Monetary and financial institutions of the un system. United Nations United Nations Specialized Agencies
United Nations- is the largest - universal in terms of the problems considered and worldwide in terms of territorial coverage.
The name was proposed during World War II by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Created by 50 countries on October 24, 1945, By 2005, the UN united 191 countries.
In accordance with the UN Charter, its main objectives are:
- maintaining international peace and security;
- development of friendly relations between nations on the basis of respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples;
- implementation of cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural and humanitarian nature and observance of human rights;
- coordination of actions of nations in achieving common goals.
The main principles of the UN activities: sovereign equality of all members, conscientiousness in fulfilling the obligations assumed, peaceful settlement of international disputes, refraining from the threat of force. The UN Charter does not give the right to intervene in matters within the domestic jurisdiction of an individual state.
The UN system has a complex organizational structure:
- The main organs of the UN (the UN itself).
- UN programs and bodies.
- Specialized agencies and other independent organizations within the UN system.
- Other organizations, committees and related bodies.
- Organizations outside the UN system, but associated with it by cooperation agreements.
UNPO bodies
Charter established six principal organs of the United Nations: General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council, Trusteeship Council, International Court of Justice, Secretariat.
General Assembly(GA) is the main deliberative body of the UN. She consists of representatives of all member countries having one vote. Decisions on issues of peace and security, the admission of new members, and budget issues are taken by a two-thirds majority. For other matters, a simple majority vote is sufficient. The sessions of the General Assembly are held annually, usually in September. Each time a new chairman, 21 vice-chairmen, chairmen of the six main committees of the Assembly are elected. The First Committee deals with disarmament and international security, the second - economy and finance, the third - social and humanitarian issues, the fourth - special political issues and decolonization, the fifth - administrative and budgetary issues, the sixth - legal issues. The post of chairman of the Assembly is occupied in turn by representatives of African, Asian, Eastern European, Latin American (including the Caribbean), Western European states. Decisions of the GA are not legally binding. They express the world public opinion on one issue or another.
Security Council(SC) is responsible for maintenance of international peace. It investigates and recommends methods for settling disputes, including calling on UN members to apply economic sanctions to prevent aggression; takes military action against the aggressor; plans arms regulation; recommends the admission of new members; provides guardianship in strategic areas. The Council consists of five permanent members - China, France, Russian Federation(successor to the USSR), Great Britain and the United States of America - and ten members elected General Assembly and for a period of two years. A decision on procedural issues is considered adopted if at least 9 out of 15 votes (two thirds) voted for it. When voting on substantive issues, it is necessary that out of 9 votes "for" all five permanent members of the Security Council vote - the rule of "unanimity of the great powers."
If a permanent member does not agree with the decision, then it can impose a veto (prohibition). If a permanent member does not want to block the decision, then it may abstain from voting.
Economic and Social Council coordinates Relevant issues and specialized agencies and institutions, known as the "family" of UN agencies. These bodies are connected with the UN by special agreements, submit reports to the Economic and Social Council and (or) the General Assembly.
The subsidiary mechanism of ECOSOC includes:
- nine functional commissions (Commission social development and etc.);
- five regional commissions (Economic Commission for Africa, etc.);
- four standing committees: Committee for Program and Coordination, Commission on Human Settlements, Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations, Committee for Negotiations with Intergovernmental Organizations;
- a number of expert bodies;
- executive committees and councils of various UN bodies: the UN Development Program, the World Food Program, etc.
Guardian Council supervises the trust territories and promotes the development of their self-government. The Council consists of five permanent members of the Security Council. In 1994, the Security Council terminated the Trusteeship Agreement, since all 11 of the original trust territories gained political independence or joined neighboring states.
international Court, located in The Hague (Netherlands), resolves legal disputes between states that are parties to its Statute, which automatically includes all members of the UN. Individuals cannot apply to the International Court of Justice. According to the Statute (the provision on rights and obligations), the Court uses international conventions; international custom as evidence of universal practice; general principles rights recognized by nations; judgments of the most qualified specialists different countries. The Court consists of 15 judges elected by the General Assembly and the Security Council, who vote independently. They are elected on the basis of qualifications, not citizenship. No two nationals from the same country may serve on the Court.
UN Secretariat has the most diverse functions. This is a permanent body that handles the entire document flow, including translations from one language to another, organization of international conferences, communication with the press, etc. The Secretariat staff consists of about 9,000 people from around the world. The UN Secretary General, the chief administrative officer, is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council for a term of five years and may be re-elected for a new term. Kofi Annan (Ghana) took office on January 1, 1997. On January 1, 2007, a new Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon (former Foreign Minister South Korea). He spoke in favor of reforming the UN for the sake of the future of this organization. The authority of the Secretary-General is essential to the exercise of preventive diplomacy in order to prevent the international conflicts. All staff of the Secretariat have the status of international civil servants and take an oath, pledging not to follow instructions from any states or organizations other than the United Nations.
UN budget
The regular budget of the UN, excluding the specialized agencies and programs of the UN, is approved by the GA for a period of two years. The main source of funds are Member State contributions, which are calculated based on the solvency of the country, in particular according to criteria such as share in and per country. The assessment scale of contributions established by the Assembly is subject to change from 25% of the budget to 0.001%. Shared budget contributions are: USA - 25%, Japan - 18%, Germany - 9.6%, France - 6.5%, Italy - 5.4%, UK - 5.1%, RF - 2.9% , Spain - 2.6%, Ukraine - 1.7%, China - 0.9%. States that are not members of the UN, but participating in a number of its activities, can participate in the costs of the UN in the following ratio: Switzerland - 1.2%, Vatican - 0.001%. The revenue part of the budget fluctuates on average around 2.5 billion US dollars. Of the 13 expenditure items, more than 50% of the expenditure is for General policy implementation, leadership and coordination; general support and provision service; regional cooperation for development .
UN programs
However, the UN "family" or the UN system of agencies is wider. She covers 15 institutions and several programs and bodies. These are the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United Nations Program for environment(UNEP), as well as such a specialized organization as the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). These bodies are connected with the UN by special agreements, submit reports to the Economic and Social Council and (or) the General Assembly. They have their own budgets and governing bodies.
UNCTAD
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development(UNCTAD). It was established in 1964 as the main body of the GA on these issues, primarily to accelerate the commercial and economic development, which, having gained political independence, have significant problems in self-affirmation in world markets. UNCTAD has 188 member states. The Russian Federation and other countries are members of this organization. The annual operating budget, financed from the UN regular budget, is about $50 million. The headquarters is located in Geneva (Switzerland).
Organizational structure of UNCTAD
UNCTAD conference- the highest governing body. Conference sessions are held every four years at ministerial level to determine the main directions of work.
Trade and Development Board— an executive body that ensures the continuity of work between sessions. Working groups on medium-term planning and program financing. Joint Advisory Group on the activities of the International Trade Center UNCTAD - WTO.
Standing Committees and Temporary Working Groups. Four standing committees have been established: on commodities; to reduce poverty; on economic cooperation between developed countries; on Development, as well as the Special Committee on Preferences and the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Restrictive Business Practices.
Secretariat is part of the UN Secretariat. It consists of policy coordination and external relations services, nine departments(commodities, service development and trade efficiency, economic cooperation between developing countries and special programs, global interdependence, and , science and technology, least developed countries, program management and operations services) and joint units working with the regional commissions. Secretariat serves two subsidiary bodies of ECOSOC— The Commission on International Investment and Transnational Corporations and the Commission on Science and Technology for Development.
Under the auspices of UNCTAD, a number of international commodity agreements have been concluded, research groups on commodities have been established with the participation of producing and consuming countries, the Common Fund for Commodities has been established, and dozens of conventions and agreements have been signed.
From July 14 to July 18, 2004 in Sao Paulo (Brazil) was held the XI session of the UNCTAD Conference - "Increasing the coherence between national strategies and global economic processes for, in particular, developing countries." showed their desire for full participation in international trade, self-reliance, including through the expansion of trade along the South-South line. Consolidation on the issue of agricultural subsidies used by developed countries allowed the "Group of 77" to express their joint position at the 6th WTO Conference. UNCTAD uses a group principle of work: member states are divided into groups according to socio-economic and geographical principles. Developing countries are united in the "Group of 77". As a result of the 11th session, a document was adopted - the Sao Paulo Consensus, aimed at facilitating the adaptation of national development strategies to the conditions of globalization and strengthening the potential of developing countries. The start of the 3rd round of trade negotiations under the auspices of UNCTAD under the Global System of Trade Preferences (GSTP), which has been operating since 1971, has been announced. This system provides for the reduction or elimination of customs duties by all industrialized countries (IDCs) in trade with developing countries on on a non-reciprocal basis, i.e., without requiring counter trade and political concessions. In practice, many industrialized countries have achieved various exceptions (exceptions) from their preferential schemes. Nevertheless, the Global System of Trade Preferences promotes the expansion of exports of processed products from economically weak states.
Standalone UN agencies
Independent specialized agencies operating within the UN system include International Labor Organization(ILO), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), (IMF), World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), etc.
Widening gap between poor and rich countries, the increased danger of global conflicts (the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 in the United States) stimulate the search for solutions to the problems of regulation and financing of development throughout the world. In this context in 2002, two forums were held under the auspices of the UN: World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg (South Africa) - from August 26 to September 4 and international Conference Financing for Development in Monterrey (Mexico) from 18 to 22 March. As a result of the meetings, the Johannesburg Declaration and the Monterrey Consensus were adopted respectively. Meeting in South Africa special emphasis was placed on the collective responsibility for socio-economic development, ecology at all levels from local to global. The need for cooperation in areas such as water supply and sanitation, energy, health, Agriculture and biodiversity. In Mexico, the problem of sustainable development of the world was considered from the point of view of its financing. It is recognized that there is a severe lack of resources needed to achieve the goals of overcoming poverty and inequality, as set out in the UN Millennium Declaration. Proposed corresponding to the liberal idea of development, ways to solve the problem:
Mobilize the national financial resources of developing countries through increased efficiency and consistency and the fight against corruption at all levels.
Mobilization of international resources, including (FDI) and other private resources.
is the most important and often the only external source of development finance. The presence of serious trade imbalances caused by export subsidies from industrialized countries, the abuse of anti-dumping, technical, sanitary and phytosanitary measures is recognized. Developing countries (DCs) and countries with economies in transition (CITs) are concerned about tariff peaks and tariff escalation from industrialized countries (IDCs). It has been found necessary to include trade agreements effective and functional provisions for special and differential treatment for developing countries.
Increasing international financial and technical cooperation for development means increasing official development assistance (ODA). The Conference urged the CPs to make concrete efforts to reach the target of ODA allocation to developing countries of 0.7% of and 0.15-0.2% of their GNP of developed countries for the needs of the least developed countries.
It is an element of resource mobilization for public and private investment. It is recognized that debtors and creditors should be jointly responsible for preventing and managing unsustainable debt situations.
Perfection global economic governance systems involves expanding the circle of participants in the decision-making process on development issues and eliminating organizational gaps. It is necessary to strengthen the involvement of developing countries and countries with economies in transition in the decision-making process in and , in the Bank for International Settlements, the Basel Committee and the Financial Stability Forum
Critics of the Monterrey Consensus point out that, as in the case of the Washington Consensus, developed countries proceed from a liberal development model, emphasizing the need to find resources for development within developing countries and with the help of the private sector. The developed countries themselves do not make any clear commitments regarding the redistribution of resources. Accordingly, it is almost impossible to bridge the gap between poverty and wealth.
The issue of equitable representation in the Security Council and expansion of its composition, submitted for discussion by the UN General Assembly, was not resolved.
The Russian position is to support any expansion option, provided that a broad agreement is reached between all interested countries.
Thus, there are several mutually exclusive approaches to reforming the UN Security Council, which implies an indefinite duration of the reform process.
International Monetary Fund(IMF) - established in 1944. in accordance with the decisions of the Bretton Woods Conference as a mechanism for monitoring the exchange rate system and gradually transformed into the most influential international. org-th regulating int. macroek-ku. The headquarters of the IMF is in Washington DC. Structure of the IMF: Board of Governors - the highest body, interim committee, Executive Board, Management, Staff - citizens of more than 100 countries. In order to achieve stability in the int. IMF economy performs the following DOS. fun-i: 1.supervision of exchange rates and macroeconomics. policy of member countries and the development of int. the economy as a whole. Member countries are required to provide the IMF, upon request, with detailed information on the real money, the budgetary and external sectors, as well as on the structural policy of governments. Head. the purpose of supervision is to timely identify dangerous macroeconomies. Imbalances that can affect the stability of exchange rates, and, using the best world experience, give recommendations to the country's government on how to correct them; 2. financial assistance - the use of IMF financial resources by member countries experiencing difficulties in financing the balance of payments and submitted to the IMF a reform program that shows the government's actions to overcome these difficulties. All types of access to the financial resources of the IMF are based on the fulfillment by countries of certain conditions, which are developed jointly by experts from the IMF and the government of the country under the program of economic reforms, but the implementation of tight credit and money. policies, which the IMF insists on, are often perceived by countries as pressure on them.; 3. technical assistance - IMF assistance to member countries in the field of monetary, monetary policy and banking supervision, budgetary and tax policy, statistics, financial development. and economy. legislation and training. The specific function of the IMF, entrusted to it by the international community, is the replenishment of international. reserves through the issuance of SDRs. For each new member of the IMF, its quota in the capital of the fund is determined in the currency used in the IMF. These quotas currently exceed SDR 210 billion. SDR - Special Drawing Rights, introduced in 1969. The cost of one unit of SDR is calculated on the basis of a basket of 4 major currencies ($, euro, Japanese yen, pound sterling), specific weight reviewed once every 5 years. The size of the quota depends on: the number of votes of the country in the IMF, max. the amount of resources that the country can receive if necessary, the country's share in the distribution of SDRs, as well as the procedure for representation in the management bodies of the fund. Each member of the IMF has 250 basic votes plus 1 vote for every 100,000. HAPPY BIRTHDAY. The size of the quota is of particular importance, since when considering issues in the IMF, a different decision-making principle is used: for the most important decisions - 85% of the votes, for the less important - 75%, the rest - a simple majority. Russia has been a member of the IMF since 1992.
In parallel with the IMF, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development - IBRD and its branch - Int. Development Association (IDA), forming the World (World) Bank (WB). The WB structure also includes the International Financial Corporation (IFC), the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), Int. Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). IBRD was formed in 1945 and its main task is to stimulate the economic development of the IBRD member countries, promote the development international trade and maintaining balance of payments. The supreme body of the IBRD is the Board of Governors. The current activities are carried out by the Directorate. The capital of the IBRD is formed from contributions from member states. The main activity of the IBRD is the provision of long-term loans to both public and private enterprises under the guarantee of their governments.
IFC established in 1956 as an independent institution, the funds of which are separated from the IBRD. The activity of the IFC is aimed at stimulating the economy. growth of the private sector in developing countries (credit operations for private enterprises) as well as in countries with economies in transition, and the mobilization of capital resources (internal and external) to carry out the task. The activity of the IFC is not based on state guarantees, but is based on the market. principles.
IDA- Established in 1960 to assist the economy. the progress of less developed countries, which could not meet the stringent requirements of the IBRD. These are countries where the level of GDP per capita is below a certain limit. This level is regularly reviewed upwards, taking into account the achieved economy. growth. IDA resources are made up of contributions from member countries, as well as from the return of loans issued in the previous period. A certain part of the funds comes from the IBRD budget. IDA provides Fin. resources only to governments, the average maturity of loans (they are not charged%) is 30-40 years, but a service fee is charged - 0.5% of the used loan volume. In 1988 WB branch was created - MAGI, whose main task is to stimulate investment in member countries by providing guarantees to foreign investors against possible losses caused by non-commercial risks, as well as providing consulting services to member countries in order to create a favorable investment climate and an adequate information base. ICSID- Established in 1966 play a role in the world economy regional development banks(Inter-American, Asian, African), as well as the European Investment Bank, Europe. Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Islamic Development Bank, etc.
A universal international organization that does everything it can. Most developing countries associate their participation with economic ties with other states. Among the goals of the UN - 2.1 - "the resolution of economic and social problems»; ch. 9 - International economic and social cooperation (Article 55 - the UN promotes an increase in the level of social stability and resolves economic and social problems); ch. 10 is dedicated to ECOSOC dealing with
cooperation in the economic and social sphere.
Control over international economic and social cooperation is carried out by the UN General Assembly, under whose leadership ECOSOC operates (see Article 60 of the UN Charter).
Art. 13. Competence of the General Assembly: in ____ studies and recommendations in terms of cooperation between states in the economic and social fields.
Practical activities UN to reorganize these provisions. Cooperation is conducted as a so-called. “development participation” = development strategies for certain decades, programs were supposed to be for specific activities (for example, the construction of hospitals ...). They are conducted only at the request of the states themselves! Receptions can also be the embodiment of definable segments of the population (issues of youth, women, migration ...)
The accumulation of funds for these programs is carried out by UNDP (United Nations Program Development), which exercises administrative control over the implementation of programs. UNDP finances even the most needed projects that others have abandoned. Manages UNDP th executive committee (34 members), consisting of developed and developing countries; Led by the Administrator, UNDP manages several funds:
1) capital development fund (provision of credit and loan ....)
2) special events fund
3) revolving fund (study of the nature of resources)
Since 1971, UNDP has operated a “volunteer program”. They go to developing countries. There is a system of concluding two-year contracts with volunteers.
UN Specialized Agencies on economic and social cooperation, referring to financial international organizations. They have some features in comparison with other UN agencies. They:
a) international monetary fund
b) the world bank (this is just a name that unites several financial organizations)
A) IMF. The decision about it - in 1944 in Briton Buds. In fact, it has existed since 1945. IMF Goals:
· promotion of global cooperation through a mechanism of consultations and concerted actions on foreign exchange transactions;
· contribute to the balanced growth of international trade;
· promote the creation of a multilateral system of payments for current transactions.
All member states of the IMF are required to follow the developed rules:
· changes in the ratio of the currency value of the national currency to other currencies - only in exceptional cases and only in agreement with the IMF.
· there should be no practice, the cat is not allowed by the fund.
· There may be borrowing of foreign currency in exchange for one's national currency or gold at a certain percentage to stabilize the situation in the country.
IMF bodies:
Executive Board - consists of 24 executive directors, 8 of which are permanent members (Russian Federation, USA, Great Britain, France, Japan, Germany, Saudi Arabia, China). Decisions in financial institutions are made by the so-called “weighted voting”: each member state has 250 votes + 1 vote for every $ 100,000 contribution, i.e. States have a different number of votes (the United States has the most, about 20%; Japan - 4.5%)
The number of IMF staff is 2,700.
b) The World Bank.
Created at the same time as the IMF.
The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development is gradually adding new bodies => now + 5 international organizations:
International Finance Corporation;
International association development (loans to the poorest countries, long-term loans for 50 years);
International Fund for Agricultural Development;
International Agency for Investment Guarantees;
International center for resolving investment disputes.
The Bank provides loans only for production purposes and only for a specific project (the loan must be guaranteed by the government of the country). Previously, they gave for 10 - 20 years, and now - for 25 - 30 years at 7%. The Bank controls the use of all funds for their effective use.
Bodies of this Bank:
The Governing Council (annual sessions) is a body of the whole;
Directors - managers (22 people);
Chairman - the head (president) of the Bank.
1) those who pay contributions in hard currency (64% of votes);
2) those who pay 10% in convertible currency, and the rest in national currency (in this system, the US has 26% of the vote, the UK - almost 11%).
United Nations specialized agencies are independent international organizations established on the basis of international treaties which have broad international responsibility in the sphere of economic, social, culture, education, healthcare and other similar areas and are connected with the UN through ECOSOC by special international agreements. Such agreements are subject to approval by the UN General Assembly. Under the UN Charter, the General Assembly and ECOSOC have certain rights in relation to the specialized agencies of the UN. For example, the General Assembly considers and approves any financial and budgetary agreements with them, checks their administrative budgets in order to provide recommendations to interested entities (paragraph 3 of article 17); ECOSOC is authorized to coordinate the activities of the UN specialized agencies through consultations with them and recommendations, recommendations to the General Assembly and the UN member states (paragraph 2 of article 63), take appropriate measures to receive regular reports from the specialized agencies (paragraph 1 of article 64), hold events for the participation, without the right to vote, of representatives of these institutions in the discussion of issues of the Council or in the commissions created by it, as well as for the participation of representatives of the Council in the discussion of issues in these institutions (Article 70).
IN legal status the UN specialized agencies are characterized by the following features: 1) the contractual basis of activity; 2) broad international responsibility as defined in the UN Charter; 3) the specialized nature of activities in the socio-economic and humanitarian spheres; 4) the presence of communication with the UN. This set of legal factors predetermines the allocation of UN specialized agencies in special group international organizations.
These international organizations can be divided into three groups according to their field of activity. The first is formed by the specialized agencies of the UN of an economic nature, that is, those that operate in the field of international trade, finance, transport and communications. These include: International Bank for Reconstruction and Development; International Monetary Fund; International Finance Corporation; International Development Association (IDA); International Agency for Investment Guarantees (IAIG); International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID); Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO1); International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD); International Maritime Organization (IMO); Organization of international civil aviation(ICAO); Universal Postal Union (UPU), international union telecommunications (ITU); World Meteorological Organization (WMO); United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
The second group includes specialized UN agencies of a social nature - the International Labor Organization and World Organization healthcare.
The third group of specialized institutions is formed by cultural and humanitarian organizations: the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the World Tourism Organization.
Let us consider the organizational and legal mechanism of the activities of some specialized agencies of the UN.
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development was created on December 27, 1945, when 28 states signed an agreement developed at the United Nations Conference on Monetary and Financial Questions, held at Bretton Woods (USA) in 1944.
Only members of the International Monetary Fund can be members of the IBRD. As of May 1, 2009, IBRD members were 185 states, including Ukraine.
IBRD Objectives: To promote the reconstruction and development of the territories of member countries by encouraging investment for productive purposes (in areas such as agriculture and rural development, energy, highways and railways, ports, telecommunications, education, health, family planning and nutrition); encourage private foreign investment and, in case of difficulties in obtaining private capital, supplement it with loans for production purposes; contribute to the long-term balanced growth of international trade and the maintenance of equilibrium in the balance of payments of member states.
IBRD finances lending operations primarily from its own borrowings that the Bank receives on world markets, as well as from retained earnings and from loan repayments. Loans are provided to IBRD member states, their political-territorial units and private commercial entities on their territory. In addition to providing loans, the Bank provides a wide range of technical assistance services. Interest on loans is set according to the value of loans received by the IBRD in the international capital markets. The recipient countries are obliged to comply with the recommendations of the Bank, provide it with reports on the use of loans and the necessary information.
The structure of the IBRD includes the Board of Governors (supreme body), executive directors (executive body), committees. The working language is English. The IBRD is headed by the President, who is elected by Executive Directors for a term of five years. Location IBRD - Washington (USA), also has offices in Paris and Tokyo..
It should be noted that the IBRD is a key institution of the World Bank Group, which also includes the IFC, IDA, ICSID and IAIG. The purpose of the World Bank is to encourage the economic and social development of the less developed members of the UN by providing them with financial and advisory assistance and assistance in training. Structural divisions of the World Bank are independent legal entities, which, however, work for one purpose and under the leadership of one administrative system.
International Monetary Fund operates on the basis of an agreement developed in parallel with the IBRD Agreement at the Bretton Woods Conference in 1944. The IMF began to function on December 27, 1945, when the agreement on its creation entered into force.
The IMF has the following goals: to coordinate the monetary and financial policies of member states and to provide them with loans (short, medium and partly long-term) to regulate balance of payments and maintain exchange rates. The Foundation also seeks to promote international cooperation in the monetary sphere and the expansion of trade.
The Fund has at its disposal a pool (from the English pool - a common pool) of financial resources provided to member states for the implementation of the program for eliminating the balance of payments deficit temporarily and under certain conditions.
Structurally, the IMF consists of a Board of Governors (the highest body), an Executive Board consisting of a Managing Director and 24 Executive Directors, and a Secretariat. The Managing Director is the principal officer of the Fund. In the IMF, as in the IBRD, decisions are made on the basis of a system of weighted votes. Each member state of the Fund and the Bank owns a number of votes proportional to its contribution to the financial resources of these UN specialized agencies, which ultimately reflects its share in the world economy. IMF working speech - English. The location of the headquarters of the IMF - Washington (USA), offices - Paris and Geneva.
The International Labour Organization was established in 1919 under the Treaty of Versailles as autonomous institution associated with the League of Nations. The Liaison Agreement between the ILO and the UN was approved on December 14, 1946. Thus, the ILO is the first specialized agency associated with the United Nations. As of May 1, 2009, the ILO included 182 states. Ukraine has been a member of the ILO since 1954. Along with governments, the ILO is represented by workers represented by trade unions and employers (entrepreneurs).
Objectives of the ILO: to promote social justice for all workers; develop international politics and programs aimed at improving working and living conditions; establish international labor standards to serve as guidelines for national authorities in the conduct of relevant policies; implement an extensive program of technical cooperation to assist governments in effectively implementing such policies in practice; provide training and education and research to help make these efforts a success.
One of the most important activities of the ILO is the development and adoption of conventions and recommendations. Since its inception, the ILO has adopted more than 180 conventions (the 2007 Fisheries Labor Convention is the 188th in a row and the latest as of January 1, 2010) and about 200 recommendations. These documents establish international standards in the field of labor, employment and vocational training, working conditions, social security, safety and labor protection. Ukraine has ratified over 50 ILO conventions.
Another important activity of the ILO is the provision of expert advice and technical assistance on issues related to labor and social policy.
The structure of the ILO includes the International Labor Conference (supreme body); Administrative Council; International Labor Office (ILO), which is the secretariat of the ILO. The working languages of the MNP are English, Spanish and French. The seat of the ILO is Geneva.
Since June 1, 1996, an ILO office has been operating in Kyiv. Similar offices also operate in the capitals of other Member States.
There are two international organizations whose activity is rather specialized, but they are not part of the UN specialized agencies. These are the International Atomic Energy Agency (MATATE) and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).
International Atomic Energy Agency is an autonomous intergovernmental organization established under the auspices of the UN. MATATE's charter was adopted on October 26, 1956 and entered into force on July 29, 1957.
MATATE is the only universal international organization for the peaceful uses of atomic energy. As of May 1, 2009, 146 States were members of the Agency.
According to the MATATE Statute, the objectives of the Agency are: to achieve an accelerated and widespread use of atomic energy to maintain peace, health and prosperity throughout the world; ensuring, as far as possible, that the assistance provided to them, or at his request or under his supervision or control, is not used in such a way as to further any military purpose.
MATATE encourages and guides the development and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, establishes nuclear safety standards, provides assistance to Member States through technical cooperation, and promotes the exchange of scientific and technical information on nuclear energy.
MATATE has developed a comprehensive and effective system of controls (guarantees) to prevent the use of nuclear materials and equipment intended for peaceful activities for military needs. This on-site control is carried out by MATATE inspectors. Non-nuclear states participating in the Non-Proliferation Treaty nuclear weapons 1968, must conclude an agreement with the Agency on the control of the peaceful nuclear activities of these states. Ukraine, after joining the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in 1994, concluded such an agreement with MATATE. Over 900 nuclear installations worldwide are under the control of the Agency. Nuclear powers such as the UK, China, Russia, the US and France have voluntarily placed some peaceful nuclear installations under MATATE's control.
MATATE is composed of the General Conference (the highest body), the Board of Governors (the executive body), the Scientific Advisory Committee and the Secretariat. Location of MATATE headquarters - Vienna (Austria).
The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade is a multilateral agreement, which is based on a set of legal norms governing trade relations between member states, as well as an international organization for negotiating and consulting on trade issues. The agreement was signed in Geneva on 30 October 1947 and entered into force on 1 January 1948.
As of January 1, 1995, 128 states were full members of the GATT; more large quantity States took part in various forms of cooperation with the GATT. In 1995, GATT was renamed the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The main goal of GATT- this is the liberalization of world trade and putting it on a stable basis, promoting this economic growth and development, and improving the well-being of the peoples of the world.
The main principles of the GATT are that trade should be carried out on a non-discriminatory basis (the principle of "most favored nation"); domestic industry should be protected only by customs tariffs, and not by quantitative restrictions and other measures; tariffs should be reduced on the basis of multilateral negotiations and cannot be raised afterwards; member states should consult among themselves in order to resolve trade problems.
In 1963, the main issue in the activities of the GATT was the reduction of customs tariffs. As a result of five rounds of negotiations, mutual concessions of participants to reduce customs tariffs and measures to reduce and regulate non-tariff trade barriers were agreed. U1964-1967 was held the 6th round of negotiations (Kennedy round). In September 1973, in Tokyo, the GATT member countries adopted a declaration that announced the start of the 7th round of negotiations (Tokyo round). In 1986, in Punta Del Este (Uruguay), the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations within the framework of the GATT was launched, which ended in 1994 with the signing of an agreement on the creation on the basis of the GATT on January 1, 1995 of a new international organization - the World trade organization (WTO).
The supreme body of the GATT was the Session of the Contracting Parties (States Parties), which was held annually. GATT decisions were usually taken by consensus. If there was a vote, each side had one vote. Between sessions, the Council of Representatives, the operational governing body of the GATT, operated. The seat of the GATT Secretariat is Geneva.
In connection with the creation of the WTO on the basis of the GATT, the structure of the new organization has undergone certain changes in accordance with the Agreement establishing the WTO in 1994.
to international economic organizations The UN system also includes international monetary and financial structures. These entities are primarily The World Bank, which includes the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Development Association. International Finance Corporation; and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency. A well-known financial organization of the United Nations is the International Monetary Fund.
IBRD - the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development - was established by the decision of the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in 1944 in Bretton Woods. The bank began its activity in 1945. Initially, 28 countries signed the "Status of the Agreement on the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development". But other countries could join the Bank if they were members of the IMF. At the end of the 1990s, there were 180 member states of the IBRD. According to the Charter, each country wishing to become a member of the IBRD must become a subscriber of its capital, the amount of which is determined by the Bank. Russia joined the IBRD and the IMF in 1992. Its contribution to the IBRD corresponds to the IMF quota and amounts to 3% of the Bank's total capital. Russia's quota in the amount of $33.3 million was contributed in convertible currency in the amount of $33.3 million and in the national currency - $299.9 million.
The purpose of the creation of the IBRD was to promote the reconstruction and development of the territories of those states that were its members, by encouraging investment for the implementation of production programs. But first, the Bank had to make sure that they could not obtain the funds necessary for production purposes from other sources. Important condition functioning of the Bank - decisions on granting loans must necessarily proceed only from economic considerations. With its financial resources, the Bank should contribute to the long-term balanced growth of international trade. When making loans, IBRD is also required to give due consideration to the prospects for debt repayment. In addition to providing loans, the Bank provides a wide range of technical assistance services.
Main source financing of the Bank's lending operations - contributions from member states. The Bank resorts to the use of borrowed funds from financial markets, as well as incoming payments to repay previously granted loans.
The governing bodies of the Bank include the following structures:
Board of Governors;
Board of Directors of Executives, or Executive Board;
Development Committee;
Bank President.
The headquarters of the IBRD is located in Washington.
IDA - International Development Association - is an intergovernmental organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations. Established in 1960 as a branch of the IBRD. All IBRD member countries can become its participants within the terms and conditions established by the IDA.
The International Development Association was established to promote economic development, increasing labor productivity and the standard of living of the population of developing countries.
Although IDA does not differ from IBRD in many respects, since both organizations finance development projects, have the same staff, nevertheless, it has its own specifics:
First, unlike the IBRD, which is financed by states and members, IDA's sources of funding are predominantly contributions from donor countries, which are industrialized countries, and developing countries participate only partially in this process.
Secondly, the specificity of the IDA is that it provides interest-free loans. At the same time, IDA loans are provided to the poorest and least creditworthy countries. When allocating loans, the scale of the country's territory is taken into account, the annual income of which per capita and the degree of effectiveness of the economic policy of its government. Only those developing countries with an annual per capita income of less than $1,035 can use IDA loans. Loans are provided for 35-40 years, and their repayment begins after a 10-year grace period.
IDA shares leadership with IBRD. The president, governors, and directors of IBRD hold similar positions at IDA. IDA's headquarters are in Washington DC.
IFC International Finance Corporation. Established in 1956 as a branch of the IBRD. However, she is independent legal entity and has its own funds that do not belong to the Bank. Members of the IFC can only be countries - members of the IBRD.
Goals of the IFC:
Assistance in the financing of private enterprises that can promote development through capital investment without guarantees of reimbursement from the governments of their countries of location;
Using the opportunity to combine investment of local and foreign capital 9 advanced management methods;
Encouraging the inflow of private capital, both local and foreign for investment, into manufacturing enterprises in the member countries of the Corporation.
The financial resources from which the IFC issues loans consist of subscription contributions to the authorized capital, loans and subsidies from the IBRD, and attracted credit resources from other financial institutions. The IFC also plays a prominent role in raising additional capital for developing countries from private sources through facility co-financing, loan indexing, and through the placement of securities and the provision of guarantees.
The finalizing bodies of the IFC have the following structural divisions:
Board of Governors;
Directorate;
The president.
IFC is headquartered in Washington DC. But the IFC has branches, representative offices and advisory bureaus for project development in many cities of the world - in London, Paris, Frankfurt am Main, Tokyo, etc.
MIAG - Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency. Founded in 1988 as a subsidiary of the IBRD. It has legal and financial independence and is considered a specialized agency of the UN system.
The objectives of the functioning of IAIG are as follows:
Encourage foreign investment for productive needs, especially in developing countries, in order to complement the activities of other financial institutions of the World Bank Group;
Provide investors with guarantees for investments in developing countries against losses from non-commercial risks, i.e. provide insurance against political risk. These include expropriation or similar measures, ban on the export of currency, breach of treaties, war and civil unrest.
The main source of financing for MIAG operations is the authorized capital.
The governing bodies of IAIG consist of the following structures:
Board of Governors, which develops the basis of activity;
Director in charge of day-to-day operations;
IAIG President (appointed at the proposal of the President of the IBRD and conducts day-to-day business under the general supervision of the Directorate).
The IMF - the International Monetary Fund - is an intergovernmental monetary and credit organization with the status of a UN specialized agency. The IMF, like the World Bank, was created at the International Monetary and Financial Conference of the Allies in 1944 in Bretton Woods.
The IMF has the following official objectives:
Conduct and implement cooperation between member countries on international monetary issues;
Prevent competitive depreciation of currencies, promote their stability;
Establish a multilateral system of payments and transfers for current transactions and strive to eliminate foreign exchange restrictions hindering the growth of world trade;
Provide credit to member countries for balance of payments adjustments without the use of measures that are destructive to prosperity at the national and international levels.
The Fund makes loans subject to certain requirements. First of all, an IMF member wishing to receive a loan must receive assurances about how to solve their problems with payments. We are talking about the fact that when providing financial assistance, the Fund requires the borrowing country to introduce an austerity regime, reform tax policy, reduce budget spending by freezing wages government workers and employees, reducing subsidies, reducing investment programs and other similar activities. However, since the Fund assumes that the funds at its disposal exist for all members of this organization, the borrowing country will return it as soon as its payment problems are resolved so as not to restrict access to this currency of other members of the Fund .
Due to the fact that the IMF is organized on the principle of a joint-stock company, the number of votes of participating countries in decision-making is determined in proportion to their share in the capital. In 1993, the USA accounted for 18.2% of the vote, Great Britain - 5.1, Germany - 5.5, France - 5.1, Italy - 3.1, Japan - 5.6, Canada - 2.9% . These figures indicate that the United States and countries Western Europe have full control over the IMF's decision-making process.
The supreme governing body of the Fund is the Board of Governors, which includes representatives of all countries - members of this organization. The operational activities of the Fund are managed by a directorate consisting of 22 people.
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