The role of international organizations in the regulation of the IEA. Course work international economic organizations and their role in regulating world economic relations What is the interest of the un economy of independent states

International organizations can be divided into two groups:

· universal: UN, WTO, OECD;

· regional, which are created within the framework of integration associations: CES, APEC, etc.

An important role in the interstate regulation of international economic relations is played by United Nations (UN), which includes 185 countries . Among the UN organizations directly related to economic activity, we should mention the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), etc.

UN- the largest, universal and most authoritative international organization, designed to deal with the main political problems that concern humanity. The political activity of the UN is inextricably linked with economic and social tasks directly related to world politics.

The most famous specialized agencies of the United Nations are International Monetary Fund (IMF) and world bank group , which includes International Bank for Reconstruction and Development(IBRD), International Finance Corporation(IFC), International Development Association(MAP) and International Investment Guarantee Agency(MIGA). Also, specialized bodies operate under the UN, for example, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the UN Commission on International Property Law (UNCITRAL), etc.

AT IMF includes 182 countries. The capital of the Fund is formed at the expense of contributions from member countries. Each state has its own quota in it, which is set depending on specific gravity countries in the world economy and trade. The largest quotas are: USA - 18.25%, Germany and Japan - 5.67% each, Great Britain and France - 5.10% each, Russia - 2.97%. A country's quota determines the number of its votes in decision-making in the IMF's Board of Governors, as well as its ability to use the Fund's resources.

Initially, the IMF was intended to provide financial support to developed countries, regulate their balance of payments and maintain the stability of their exchange rates. In 1947-1976. 60.6% of IMF loans were received by the industrialized countries of the West. From the 70s. the emphasis in the activities of the IMF has shifted from balance of payments problems to stabilization programs (economic recovery programs). The main borrowers of the Fund were developing countries (92% of all IMF loans). The largest IMF loans received (in descending order) were Mexico, Russia, the Republic of Korea, Argentina, India, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Pakistan.

The World Bank intended for lending to the economies of developing countries. But unlike ordinary commercial banks, it provides technical assistance, advises on how to use loans more profitably, and in every possible way promotes investment in the economies of these countries. However, the functions of the World Bank institutions are somewhat different from each other.

IBRD goals is: the provision of guarantees for private foreign investment in order to stimulate them; direct participation in the implementation of foreign investment, promotion of international trade.

To join the IBRD, a country must first become a member of the IMF. The bank's funds are made up of authorized capital, formed by subscription of member countries, borrowed funds that it draws on the world loan capital market through the issuance of bonds, and income from its own activities. The number of votes in the IBRD bodies is determined by the share in its authorized capital. The United States has the largest number of votes in the Board of Governors of the IBRD - more than 17%.

The IBRD, unlike the IMF, is aimed at stimulating the international flow of medium- and long-term investments, promoting the reconstruction and development of the economy. About 75% of all IBRD loans go to lending to specific projects - from schools to power plants and industrial plants - in developing countries and countries with economies in transition. AT recent times The World Bank allocates part of the loans for the purposes of structural adaptation of the economy (financing changes in the economy of a country to make it market-oriented), moreover, the bank gives loans only to those states that implement stabilization programs approved by the IMF.

International Finance Corporation (IFC) was founded in 1956. Its main goal is to mobilize national and foreign capital for the development of private entrepreneurship in developing countries.

International Development Association (MAP) was established in 1960 to assist the least developed countries. It provides them with interest-free and extra-long-term loans from funds contributed by rich countries. .

International Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), founded in 1968, provides investors with guarantees against non-commercial risks (currency restrictions, nationalizations and expropriations, armed conflicts and revolutions, etc.).

The Republic of Belarus is a member of the UN, as well as many specialized agencies of this organization (UNESCO, WHO, WMO, WIPO, ILO, UNIDO, UPU, ITU, ICAO, IMF).

The Republic supports the consistent policy of the UN in the field of maintaining international peace and security, in the field of strengthening and developing the existing international regimes to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, reduce and eliminate their existing arsenals.

Since July 1992 the Republic of Belarus has become a member of the International Monetary Fund. The republic's quota in the IMF is 280.4 million SDRs (about $373 million), or 0.19% of the total quota, which was subsequently increased to 386.4 million SDRs (about $542.1 million). USA).

Since 1993, Belarus has repeatedly used the Fund's resources to support the government's economic reform program. The IMF has provided technical assistance to Belarus in a number of areas, including government spending, taxation and customs, banking monitoring, monetary policy and organization of the activities of the National Bank, as well as maintaining financial statistics (balance of payments, cash, banking and real sectors economy).

The loans provided were mainly directed to the financial and credit sphere. In 1993, the Belarusian government signed an agreement with the IMF for a $200 million loan. United States through a systemic transformation fund to improve the balance of payments. The first tranche of this loan was received in August 1993 in the amount of SDR 70.1 million, which at that time was equivalent to $98 million. USA. It was intended to improve the republic's balance of payments. Its maturity was 10 years; moratorium on the payment of the principal debt - 4.5 years, interest rate - 5.67% (floating). The loan proceeds were used to purchase fuel oil, motor gasoline and diesel fuel, medical equipment, and were also partially used to ensure timely settlements with Russia for the supplied liquefied gas and maintain the exchange rate of the Belarusian ruble.

In 2001, a six-month Fund Monitoring Program (SMP) was implemented in the republic, serving as the basis for the transition to the stand-by mechanism.

The Republic of Belarus also closely cooperates with the World Bank Group (IBRD, IFC, MIGA, IDA) and other international organizations.

In the regulation of international trade in goods and services, a special role is played by World Trade Organization (WTO), which since January 1, 1995 replaced the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Currently, 146 states are members of the WTO. The main task of the WTO is the liberalization of world trade on the basis of a consistent reduction in the level of customs duties and the elimination of various non-tariff barriers. Currently, WTO rules govern over 90% of world trade (by value).

The activities of the organization are based on a number of simple fundamental provisions:

trade without discrimination: WTO members undertake to grant each other the principle of most favored nation in trade (i.e. conditions no worse than they are provided by any other country), as well as to provide goods of foreign origin the same treatment as national goods in the field of internal taxes and fees, as well as in relation to national laws, orders and regulations governing internal trade;

· protection of domestic production with the help of customs tariffs: publicly and openly established customs tariffs (duties) are the main, and in the future - the only instrument for regulating exports and imports of the participating countries; they refuse to apply quantitative measures of foreign trade regulation (quotas, import and export licenses, etc.);

· a stable and predictable basis for trade: long-term fixing of duties in customs tariffs. Tariffs are set through multilateral negotiations;

· promotion of fair competition: counteracting such unfair methods of competition, such as the sale of goods at artificially low prices (dumping) or the use of government subsidies to underestimate export prices;

• publicity and openness in trade regulation;

· resolution of disputes and conflicts through consultations and negotiations.

One of the most important obligations that a country joining the WTO undertakes is to bring national principles and rules governing its foreign trade, in maximum compliance with the standards of this organization.

The main mechanism of WTO activity is rounds of multilateral negotiations. As a result of rounds of multilateral negotiations, the weighted average rate of customs tariffs in the United States, Western European countries and Japan was reduced from an average of 25-30% in the early 1950s. last century to about 4% in 1998. In 1996 - 1997. Within the framework of the WTO, agreements were reached on the liberalization of the telecommunications and information technology market and on the liberalization of the financial services market. The WTO leadership calls for the creation by 2020 of a single global free trade area.

The accession of Belarus to the WTO is considered as the most important stage of integration into the world economy, which will provide the country with the necessary tools to protect and promote national interests within the international trading system. At the same time, accession to the WTO poses the challenge for the Republic of Belarus to ensure that its economic legislation is in line with WTO rules, as well as to make balanced concessions to trading partners in order to secure more open access foreign goods and services to the domestic market.

An important role in the regulation of international economic relations is also played by such an institution as the Institute formed in 1960. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The following countries are members of the OECD: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Great Britain, Hungary, Germany, Greece, Denmark, Ireland, Iceland, Spain, Italy, Canada, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, USA, Turkey, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, France, South Korea, Japan. To the share of OECD countries with 16% of the population the globe accounts for 2/3 of world production.

The main goal of the OECD is to analyze the state of the economy of member states and develop recommendations for member countries on the implementation of economic regulation at the macro and sectoral levels. These recommendations are usually taken into account by member countries in the development and implementation of national economic policies. In this regard, the Organization is actually a body for coordinating the economic policy of the leading Western countries.

In general, all international organizations aim to regulate certain aspects of the functioning of the world community in order to create all the conditions for its harmonious development in the future. In them, in many respects, a kind of legal space is created, within which all components of the world economy interact.

Control questions to the topic to topic No. 11

1. What is meant by interstate regulation of international economic relations?

2. List the factors under the influence of which the system of interstate regulation of international economic relations was formed.

3. Describe the main subjects of interstate regulation of international economic relations.

4. How can international organizations be classified?

5. What is the role of the UN and its specialized agencies in the regulation of IER?

6. What international organizations are included in the UN system?

7. What international organizations regulate international trade?

abstract

by discipline

"World economy"

on the topic:

"The role of the UN in the development of the marine economy"

Vladimir 2011

Introduction

For many years now global community in solving the most important tasks in the field of international economic relations, it relies on the United Nations, which bears global character. There are more and more political problems in the world. The UN is trying to resolve them, but along with this, its role in solving economic issues is increasing. More and more new areas for her in international economic relations become the subject of a detailed analysis, study, ways to solve a particular issue. For example, the UN helped develop the most important economic indicators that are currently used around the world. At the same time, the structure of the organization itself is becoming more complex and new institutions are emerging, the number of countries participating in its activities is increasing, the number of contacts with both international and international organizations is growing. national organizations various countries.

With the development of international economic relations, the deepening of specialization and the international division of labor, there is an increasing need for quick and effective decision-making regarding international problems and economic activity countries.

But still, the United Nations is primarily political in nature. This can be seen from the principles enshrined in the Charter. It does not contain any specially stipulated principles on which the economic cooperation of both these states and the whole world would be based. However, there are a number of principles that describe the economic cooperation of states, but they are not specifically highlighted and refer to the general principles of cooperation between countries that are members of the World Trade Organization.

1. The role of the UN system in the development of multilateral regulation of IER

The activities of the UN are increasingly influencing the nature and development of the most important social economic processes at the global and national levels. Being an international forum for discussing and making purely political decisions on the most pressing issues in almost all areas human activity and international relations, the UN determines priorities, goals and development strategies international cooperation on the formation of the world economic space.

The activities of the UN are carried out in four main areas:

1)overcoming global economic problems;

2)assistance in cooperation to countries with different levels of economic development;

)promoting the economic growth of developing countries;

)search for solutions to problems related to regional development.

To solve these problems, the following forms of activity are used:

. Information activity.Its goal is to influence countries in the field of economic policy. The result of this work can only be seen in the future. Statistical data from various fields are collected and processed, analyzed, and on the basis of this, states receive information related to economic development.

. Technical and advisory activities.It manifests itself in the form of technical assistance to various countries. But when providing such assistance, the principles of non-interference in the internal affairs of a given country should be used, the technique should be really High Quality and should be provided in a form convenient for the country.

. Monetary and financial activity.It is carried out with the help of international organizations: the International Finance Corporation, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Monetary Fund, the International Development Association. From a formal point of view, all these organizations are specialized units UN.

There are six main organs of the UN mentioned in the Charter. But within the framework of economic cooperation, three of them are distinguished: the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the Secretariat.

General Assemblyis essentially a forum for discussing the most important problems of an economic nature. The Assembly may, at its discretion, establish organizations for international cooperation between states in various fields, such as the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), etc.

Economic and Social Council(ECOSOC) - next in importance after the General Assembly. He \ coordinates the activities of the UN in the socio-economic sphere. The main body of ECOSOC is the Council session. Every year three sessions are held on different issues: spring - on humanitarian and socio-legal issues, summer - on socio-economic issues and an organizational session. Its main functions are: qualified discussion and development of the main political line on the most important world issues, coordination of activities on socio-economic issues, research in the field of international cooperation and socio-economic development. Thus, the Economic and Social Council coordinates the activities of its standing committees, various commissions and subcommissions, regional economic commissions, as well as UN specialized agencies.

UN Secretariat- an administrative and executive body designed to ensure the normal functioning of the UN institutions and agencies that perform certain functions. Most of the employees of the Secretariat work for the economic service. The UN economic service includes several divisions, the largest of which is the Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

Many UN organizations carry out their activities in the field of international economic relations. At the Trade and Development Conference, although it is not trade organization, almost all countries - members of the UN participate. It promotes the development of world trade, ensures the observance of the rights of countries in cooperation, develops principles and recommendations, as well as mechanisms for the functioning of relations between countries, participates in the activities of other economic institutions UN.

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization promotes the industrialization of developing countries. This organization provides both material assistance and develops recommendations on the use of resources, setting up production, conducting research and development and creating special production management bodies.

The United Nations Development Program is a program to provide assistance to developing countries in the most important sectors of the economy. It includes technical, pre-investment and investment assistance.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is responsible for coordinating the activities of other organizations to provide material and non-material assistance.

The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe solves problems of an ecological nature, in the field of efficient use of energy and in the transport and forestry sectors (from the standpoint of ecology).

The Economic Commission for Africa provides advice on the economic development of the African continent. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean performs the same functions, only for this region.

The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific promotes regional economic cooperation, technology transfer, investment and infrastructure development in the region.

The Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia creates favorable conditions for the development of cooperation in various fields and strengthens economic relations.

2. The current role of the institutions of the UN system in regulating the world economy

The UN is characterized by great institutional diversity, which is manifested in the wide representativeness of both members and organizations cooperating with the UN. First of all, The UN is a collection of bodies(General Assembly, Economic and Social Council, Secretariat, etc.). Secondly, the UN acts as a system of organizations consisting of specialized and other independent institutions (the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the UN Conference on Trade and Development, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, etc.).

Many specialized institutions The UN plays an active role in the development and unification of economic policy measures, analyzes the state of international markets and infrastructure, and promotes the harmonization of rules and procedures of private commercial law. Among the regulatory functions of the UN and the agencies responsible for developing international business regulations, the most important are the following:

· implementation of agreements on areas of state jurisdiction (General Assembly), which helps determine which country has the authority in relation to a particular land and water territory, airspace, stipulating, for example, the conditions for transportation or mining;

· implementation of agreements on intellectual property rights (World Intellectual Property Organization - WIPO). Export of high-tech products, security trademarks and patents would be complicated without respect for the highly regulated intellectual property rights protected through WIPO and TRIPS (Treaty on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights).

· unification of economic terms, systems of measures and indicators (UN Statistical Commission, UN Commission on International Trade Law - UNCITRAL, etc.). Virtually all UN bodies provide some degree of standardization, which facilitates objective international comparisons;

· development and harmonization of the rules of international commercial activity (UNCITRAL, UN Conference on Trade and Development - UNCTAD). The regulation of commercial activities strictly through the proposed tools and procedures undoubtedly promotes trade and logically links the global flows of goods and information,

· prevention of damage to goods and services on world markets and provision of cost recovery (UNCITRAL, International Organization civil aviation, International maritime organization, International Telecommunication Union, Universal Postal Union). Without effective agreements to prevent damage to carriers and goods, as well as guarantees for the preservation of information, businesses would be less inclined to conduct international business transactions.

· combating economic crime (United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice). Criminal activity creates an additional financial burden for law-abiding businesses, as it indirectly encourages corruption, limits free competition, and inevitably increases security costs;

· collection, analysis and dissemination of reliable economic information that contributes to the conclusion of international agreements (UNCITRAL, UNCTAD, World Bank), helps countries and companies in evaluating markets, comparing their own resources and capabilities, and developing foreign economic strategies.

The issues of investment in developing countries, the development of small and medium-sized businesses are currently among the most pressing. They affect any UN agency with a mandate in the field of economic development. Leading among them are the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). UNIDO is making necessary efforts to increase the economic potential of developing countries and countries with economies in transition through the development of their industrial enterprises. UNIDO's guidance is intended to help these countries overcome social and economic difficulties and achieve greater and more successful participation in international cooperation.

UNDP promotes business development through financing and support mechanisms for private and public companies in developing countries. UNDP and UNCTAD, among other UN agencies, regularly involve business representatives in forums and seminars on economic issues

3. United Nations Conference on Trade and Development - UNCTAD: place and role in the regulation of IER

conference international economic world

Created in accordance with the resolution of the General Assembly in 1964 as a special permanent body of the UN. It is a representative multilateral trade and economic organization. The first session of the Conference took place in Geneva in 1964 (Switzerland). Membership in UNCTAD is open to any member state of the UN, UN specialized agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency. Thereafter, UNCTAD sessions were held every four years. The last session was held in Midrand (South Africa) in May 1996. The next X session was in 2000 and was held in Thailand.

UNCTAD members are 186 UN member states, including Russia and 3 members representing specialized agencies.

Aims and main activities of UNCTAD

Objectives of UNCTAD:

• promoting the development of international trade in order to accelerate economic growth and development, especially in developing countries;
• establishing principles and policies relating to international trade and related problems of economic development, in particular in the field of finance, investment, transfer of technology;
• consideration and assistance in organizing the activities of other agencies within the UN system in the field of international trade and related economic development problems;
• taking, if necessary, measures for negotiating and approving multilateral legal acts in the field of trade;
• coordinating the policy of governments and regional economic groupings in the field of trade and related development, acting as a center for such coherence. The activities of UNCTAD are based on the functions defined by Resolution 1995 (XIX) of the UN General Assembly.

The main activities of UNCTAD are as follows.

. Regulation of trade and economic relations between states;development of concepts and principles for the development of world trade. A special place in this activity is occupied by the development of the "Principles of International Trade Relations and Trade Policy". These are: the implementation of trade and other economic relations between countries on the basis of equality, respect for sovereignty, non-interference in the internal affairs of countries and mutual benefit; inadmissibility of discrimination and methods of economic pressure in any form; consistent and universal application of the most favored nation treatment in all matters of trade, with the provision of special benefits by developed countries in favor of developing countries; the abolition of preferences enjoyed by certain developed countries in developing countries; facilitating the access of goods of third countries to the markets of member countries of economic groupings; stabilization of commodity markets through the conclusion of international commodity stabilization agreements; improving the commodity structure of developing countries' exports by increasing the share of finished and semi-finished products in it; promoting the improvement of the invisible trade of these countries; economic and technical assistance and the provision of concessional, public and private, credits by developed countries to developing countries in order to complement and facilitate the efforts of the latter without any conditions unacceptable to them of a political, economic, military or other nature. Subsequently, these principles formed the basis of the “charter of economic rights and obligations of states” (1976) developed within the framework of UNCTAD. The resolution adopted by the 1st session of UNCTAD notes the need to: stop the further growth of protectionism, reduce and eliminate quantitative restrictions on trade; the adoption by developed countries of measures to abolish the application of anti-dumping procedures and countervailing duties that are detrimental to third countries; seek changes in the international trading system with a view to improving and strengthening it through respect for the principles of most favored nation; renunciation of measures of economic coercion - the policy of trade restrictions, blockades, embargoes and other economic sanctions against developing countries.

The ninth session of UNCTAD, held in 1996 and devoted to the problem of "promoting growth and sustainable development in a globalized and liberalized world economy", determined the further directions of UNCTAD's work in the field of trade and development, aimed at the full integration of developing countries, in particular the least developed, and countries with economies in transition into the world economy and into the system of world economic relations. These objectives and specific practical recommendations were formulated in final act session titled “Partnerships for Growth and Development”. The conference also adopted a declaration recognizing the different starting points and different impacts of globalization on individual countries and stressing the importance of strengthening cooperation between developed and developing countries, between developing countries themselves, between multilateral organizations, as well as dialogue and cooperation between public and private sectors to strengthen development cooperation.

The beginning of the IX session of UNCTAD was preceded by a meeting of the "Group of 77" at the ministerial level and a meeting of ministers of the three regional groups, which preliminary discussed the issues of stimulating growth and development in the context of the liberalization and globalization of the world economy.

. Development of measures to regulate international trade in commodities.UNCTAD plays a leading role in the entire system of international organizations involved in the regulation of world commodity markets. These issues are considered both at UNCTAD sessions and in the Trade and Development Council, and at various kinds of special meetings held within UNCTAD.

As a result of the intergovernmental negotiations held within the framework of UNCTAD, a number of international commodity agreements were concluded; study groups on commodities have been set up with the participation of producing and consuming countries; signed conventions and agreements in various fields. In the system of regulation of world commodity markets important role played the Integrated Program for Commodities - IPTS, the decision to develop which was taken at the IV session of UNCTAD in 1976. The task of the program was to improve conditions on world markets for 18 commodities that are of particular importance for the exports of developing countries. To this end, an agreement was signed in 1980 to establish a Common Fund for Commodities to finance the buffer stocks of raw materials provided for in separate commodity agreements concluded under the IPTS. The ultimate goal of the IPTS is to stabilize commodity prices on world markets and to increase the participation of developing countries in the processing and marketing of their commodities.

. Development of measures and means of ready policy and economic cooperation.Within the framework of UNCTAD, a general system of preferences was created for the import of goods from developing countries, which came into effect in 1976; developed: measures to eliminate tariff barriers; the main measures to assist developing countries in the restructuring of the economy; new forms of agreements on industrial and trade cooperation. At the VI (1983) and VII (1987) sessions of UNCTAD, the main problems of enhancing economic development and international trade on the basis of multilateral cooperation were formulated; assessed current economic trends, including the role of the private sector in development, as well as global structural changes; developed policies and measures in the following areas: resources for development, currency issues; commodities; international trade; problems of the least developed countries. In the Final Act following the results of the VII session, the listed problems were assigned to UNCTAD as the main directions of its activities. This has helped to strengthen UNCTAD's mandate to operate in virtually all areas of world trade. UNCTAD VIII recognized the need for institutional adjustments to take advantage of new opportunities in international development cooperation, including the development of guidelines for enhancing UNCTAD's work on sustainable development (trade and environmental policy, sustainable management of natural resources, environmentally sound technologies, impact of production and consumption practices on sustainable development).

. Promoting the development of economic cooperation among developing countries;negotiating the creation of a global system of preferences among developing countries; development of a program of action for the world community to assist in overcoming the economic backwardness of the least developed countries.

Holding meetings of experts, government representatives, diplomatic negotiation conferences with the aim of coordinating the policy of governments and regional economic groupings on the development of world trade and other problems.

In addition to issues related directly to international trade, UNCTAD deals with a wide range of other issues of international economic cooperation: currencies and finance; shipping; technology transfer insurance; economic cooperation among developing countries; special measures in favor of the least developed, island and inland developing countries. In 1992, UNCTAD member states decided on a new partnership for development, the Cartagena Agreement (UNCTAD-VIII). This agreement articulates policies and measures in the interrelated areas of finance, trade, commodities, technology and services, and makes recommendations to address both old and emerging trade and development challenges. Analytical part activity includes a systematic study of the impact of national and international policies on development, with a focus on governance issues.

The regulation of world transport problems has become important. Within the framework of UNCTAD, the following were developed: the Convention on Transit Trade of Inland States (1965); Code of Conduct for Linear Conferences (Shipowners' Cartels) (1974); UN Convention on International Multimodal Transport of Goods (1980).

. Regulation of restrictive business practicescarried out through the development of a Code of multilaterally agreed principles and rules for the control of restrictive business practices, as well as various measures to regulate the activities of transnational corporations. For many years, UNCTAD has been working on the creation of a Code of Conduct on Technology Transfer.

. Conducting analytical work on a wide range of problems.In particular, the IX session of UNCTAD (1996) identified four major areas:

globalization and development,including the study of specific questions relating to the participation in international trade and investment of developing countries, to the stimulation of their growth and development, to the monitoring of the implementation of the Program of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the 1990s;

investments, development of enterprises and technologies, including the preparation of printed publications with the analysis of investment data, assistance in the development and implementation of development strategies in enterprises; determination of policy directions for technological development and innovation;

international trade in goods and servicesand preparation of printed publications on assistance to developing countries in the development of the service sector; on issues related to competition law, trade integration facilitation, protection environment and development;

development of infrastructure in the service sector withwith the aim of improving the efficiency of trade, in particular through the development of global telecommunications networks, modern means transfer of information, implementation of training programs.

UNCTAD publishes the following publications: Reports on the least developed countries; Bulletin of UNCTAD; Transnational corporations; Science and technology today; Advanced Technology Assessment System; Sea transport; commodity prices; UNCTAD Review is a monthly newsletter.

A decision was made to establish a computerized databank in UNCTAD on measures affecting trade in services. It should be an important tool in supporting the efforts of developing countries to participate more effectively in international trade in services.

. Acting as a forumto analyze the discussion and compare the positions of governments of different countries on a wide range of issues of international economic relations, as well as for negotiations between various groups of countries on a number of specific issues of international trade and development.

. Facilitate coordination of activities within the UNon international trade issues; preparation of documents for the General Assembly, ECOSOC and other organizations on the development of world economic relations; cooperation on a number of aspects of international trade with the UN ECOSOC regional commissions.

. Cooperation with international economic organizationsfirst of all with the WTO, with the International Trade Center UNCTAD/WTO, in order to eliminate duplication and harmonize areas of activity.

The highest body of UNCTAD is the Conference(two concepts should be distinguished: the Conference as the name of the organization itself and the Conference as the name of the supreme body). The conference meets in sessions every four years at the ministerial level to determine the main policy directions and decide on issues related to the program of work. A total of 10 sessions were held.

I session - in 1964 in Geneva (Switzerland); II - in 1968 - in Delhi (India); III - in 1972 - in Santiago (Chile); IV - in 1976 - in Nairobi (Kenya); V - in 1979 - in Manila (Philippines); VI - in 1983 - in Belgrade (Yugoslavia); VII - in 1987 - in Geneva (Switzerland); VIII - in 1992 - in Cartagena (Colombia); IX - in 1996 - in Midrand (South Africa), X - in 2000 - Thailand.

With the creation of the WTO, opinions began to be expressed almost openly about whether this organization is needed at all. However, an understanding has now been reached that the world community needs UNCTAD, since it develops common trade and political principles in the context of the development of the world economy, while the WTO is left mainly with purely trade issues.

Decisions taken by consensus at UNCTAD sessions are not legally binding. But even at the second session, it was unanimously recognized that they "should lead to actions favorable to international trade." Thus, UNCTAD documents are formally less binding than the WTO. Such documents include, for example, the Principles of International Trade Relations and Trade Policy Conducive to Development and the Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of States.

In the field of trade in finished products and semi-finished products, which account for 3/4 of the world trade turnover, major event UNCTAD was the creation common system preferences (OSP), which has been operating since 1971. This system provides for the reduction or elimination of customs duties by all industrialized countries in trade with developing countries on a non-reciprocal basis, i.e. without demand from the last counter trade and political concessions. Although many donor countries have made various exemptions from their schemes of such preferences (in relation to certain groups of goods and countries - recipients of preferences), the CAP plays a large role in promoting the expansion of exports of manufactured products of economically lagging states.

UNCTAD sessions are multilateral economic forums held within the UN system. Most UNCTAD decisions on the merits of the issues under consideration are non-binding and are advisory in nature. Over 160 resolutions have been adopted at the past first seven sessions of UNCTAD; the number of resolutions worked out at regular and special sessions of the Trade and Development Council exceeded 400. UNCTAD has developed a wide range of other multilateral documents: conventions, agreements, agreed conclusions, codes of various legal force.

The executive body of UNCTAD is the Council for Tradeand development, which provides work between sessions of the Conference. The Council submits annually to the Conference and the General Assembly, through ECOSOC, reports on its activities. Access to the Council is open to all UNCTAD member countries. In 1996, the number of members was 115.

The Trade and Development Board holds regular sessions once a year in the fall for 10 days. In addition, the Council holds special sessions, meetings of commissions and other subsidiary bodies on a wide range of problems of world trade and the economy. At regular sessions, issues of global politics, the interdependence of the economies of the countries of the world are discussed; problems of trade and monetary and financial relations; trade policy, structural adjustment and economic reforms. The Council oversees the entire scope of UNCTAD's activities, oversees the implementation of the Program of Action for the Least Developed Countries, and new program United Nations for African Development.

The working bodies of the Councilsince 1997 are commissions, which coordinate activities in the areas assigned to them: on investment, technology and financial issues; trade in goods and services; for the development of private entrepreneurship. The Commissions held their first sessions in 1997. A maximum of 10 annual meetings experts of special working groups. The commissions replaced the four standing committees that had existed until 1996.

Secretariatforms part of the UN Secretariat and is headed by the Secretary General. It consists of two services: policy coordination; foreign relations, as well as nine departments; (1) commodities; (2) international trade; (3) services and trade efficiency; (4) economic cooperation among developing countries and special programs; (5) global interdependence; (6) trans - national corporations and investments; (7) science and technology; (8) least developed countries; (9) services in the field of management and operational and functional support of programs. It also includes joint divisions that work jointly with the regional commissions. The secretariat serves two subsidiary bodies of ECOSOC - the Commission on International Investment and Transnational Corporations and the Commission on Science and Technology for Development.

The activities of UNCTAD have had a significant impact on the entire multilateral system of regulation of international trade. In particular, this led to the implementation of the modernization of the GATT. A new fourth part appeared in the General Agreement, which recognizes the special role and special place of developing countries in international economic relations. Related to the activities of UNCTAD are also changes in the activities of the IMF and IBRD, expressed in a certain turn towards the needs of developing countries and especially the least developed ones. UNCTAD initiated the provision of non-reciprocal and non-discriminatory preferences, which are important elements of a modern international trade regulation system. UNCTAD has made a significant contribution to the creation of a new integrated system of regulation of world commodity markets.

Conclusion

In addition to regulatory functions, the UN specialized agencies develop long-term strategies and tools in relation to the problems of the world economy on the basis of international expert consultations and agreements with governments and offer the world community possible ways to solve them.

The terms of reference of UNCTAD cover almost all relevant economic and legal aspects of modern international trade and related issues of economic development.

Within the framework of UNCTAD, the "Group of 77" was formed and acquired its modern role, named after the number of developing countries that have created a common platform for protecting their economic interests in international trade. The "Group of 77" played an important role in shaping the UN's international strategy on economic issues and relations with developing countries. UNCTAD has developed and is implementing new organizational forms works that make it possible to find a balance of interests of various countries and various groups of countries on the problems of international economic cooperation. A characteristic of UNCTAD's work is the preliminary determination of positions within each group of countries, which ensures a more balanced consideration of the interests of the countries represented in the development of common decisions.

UNCTAD plays a key role in the UN system in dealing with issues of international trade, finance, investment and technology, in particular, assisting developing countries in creating enterprises and developing entrepreneurship. The UNCTAD Commission on Entrepreneurship, Business Facilitation and Development promotes the development and implementation of strategies for the effective development of entrepreneurship, promotes dialogue between the private and public sectors. UNCTAD's technical cooperation projects include the Customs Automated Data Processing System, the Trade Points Network Program, and the EMPRETEC Programme.

The project of an automated customs data processing system helps to modernize customs procedures and management of customs services, which greatly simplifies the bureaucratic component externally. economic activity.

A number of UN system entities work with specific groups of private sector actors based on the specifics of their areas of expertise. Other agencies, such as the United Nations Development Program and the World Bank, maintain relationships with a wide range of business community organizations. In addition to bilateral relations, the participation of business groups in the activities of the UN can be ensured through the institutionalization of such participation in the structure of an international organization. An example is the International Labor Organization (ILO), which has existed since 1919, in which representatives of workers and employers are given equal opportunities with representatives of governments to influence the development of ILO policy.

Thus, the UN plays an important role in regulating international economic relations. And, despite the fact that there are certain difficulties in functioning, for more than fifty years, the most important economic and political issues have been resolved with its help.

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In the international life of the post-war world and practically the entire second half of the 20th century, as well as in international economic relations, the United Nations (UN) has played and continues to play a special role.

The first step towards the creation of the UN was the signing on June 12, 1941 in London of the Declaration, in which the allies in the anti-Hitler coalition (until June 22 of the same year the USSR had not yet participated in the hostilities of the unleashed world war) pledged to strengthen their cooperation between themselves and other free peoples both in the war and in the post-war world. In August of the same year, English Prime Minister Winston Churchill and American President Franklin Roosevelt, during a meeting aboard the aircraft carrier Missouri in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, signed another document, which later became known as the "Atlantic Charter", in which the expression " United Nations". A few months later, in January 1942, representatives of the twenty-six allied anti-Hitler states, who acted as a united front against the Berlin-Rome-Tokyo axis, declared their support for the Atlantic Charter and with official recognition of the definition of the United Nations. Further, on October 30, 1943, at a meeting in Moscow of representatives of the governments of the Soviet Union, the United States of America, Great Britain and China, it was stated that it was necessary to create a new international organization that was supposed to replace the League of Nations, which failed to prevent the start of

World War II. This decision received official status in the very near future, during the Tehran Conference of the leaders of the three leading countries of the anti-Hitler coalition - the USSR, the USA and the United Kingdom. The final agreement on all issues on the creation of the United Nations was reached during the work of the Yalta (Crimean) Conference of the "Big Three" in 1945. And in the same year, from April 25 to June 26, the UN founding conference was held in the suburbs of San Francisco - Dumbarton Oakse, which was attended by fifty countries - allies in the anti-Hitler coalition, which adopted the Charter of the new organization. Officially, the UN Charter came into force on October 24, 1945, which is considered to be the day of the United Nations.

The preamble of the UN Charter states that its main goal is to promote the economic and social progress of all countries and peoples, and directly in the first chapter of the document - "The Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter" - among other things, the task of international cooperation in resolving international economic problems is set. The ninth chapter of the UN Charter is also devoted to this cooperation, which defines the main ways and directions in the field of research and development of recommendations, the creation of specialized agencies that should act in close cooperation with the UN. Close coordination of actions between the UN and various specialized organizations is carried out through the Coordinating Council of the United Nations System. At the same time, it is not superfluous to note that, according to some data, economic issues up to 85% of the total staff of the UN Secretariat is employed in the current activities of the UN.

Today, the United Nations is a complex system of international institutions led by six principal organs. Five of them - the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the Trusteeship Council and the Secretariat - are located at the UN Headquarters in New York. The sixth body - the International Court of Justice - is located in the second Dutch capital - The Hague, where this institution has been from the very beginning of its establishment, since the days of the League

Nations. And finally, in the European Palace of the League, in Geneva, the UN European Office is located, in addition to which, in 1979, another European office of the UN was built in the Vienna Donau-Park district in Austria.

To date, UN members are 192 states, regardless of their economic potential or the size of the territory and population of one vote.

Regular sessions of the UN General Assembly are traditionally convened every third Tuesday in September. At the request of the majority of UN member countries and by decision of the Security Council, a special or emergency session may also be convened.

Under the UN Charter, the Security Council is given primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. To implement the tasks and responsibilities arising from this, the Security Council has been given the widest powers, including the exclusive right to apply coercive measures, including the use of armed forces. The member states of the UN, after the decision (resolution) adopted by the Security Council, agree to obey the decisions and implement them.

The Security Council consists of 15 members. The Russian Federation, as the legal successor of the UN founding country of the Soviet Union, the USA, Great Britain, France and China are permanent members of the Council, and the remaining 10 countries are regularly re-elected by the UN General Assembly once every two years.

The decision of the Security Council is considered adopted if at least 9 votes are cast in favor of it, provided that none of the five permanent members voted against, since each of them has the right of veto in order to reach consensus on topical issues.

The Trusteeship Council, established in 1945, was aimed at exercising control over the trust (mandatory) territories in the process of decolonization of countries and today has practically fulfilled the functions originally assigned to it.

The main judicial body of the UN is the International Court of Justice, composed of 15 judges elected in their personal capacity by the UN General Assembly and approved by the Security Council for a term of 9 years. Moreover, a third of the members of the Court are re-elected every three years. At the same time, it is not allowed for the Court to have more than one representative of any of the member countries UN.

The main executive body of the UN is its Secretariat, which is headed by the Secretary General. Historically, it so happened that the Norwegian Trygve Lie, who was also a Freemason of the highest 33rd degree, was elected the first General Secretary. Subsequently, the post of General Secretary was held by the Norwegian Dag Hammarskjold, the Burmese U Thant, the Austrian Kurt Waldheim, the Egyptian Boutros Ghali, the citizen of Ghana Kofi Annan and the Korean Pak Ki-moon.

The UN Secretary General is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council and prior consultations with its five permanent members. The elective term of the General Secretary is limited to five years and the possibility of repeated re-elections. The United Nations Secretariat currently employs about 11,000 people, almost half of whom are stationed in New York.

The General Assembly exercises specific leadership in the field of international cooperation through ECOSOC. The Second Committee of the General Assembly considers the solution of economic and financial issues of the UN. In addition to them, the Assembly establishes such international cooperation bodies as the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

Established in 1946, ECOSOC consists of 54 members elected by the General Assembly, and five of its permanent members are permanent members of the Economic and Social Council, which coordinates the work of 14 UN specialized agencies, 10 functional and 5 regional commissions. In accordance with the UN Charter, ECOSOC promotes standard of living contributes to ensuring full employment of the population and creating conditions for its economic and social progress At the disposal of ECOSOC is more than 70% of the human and financial resources of the UN. The annual sessions of the Council are held alternately in New York and Geneva. Since 1998, ECOSOC has established a tradition that, in addition to the annual July sessions, there are also meetings of finance ministers who chair task committees of the Bretton Woods institutions - World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

According to the geography of the countries represented, ECOSOC is formed as follows: 11 seats are reserved for Asia, 14 for Africa, 10 for Latin America, Western Europe represented by 13 countries, and Eastern - 6.

In accordance with this, the following regional commissions have been identified and are functioning within the framework of ECOSOC:

• ? Economic Commission for Europe (ECE); established in 1947 with seat executive bodies in Geneva. In addition to Europe, the commission also includes the United States and Canada, which at the time of its creation corresponded to the tasks of restoring the economic potential of European countries undermined by the war;
• ? Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. (ESCAP), also established in 1947 as part of 35 states, including the USA, Great Britain, the Soviet Union (after 1992 - Russian Federation), France and the Netherlands. The entry of the United States and Russia into the commission is geographically undeniable, but the entry of other non-Asian states into its working structure was due to the large number of their colonial possessions in the region;
• ? Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), established in 1948 with 40 countries including the USA, Great Britain, Canada, the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal. The motive for including non-Latin American states in the commission was dictated by their geopolitical interests;
• ? the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), established in 1958 in connection with the mass processes of decolonization on this continent and uniting today 50 countries;
• ? The Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) is the youngest regional body of ECOSOC, established in 1973 to coordinate the development programs of 14 Arab states in the Middle East. For many reasons, the activities of this commission are connected with the process of resolving the long Arab-Israeli conflict and the state self-determination of the Arab people of Palestine.

UN expert bodies composed of members serving in their personal capacity. These include:

• ? Development Policy Committee;
• ? Meeting of Experts on the United Nations Program in government controlled and finance;
• ? Ad Hoc Group of Experts on International Tax Cooperation;
• ? Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights;
• ? Energy and natural resources for development;
• ? Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

Bodies associated with ECOSOC:

• ? International Committee drug control;
• ? Board of Trustees of the International Educational and research Institute for the Advancement of Women;
• ? United Nations Population Prize Committee;
• ? Coordinating Council of the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS.

The main body of the UN General Assembly in the field of trade and development is UNCTAD, established in 1964 as a permanent intergovernmental organization and held its first session in Geneva, where it was decided that the UN Conference on Trade and Development is a body of the General Assembly, which means that does not have its own charter. Currently, 194 states, including all CIS countries, take part in the work of the Conference. The main objectives of the Conference are:

• ? establishing principles and policies in the field of international trade and problems of international economic development;
• ? implementation of a coordinated policy of governments and regional economic groupings in the field of trade and economic development;
• ? facilitating the coordination of the activities of other agencies within the UN in the field of international trade and economic development;
• ? encouragement of international trade between countries of different economic levels.

The latter function took into account the specific conditions in which the Conference was established, when during the period of mass decolonization of the countries of Asia and Africa, the GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) did not fully represent their interests. At present, UNCTAD specializes in developing a global strategy in the field of economic development and international trade, coordinates international trade in goods and services in the field of commodity markets, and also promotes the development of the world's least developed landlocked countries and stimulates technology exchange processes.

One of the main functions of UNCTAD has been the publication of its annual reports on trade and development, which contain an analysis of the prevailing international global and regional trends and the interaction of trade, investment and financial flows.

The conference is convened at least once every four years at the ministerial level of the member countries. Between sessions, current activities are managed by the Trade and Development Board, which meets twice a year as needed. Since 1997, three specialized commissions have been the working bodies of the Council.

Two years after the creation of UNCTAD, in 1966, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) was established to promote the industrialization of developing countries, their industrial development by mobilizing both national and international resources. The main functions of UNIDO are:

• ? development of recommendations and provision of concrete assistance to countries in the preparation of programs for industrial re-equipment;
• ? assistance in organizing and directly conducting research work to justify the technical and economic design of new industrial facilities;
• ? provision of technical assistance in the implementation of specific projects and recommendations on the use of raw materials.

A subsidiary body of the UN General Assembly is the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), established in 1965. All funding through UNDP comes from voluntary contributions from member countries and is carried out on the basis of government requests from needy states.

In 1967, at the Stockholm Conference on Intellectual Property Problems, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) was established, which already in 1974 received the status of a specialized agency of the UN, which was dictated by the highest degree of relevance of the problem of the knowledge economy and the economic exchange of intellectual products in a dynamically changing world.

The purpose of the organization was to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world, to contribute to the conclusion and implementation of international agreements and the harmonization of national legislation in this area. In fact, WIPO became the assignee of the decisions of the Paris Convention of 1883 for the Protection of Industrial Property, the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works of 1886, the Madrid Conference of 1891 on the International Registration of Factory and Trademarks with their subsequent amendments and additions, as well as the Washington Treaty 1970 on Patent Cooperation and a number of other agreements previously regulated at the international level under the Uruguay Round of GATT, which adopted the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPPS 1993). And the GATT itself became the last in the chain of UN specialized bodies, having transformed in 1995 into the WTO - the World Trade Organization.

AT organizational The WTO today unites 148 states. In accordance with its objectives, the WTO is called upon to provide activities for the application of control and implementation of all agreements on greater international coherence in the conduct of global economic policy. To this end, the WTO works closely with the IMF and IBRD, including their affiliates.

The supreme body of the WTO is the Ministerial Conference, which is convened at least once every two years. Between meetings of the Conference, its functions are performed by the General Council, formed from all WTO members, coordinating the activities of the Council for Trade in Goods, the Council for Trade in Services and the Council for Trade in Aspects of Intellectual Property.

The modern role of the institutions of the UN system in the regulation of the world economy (UNCTAD, UNIDO, etc.)

World economy and international law

Many specialized agencies of the United Nations play an active role in the development and unification of economic policies analyze the state of international markets and infrastructure contribute to the harmonization of the rules and procedures of private commercial law. The UN Conference on Trade and Development UNCTAD is called upon to regulate world trade relations. The GATT General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade was created and operated outside the framework of the UN.

The modern role of the institutions of the UN system in the regulation of the world economy (UNCTAD, UNIDO, etc.).

Many specialized UN agencies play an active role in the development and unification of economic policy measures, analyze the state of international markets and infrastructure, and contribute to the harmonization of rules and procedures of private commercial law.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is called upon to regulate world trade relations. The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was created and operated outside the UN. Therefore, many countries set the task before the UN - to have in its structures an independent and universal body, called on behalf of the world community to regulate the complex problems of international trade. For these purposes, in 1964, an autonomous body of the United Nations was founded to promote international trade, negotiate and develop international treaties and recommendations in this area, and currently includes about 170 states. main organ UNCTAD is a conference that is convened in session twice a year. Sessions of UNCTAD committees are convened more often - on commodities, on finished products and semi-finished products, on shipping, technology transfer, economic cooperation between developing countries, etc.

United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). Within its framework, a Section of Integrated Industrial Projects was created: development, coordination and control over the implementation of individual large-scale technical projects, development and management of joint technical cooperation programs with FAO. During the year, UNIDO is working on more than 100 interregional and global projects for Latin America and Asia in all sectors of the economy and training.

Environment Program (UNEP): protection of soil and water, flora and fauna, socio-economic aspects of energy, urban problems, cooperation in the field of education and exchange of information on environmental protection, practical implementation of environmental safety tasks.

International Labor Organization (ILO): development of international conventions and recommendations on labor and trade union rights.

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): collection and compilation of information on nutrition, environmental management, agricultural production, forestry and fisheries. The main field of activity is the agriculture of the world.

The goal of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is to financial assistance to the new states of Eurasia and Eastern Europe in carrying out economic reforms, in particular in financing "privatization programs" and encouraging "private initiative" and "entrepreneurial spirit". The real functioning of the bank began only in 1993. During 1994-1997, certain technical assistance was provided to a number of countries, but it is clear that the EBRD's capabilities are limited and it is unrealistic to expect any significant financial impact on the CIS members, the Baltic countries and Eastern Europe.

The first step towards the creation of the United Nations was the Declaration signed in London on June 12, 1941, in which the allies in the anti-Hitler coalition pledged to "work together with other free peoples both in war and in peace." In August of the same year, US President T. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister W. Churchill proposed a set of principles for international cooperation to maintain peace and security in a document known as the Atlantic Charter. Of course, this took into account the experience of the League of Nations, which failed to prevent the Second World War. In January 1942, representatives of 26 allied states, who fought against the "axis" countries (Germany - Italy - Japan), declared their support for the Atlantic Charter by signing the Declaration of 26 states. This document was the first official use of the name "United Nations", proposed by President Roosevelt. Then, in the Declaration, signed in Moscow on October 30, 1943, the governments Soviet Union, Britain, the United States and China called for the early establishment of an international organization to maintain peace and security. This goal was reaffirmed at a meeting of the leaders of the United States, USSR and Great Britain in Tehran on December 1, 1943. The first concrete contours of the UN were outlined at a conference held at the Dumbarton Oaks estate in Washington. It was this conference that formulated the basic principles of the activities of the United Nations (UN), determined its structure and functions. At the Yalta (Crimea) conference, Roosevelt and Churchill agreed to the participation of the Ukrainian SSR and the Byelorussian SSR in the UN as founding states (this was a tribute to the USSR, which fought alone with Germany until the opening of a second front in 1944). The leaders of the anti-Hitler coalition decided to convene a United Nations Conference on April 25, 1945 in San Francisco to develop the UN Charter.

The founding conference on the creation of the UN was held from April 25 to June 26, 1945 in the United States. Its convocation even before the end of the Second World War testified that the allies had reached mutual understanding on the main issues of creating a universal interstate organization designed to ensure peace on board, those. The UN Charter officially came into force on October 24, 1945, and this date is considered the birthday of the UN.

The United Nations is the center for solving the problems that all of humanity faces. The activities of the UN are carried out by the joint efforts of more than 30 related organizations that make up the United Nations system. The United Nations is not a world government and does not make laws. However, it provides tools that help resolve international conflicts and develop policies on issues that affect us all. In the United Nations, all Member States - big and small, rich and poor, with different political views and social systems - have the right to express their opinion and vote in this process.

The United Nations has six principal organs. Five of them - the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council and the Secretariat - are located at United Nations Headquarters in New York. The sixth body - the International Court of Justice - is located in The Hague (Netherlands).

Along with the increasing role of world political problems great place in the activities of the UN are occupied by economic aspects, which is expressed primarily in the expansion economic functions UN. All new spheres of the world economy, international economic relations are becoming the subject of its study, analysis, search for ways and means of their solution, development of appropriate recommendations. The significance of the economic activity of the UN increases with the complication of the processes taking place in world economic relations and the international division of labor, the aggravation of the problems arising in the world economy, and the further expansion of international economic cooperation.

Article 1 of the UN Charter formulates in a concentrated form the goals of international cooperation, including in the economic sphere: “... to carry out international cooperation in resolving international problems of an economic, social ...” nature. Chapters IX and X of the Charter are entirely devoted to economic and social cooperation. In particular, Article 55 defines the specific goals of economic cooperation within the UN: “creating the conditions of stability and prosperity necessary for peaceful and friendly relations”, “raising the standard of living, achieving full employment of the population”, promoting “conditions for economic and social progress and assistance” . Fixed in Art. 2 general principles international cooperation within the framework of the UN are fully applicable to the sphere of cooperation on economic problems. One of the central tasks of the United Nations is to promote higher standards of living, full employment and conditions for social and economic progress and development. 70% of the activities of the United Nations system are related to this task. Underlying this activity is the belief that eradicating poverty and improving human well-being everywhere are necessary steps towards creating the conditions for lasting world peace.

At the 60th Anniversary Session (September 2005), a high-level plenary meeting of the Assembly with the participation of Heads of State and Government, a comprehensive review of the progress made in the implementation of all the commitments contained in the United Nations Millennium Declaration was held. Much attention at the session was devoted to the need to achieve internationally agreed development goals and forge global partnerships to ensure progress at the national, regional and international levels; while emphasizing the importance of implementing the decisions and commitments made at the international conferences and United Nations summits in the economic, social and related fields.