute for Law and Finance strives to bring together law and finance in order to foster a better mutual understanding of both disciplines and to improve the regulation of financial markets. Thus, the organizers are particularly pleased that eminent experts from the fields of law and finance agreed to participate in the event and to share their views on and experiences with collective action clauses. The presentations given at the conference have been updated in 2012 to reflect recent developments.

The Evolution of Public Debt Vulnerabilities In Lower Income Economies

The Evolution of Public Debt Vulnerabilities In Lower Income Economies
Author: International Monetary Fund. Strategy, Policy, & Review Department
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 56
Release: 2020-02-10
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1513529110

Public debt in lower-income economies (LIEs) has risen in recent years, with half of the countries covered in this report now assessed to be at high risk of or already in debt distress.

Bankruptcy Procedures for Sovereigns

Bankruptcy Procedures for Sovereigns
Author: Kenneth Rogoff
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 50
Release: 2002-08
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN:

This paper describes the evolution of ideas to apply bankruptcy reorganization principles to sovereign debt crises. Our focus is on policy proposals between the late 1970s and Anne Krueger's (2001) proposed "Sovereign Debt-Restructuring Mechanism," with brief reference to the economics literature on sovereign debt. We describe the perceived inefficiencies that motivate proposals, and how proposals seek to change debtor and creditor incentives. We find that there has been a moving concensus on what constitutes the underlying problem, but not on how to fix it. The range of proposed approaches remains broad and only recently shows some signs of narrowing.

The Corporation of Foreign Bondholders

The Corporation of Foreign Bondholders
Author: Mr.Paolo Mauro
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 32
Release: 2003-05-01
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1451853009

This paper analyzes the Corporation of Foreign Bondholders (CFB), an association of British investors holding bonds issued by foreign governments. The CFB played a key role during the heyday of international bond finance, 1870-1913, and in the aftermath of the defaults of the 1930s. It fostered coordination among creditors, especially in cases of default, arranging successfully for many important debt restructurings, though failing persistently in a few cases. While a revamped creditor association might once again help facilitate creditor coordination, the relative appeal of defection over coordination is greater today than it was in the past. The CFB may have had an easier time than any comparable body would have today.

Collateralized Transactions

Collateralized Transactions
Author: International Monetary Fund
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 16
Release: 2020-02-19
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1513530704

In a response to a request from the G20 IFA Working Group, this note provides a framework for public lenders and borrowers to assess collateralized financing practices from a development perspective. The work of the IMF and World Bank suggests that the availability of collateralized financing can be beneficial to a developing country borrower under a range of circumstances, but also points to pitfalls.

Sovereign Debt Management

Sovereign Debt Management
Author: Rosa Lastra
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2014-01
Genre: Law
ISBN: 9780199671106

The most authoritative and comprehensive book available on sovereign debt management written by practitioners and scholars of world renown.

Sovereign Defaults before International Courts and Tribunals

Sovereign Defaults before International Courts and Tribunals
Author: Michael Waibel
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 429
Release: 2011-05-26
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1139496131

International law on sovereign defaults is underdeveloped because States have largely refrained from adjudicating disputes arising out of public debt. The looming new wave of sovereign defaults is likely to shift dispute resolution away from national courts to international tribunals and transform the current regime for restructuring sovereign debt. Michael Waibel assesses how international tribunals balance creditor claims and sovereign capacity to pay across time. The history of adjudicating sovereign defaults internationally over the last 150 years offers a rich repository of experience for future cases: US state defaults, quasi-receiverships in the Dominican Republic and Ottoman Empire, the Venezuela Preferential Case, the Soviet repudiation in 1917, the League of Nations, the World War Foreign Debt Commission, Germany's 30-year restructuring after 1918 and ICSID arbitration on Argentina's default in 2001. The remarkable continuity in international practice and jurisprudence suggests avenues for building durable institutions capable of resolving future sovereign defaults.