BBC News with John Jason.

Senior officials of the International Monetary Fund have agreed reforms to give a bigger role in decision-making to developing countries. If approved, their combined voting share would be increased to the expensive richer states. Andrew Walker reports.

Decisions in the IMF are taking on the basis of a voting system that gives more votes to larger economies. The United States alone accounts for around 17 percent of the vote in the 185-member country IMF. The main impact to the reforms agreed in Washington will be to increase the voting shares of major developing countries, such as India, China and Brazil. The feel the current arrangement does not reflect their growing influence in the global economy. The main losers will be rich countries, including Britain, France and Canada.