The
Heavily-Indebted Poor Countries Initiative was adopted in 1996 by major
industrialized countries to provide a comprehensive approach to helping poor
countries with their debt burdens with a goal of getting the debt to
sustainable levels. By granting debt relief, the HIPC Initiative hoped to
reduce the constraints on economic growth, reduce poverty, and allow countries
to pay future interest payments without needing further debt relief. The HIPC
Initiative works with other creditors clubs such as the Paris Club. The HIPC
Initiative is led by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.