The International Monetary Fund welcomed the commitment made by the G-20 Summit on Thursday to enhance the multilateral agency's ability to support emerging markets and low-income countries, and to bring the world economy out of its deepest post-war recession.

Observing that the global crisis is hitting emerging markets and poor countries hard, IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn said, "The G-20 leaders have on Thursday sent a powerful signal that the international community is committed to support these countries, including by ensuring that the IMF has the resources available."

At the end of their London [ Images ] Summit on April 2, G-20 countries agreed to make available immediately an additional $250 billion, to be expanded by up to $500 billion in total.

The G-20 leaders also called for a doubling of the IMF's lending capacity to its low-income members, and for a boost to global liquidity through a $250 billion issue of the Special Drawing Rights (SDR) reserve asset.

The G-20 urged accelerated review of IMF's quotas to enhance the voice of emerging markets and developing countries in the IMF.