Persperctives 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. It's membership has since risen to 192 member countries. 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 peoples 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 ctime, 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 authorites 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.
The following goals were established by the United Nations in The Millenium Development Goals Report of 2006. While these goals have yet to be completed, they have been quite successful thusfar and hopefully will continue to aid in the shaping of the futures of developing countries.
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 Bretton Woods Conferene which took place in July of 1944. 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.
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