Perspectives of the UN and the World Bank

The United Nations

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The United Nations was founded on October 24, 1945 by 50 countries as a successor to the League of Nations. Its membership has since risen to 192 countries. It is financed through assessment and voluntary payments from member countries. Each assessment is based on the ability to pay and is measured by several factors such as national income statistics. These monetary resources are divided amongst several U.N. programs. However, some programs, including UNICEF (United Nations Childrens Fund) and UNDP (United Nations Development Program)are not financed through the ordinary budget but instead rely upon voluntary contributions from member states. The vast majority of the U.N.'s resources are devoted to economic, social, and sustainable development. The aid provided to developing countries by the United Nations has affected the quality of people’s lives globally. Through the World Food Programme, one of the U.N.'s outreach programs, more than 100 million people a year are fed in 80 countries. All member countries focus on issues such as drug trafficking, AIDS, organized crime, environment, and organized crime because these are all global problems, affecting every country in the world. Besides providing monetary, human, and resource aid to developing countries, the UN also is responsible for responding to man-made and natural disasters that are beyond the control and capacity of the national authorities of the affected country alone. Immediate relief is provided through several agencies founded and sponsored by the UN. Additionally, they focus on developing effective strategies that will assist in preventing future emergencies.

Some of the more notable U.N. programs are:

• World Heath Organization (WHO)
• World Bank/International Monetary Fund (IMF)
• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
• United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
• United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF)
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
• Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF)

The following goals were established by the United Nations in The Millennium Development Goals Report of 2006. While these goals have yet to be completed, they have been quite successful thus far and hopefully will continue to aid in the shaping of the futures of developing countries.

Millenium Development Goals

Bretton Woods Conference

"The economic health of every country is a proper matter of concern to all its neighbors, near and far."

These were the opening words said by Franklin Roosevelt at the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference, also known as the Bretton Woods Conference which took place in July of 1944. 730 delegates all 45 Allied nations were present and it took place in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. The puropose of the summit was to develop ways to refulate international monetary and financial order after World War II. The conference agreements summary states that, "The nations should consult and agree on international monetary changes whcih affect each other. They should outlaw practices which are agreed to be harmful to world prosperity, and they should assist each other to overcome short-term exchange difficulties." It established the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Bank for Reconstruction which marked the end of economic nationalism. However, the conference agreements did not become operative until 1959 when European curriencies finally became convertible.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) which came into existence in December of 1945 defines itself as "an organization of 184 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty." The purpose of the IMF is to oversee the global financial system. It does this through monitoring the balance of payments and exchange rates. All UN member states are either directly involved or are represented by other members, with the exception of seven countries.

Cranka 23:01, 29 Nov 2006 (EST) Cranka 22:31, 29 Nov 2006 (EST) Cranka 18:07, 29 Nov 2006 (EST)