International economic organizations of the un system. United Nations Specialized Economic Organizations of the UN System
2.1. general economic organizations.
2.1.1. Regional integration groupings (or trade and economic unions):
· Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
· North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA).
· European Union (EU).
· Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
· Arab Free Trade Area (AFTA).
· Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).
· South American Common Market (MERCOSUR);
· Free Trade Area of America (FTAA).
2.1.2. Other economic organizations:
· Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
· Organization of the Red Cross and Crescent.
2.2. Industry organizations.
2.2.1. Organizations in the field of trade:
· World Trade Organization (since January 1, 1995). Became the successor to GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade).
· International Trade Center.
· International Chamber of Commerce.
· International Customs Union.
2.2.2. Financial institutions:
· The Paris Club represents the interests of 19 creditor countries.
· The London Club of Creditor Banks unites more than 600 largest commercial banks in the USA, Western Europe and Japan.
· Bank for International Settlements (BIS).
· International Finance Corporation (IFC).
· International Bank for Economic Cooperation (IBEC).
· International Investment Bank (IIB).
· European Financial Society (EFS).
· European Investment Bank (EIB).
· European Economic Monetary Union (EEMU).
2.2.3. Production and trade regulating certain types of goods and raw materials:
· Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
· European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC).
2.2.4. Production and trade of agricultural raw materials and food:
· International Coffee Organization.
· International Sugar Organization.
· International Organization of Banana Exporting Countries.
2.2.5. Others:
· International Union of Railway Workers.
UN: main organizations and their characteristics.
Classification of international economic organizations in the field of regulation.
a) International economic organizations regulating economic and industrial cooperation and branches of the world economy:
· United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
· United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
· International Energy Agency (IEA);
b) International economic organizations in the system of regulation of world trade:
· World Trade Organization (WTO);
· United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD);
· International organizations of countries-producers and exporters of food and raw materials.
c) Regional economic organizations.
d) International monetary and financial organizations:
· International Monetary Fund;
· The World Bank Group;
· European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
e) International organizations regulating entrepreneurial activity:
· United Nations Commission on Transnational Companies.
f) International non-governmental organizations promoting the development of international business:
· International and regional unions of entrepreneurs;
· International Chamber of Commerce;
· Regional chambers of commerce.
The third criterion for the classification of international economic organizations is by the nature of their competence.
a) International organizations with general competence, such as the United Nations.
The competence is not limited to any one area of cooperation, with the exception of specific issues falling within the competence of its specialized institutions.
b) International organizations with special competence:
Ø UN Specialized Agencies:
· World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
· World Health Organization (WHO).
· World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
· Universal Postal Union (UPU).
· International Development Association (IDA).
· International Labor Organization (ILO).
· International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
There are 15 UN specialized agencies in total.
In accordance with the Charter, the main organs of the UN are the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the International Court of Justice and the Secretariat. The competence and legal status of each of them are clearly stated in the Charter. They are the central links in their field of activity, but this does not mean that they are equivalent in their role and legal status. Most important for ensuring the purposes and principles of the United Nations are the General Assembly, as the broadest international forum in which all member countries of the United Nations are represented, and the Security Council, as the body entrusted with the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, and which, in the performance of its duties acts on behalf of all members of the Organization.
ECOSOC exercises its functions under the direction and control of the General Assembly and, in some cases, the Security Council. The International Court of Justice is the main judicial organ of the UN. The secretariat is called upon to serve the activities of all other bodies.
Subsidiary Bodies may be established by all principal organs of the United Nations on the basis of the Charter, and their competence must be part of the competence of the principal organ.
As a rule, UN bodies consist of all or some of the Member States, represented by a plenipotentiary representative or delegation. Sometimes organs are recruited on the basis of personal representation. Thus, the UN International Law Commission consists of persons with recognized authority in the field of international law.
To organize the work of bodies in the UN system, six official languages have been established: Russian, English, French, Spanish, Chinese and Arabic. They publish all major UN documents, including resolutions. The rules of procedure of each body define the working languages. Thus, the working languages of the General Assembly are all six languages listed above, the Security Council - the first five. Verbatim records are issued in the working languages and speeches delivered in any official language are translated into them.
United Nations General Assembly consists of all states– Members of the United Nations represented at its sessions by no more than five representatives. Regardless of the number of representatives, each state has one vote.
The General Assembly is authorized to discuss any questions or matters within the limits of this Charter or relating to the powers and functions of any of the organs of the UN and to make recommendations in respect of them to Member States and the Security Council (Article 10 of the Charter).
The UN Charter provides for two restrictions that are important for delimiting the competence of the General Assembly and the Security Council in the field of maintaining peace and security:
1) The General Assembly may not make any recommendation concerning any dispute or situation in respect of which the Security Council exercises its functions, unless the Council so requests it (art. 12);
2) The General Assembly cannot take action on behalf of the UN: any matter requiring action is referred to the Council before or after discussion (art. 11, paragraph 2).
The General Assembly is responsible for:
3) promote the development of non-self-governing and trust territories in the political, economic, social and cultural fields. The General Assembly must approve trusteeship agreements for territories not classified as strategic and supervise their implementation through the Trusteeship Council.
The Charter also entrusted the General Assembly with the important task of assisting in the implementation of international economic, social, cultural and humanitarian cooperation.
The General Assembly also performs other functions, in particular, elects non-permanent members of the Security Council, members of ECOSOC, and the Trusteeship Council. Together with the Security Council, it elects the judges of the International Court of Justice, appoints the Secretary-General on the recommendation of the Council, and admits new members to the Organization. It considers annual and special reports on the activities of all UN bodies and its specialized agencies.
The General Assembly is a sessional body. It meets in annual, regular (on the third Tuesday of September), special and emergency special sessions.
The work of ordinary sessions is carried out in plenary meetings and in the main committees, which include all Member States:
The First Committee (Questions of disarmament and international security) deals with questions of disarmament and international security.
The second committee (Economic and financial questions) considers economic questions.
The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Affairs) deals with social and humanitarian issues.
The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization Matters) deals with a wide variety of political issues not dealt with by any other committee or plenary meeting of the Assembly, including decolonization matters.
The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) deals with the administration and budget of the United Nations.
The Sixth Committee (Legal Affairs) considers questions of international law.
The session is led by general committee, which consists of the chairman of the session, 21 vice-chairs and 7 chairmen of the main committees.
To carry out its functions, the General Assembly creates permanent and temporary subsidiary bodies. The activities of the General Assembly have developed the practice of creating bodies on the rights of autonomous organizations dealing with international cooperation in some special areas, for example, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the United Nations Environment Program ( UNEP), etc.
Security Council - This is the most important permanent body, to which the UN member states have assigned the main responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. In the performance of the duties arising from this responsibility, the Council acts on their behalf (Article 24 of the Charter). In accordance with Art. 25 of the Charter, members of the UN have committed themselves to obey the decisions of the Security Council and to carry them out.
The Council consists of 15 states with the status of permanent and non-permanent members. In accordance with the Charter, the five permanent members are Russia, the USA, Great Britain, France and China.
Ten non-permanent members are elected by the General Assembly for a two-year term, without the right to immediate re-election, based on the principle of equity and territorial location:
5 countries - from the countries of Africa, Asia
2 countries - from Latin America
1 country - from the countries of Eastern Europe
2 countries - from the countries of Western Europe
In its activities, it resolves procedural and non-procedural issues.
To resolve a procedural issue, 9 votes voting "for" are enough. All other questions are classified as non-procedural. To make a decision, the consent of 9 votes is required, of which 5 must belong to the permanent members. Absence does not prevent decision making.
The Security Council is the only body in the UN system that must act on behalf of all UN members in the maintenance of international peace and security. To this end, it is empowered to investigate any situation that may lead to international friction or give rise to a dispute, in order to determine whether the continuation of this dispute or situation may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security (Article 34 of the Charter). If the Council considers that it is dealing with disputes or situations that threaten the maintenance of peace, then it is obliged to seek peaceful settlement of such disputes and settlement of such situations (Chapter VI of the Charter).
In doing so, he can:
1) require the parties to the dispute to fulfill their obligation to resolve disputes by peaceful means (art. 33, paragraph 2);
The Security Council is empowered to establish the existence of any threat to the peace, any breach of the peace or act of aggression, and to determine what measures should be taken to maintain or restore international peace and security. It can resort to measures not related to the use of armed forces (complete or partial severance of economic relations, termination of rail, sea, air, postal, telegraph, radio or other means of communication), or to actions by the combined armed forces of the UN member states. The armed forces are made available by the UN member states to the Council on the basis of special agreements concluded between them and the Council (Article 43 of the Charter).
The Security Council adopts legal acts of two kinds: recommendations and decisions. Unlike recommendations, decisions of the Security Council under the UN Charter are legally binding on states.
Each member of the Council has one vote. Nine votes of any members of the Council are sufficient to make decisions on procedural matters. Decisions on all other issues related to the activities of the Council require at least nine votes, including the concurring votes of all permanent members of the Council. This formula is called the principle of unanimity of the permanent members of the Council.
A decision is considered rejected if at least one permanent member votes against it. In this case, one speaks of a veto. In the practice of the Security Council, a rule has developed according to which a reasoned abstention by a permanent member is considered not to impede the adoption of a decision. It is even possible for the decision to be passed by the votes of the non-permanent members, with all the permanent members abstaining.
The voting formula in the Security Council to a certain extent requires concerted action not only by the permanent members of the Council, but also by the non-permanent ones, since in addition to the five votes of the permanent members, at least four concurring votes of the non-permanent members are also required to make a decision. The Security Council is a permanent body. All its members must be permanently represented at the seat of the UN. The Council meets in meetings as needed.
The Security Council may create subsidiary bodies, either permanent or temporary. The Committee of Experts (on matters of procedure) and the Committee for the Admission of New Members have been established under the Council. The charter provided for the creation of a Military Staff Committee (composed of the chiefs of staff of the permanent members of the Council), designed to assist the Council in resolving military issues related to the maintenance of peace and international security. This body has actually been inactive for almost the entire period of the existence of the UN.
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
ECOSOC is established by the Charter of the United Nations as the main body responsible for coordinating the economic, social and other relevant activities of the 14 UN specialized agencies, nine functional commissions and five regional commissions. The Council also receives reports from 11 UN funds and programmes. The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) serves as the central forum for discussing international economic and social issues and making policy recommendations to Member States and the United Nations system.
It includes 54 states, changing 1/3 of the composition every 3 years.
The main functions can be divided into 2 parts:
1. Self-made:
Conducting social, economic research
Development of measures
2. Intermediary:
Maintaining cooperation between states, specialized agencies, UN bodies, exchange of experience
Development of joint programs
Formation of contracts.
He is responsible for:
promoting the improvement of living standards, full employment of the population and economic and social progress;
identifying ways to resolve international problems in the economic and social fields and in the field of health;
promotion of international cooperation in the field of culture and education; and
promotion of universal respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
It is authorized to carry out or organize studies and draw up reports on these matters. It also has the mandate to assist in the preparation and organization of major international conferences on economic and social problems and related issues, and to promote agreed follow-up to such conferences. Under its broad mandate, the Council has more than 70 per cent of the human and financial resources of the entire UN system at its disposal.
ECOSOC has taken a leading role in recent years in key strategic areas:
During the 2010 high-level segment, the Council organized its second Development Cooperation Forum and dedicated its fourth Annual Ministerial Review (AMR) to the issue of gender equality and the empowerment of women. The adoption of the ministerial declaration coincided with the establishment of a new Entity, United Nations Women. ECOSOC Chairman Hamidon Ali described the main session of 2010 as "a turning point". The main message of the high-level segment is that gender equality and the empowerment of women are the very foundation of development and world peace, and the international community must remain fully committed to these efforts.
During the 2009 high-level segment, the Council adopted a ministerial declaration on the theme of the third Annual Ministerial Review (AMR), "Implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments for global health". ECOSOC President Silvia Lucas said the ministerial declaration proposed concrete measures to accelerate the achievement of global health goals.
The 2008 high-level segment saw the first biennial Development Cooperation Forum and the second Annual Ministerial Review. The Annual Review concluded with a Ministerial Declaration under the theme "Implementing the Internationally Agreed Goals and Commitments on Sustainable Development". ECOSOC Chairman Leo Merores called the main session of 2008 "historic" in view of the fact that it was fully in line with the new functions of ECOSOC.
International Court
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the main judicial organ of the United Nations (UN). It was established by the Charter of the United Nations signed on June 26, 1945 in San Francisco, to achieve one of the main purposes of the UN: "to conduct by peaceful means, in accordance with the principles of justice and international law, the settlement or settlement of international disputes or situations that may lead to disruption of the peace. The Court functions in accordance with the Statute, which is part of the Charter, and its Rules. It began operating in 1946, replacing the Permanent Court of International Justice (PPJ), which was established in 1920 under the auspices of the League of Nations. The seat of the Court is the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands).
un i is the main judicial organ of the United Nations. Its Statute forms an integral part of the UN Charter. Jurisdiction comes into force if the states of the plaintiff and the respondent agree to it.
The International Court of Justice consists of 15 judges, and it cannot include two citizens of the same state. The members of the Court are elected by the General Assembly and the Security Council from among persons listed on the proposal of the national groups of the Permanent Court of Arbitration. Judges are elected on the basis of citizenship. However, in the appointment, care is taken to ensure that the main legal systems of the whole world are represented in the Court. A national group may nominate no more than four candidates. Candidates who receive an absolute majority of votes in the General Assembly and the Security Council are considered elected. Rotation of staff 1 time in 3 years. While holding the position of a judge, they cannot hold another position.
Members of the Court, in the performance of their judicial duties, shall enjoy diplomatic privileges and immunities. The seat of the Court is The Hague, the Netherlands.
The jurisdiction of the Court includes all cases that will be submitted to it by the parties, and all matters specifically provided for by the Charter of the United Nations or existing treaties and conventions.
Only states and only parties to the Statute of the Court can be parties to a dispute considered by the Court. The latter may at any time declare that they recognize, without special agreement to that effect, ipso facto, in respect of any other State which has accepted such an undertaking, the jurisdiction of the Court as compulsory in all legal disputes concerning:
a) interpretation of the contract;
b) any question of international law;
c) the existence of a fact which, if established, would constitute a breach of an international obligation;
d) the nature and amount of compensation due for violation of international obligations. Such declarations shall be deposited with the Secretary-General and shall constitute acceptance of the binding jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice.
The Court cannot consider disputes between individuals and legal entities and international organizations. The Court's statute does not restrict its right to decide a case ex aequo ex bono (in equity and not under formal law), if the parties so agree. The law of dispute resolution is governed by customary law, there is no codified source. The activity of the Court is based on the principle of peaceful settlement of disputes.
The decision of the Court is binding only on the parties involved in the case and only in this case. It is final and not subject to appeal. If any party does not fulfill the obligations imposed on it by the Court, then the Security Council, at the request of the other party, may, if it deems it necessary, make recommendations or decide on the adoption of measures to enforce the decision (paragraph 2 of Article 94 of the UN Charter ).
In addition to adjudicating a dispute, the Court may give advisory opinions on any legal question at the request of any institution empowered to make such requests by the Charter of the United Nations itself or under the Charter. The Court delivers its advisory opinions in open session.
UN Secretariat and Secretary General .
The Secretariat is an international staff based in institutions around the world and carries out the various day-to-day activities of the Organization. It also serves the other main organs of the UN and implements the programs and policies adopted by them. The Secretariat is headed by the Secretary General, who is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council for a period of 5 years with the possibility of re-election for a new term.
The responsibilities of the Secretariat are as varied as the issues handled by the UN, from leading peacekeeping operations to mediating international disputes, from reviewing economic and social trends and issues to preparing studies on human rights and sustainable development. In addition, Secretariat staff guide and inform the world's media about the work of the UN; organizes international conferences on problems of global importance; monitors the implementation of decisions of UN bodies and translates speeches and documents into the official languages of the Organization.
As of June 30, 2010, the Secretariat has a total staff of approximately 44,000.
By virtue of their status as international civil servants, staff members and the Secretary General are responsible for their activities only to the UN. By accepting appointment, staff members undertake to perform their functions and conduct their conduct in the best interests of the United Nations, without seeking or receiving instructions from any government or authority external to the Organization. In accordance with the Charter, each Member of the Organization undertakes to respect the strictly international nature of the duties of the Secretary-General and the staff of the Secretariat and not to attempt to influence them in the performance of their duties.
The United Nations is headquartered in New York, but the Organization maintains a significant presence in Geneva, Vienna and Nairobi.
There are currently 15 UN peacekeeping operations deployed on four continents. Serving the cause of peace in the cruel framework of modern reality is an extremely dangerous occupation. Hundreds of brave men and women have died in this service since the founding of the United Nations.
UN Specialized Agencies for Economics and Finance:
2) UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The goal is the development of international cooperation in e-ke, social. and cult. spheres + humanit. Problems. 54 members and 3 sessional committees: 1) economic; 2) social; 3) on programs and cooperation.
3) United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) - 1964. Location - Geneva. Main organ - conferences, cat. take place once every 4 years. The goal is the development of m / n trade in order to save money. progress. Raise attention - development. countries. (M / n forum through which developing countries resolve issues of technology transfer, debt, etc.).
4) Development Program (UNDP) - 1965. To assist the development countries and the growth of their eq. potential through the development of their nature. and people. resources. Main body - the governing board. 4 Regional Offices (for Asia and the Pacific, Arab State Africa, Lat Amer.). Main sphere - agriculture.
The main UN body coordinating all economic, social, humanitarian and cultural activities is the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
ECOSOC 5 UN regional commissions are accountable: Economic Commission for Europe, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Economic Commission for Africa, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia. These commissions study the economic and social problems of the respective regions and develop recommendations.
Thus, the Economic Commission for Europe sets as its main goal the strengthening of cooperation between European member states, conducts analytical economic studies on general problems, the state of the environment and housing conditions, trade, industry and business development.
In 1964, the UN General Assembly established the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), which is called upon to consider issues related to international trade and development. UNCTAD paid considerable attention to the situation of the least developed countries.
Although UNCTAD's decisions are not binding, they play an important role in shaping world public opinion, which government agencies are also forced to take into account. In general, the activities of UNCTAD contribute to the development of international trade by establishing equal cooperation between states.
UNCTAD has become one of the important international economic forums, the recommendations and decisions of which have had a significant impact on world trade.
United Nations Industrial Development Organization ( UNIDO) is designed to assist developing countries and countries with economies in transition in implementing industrialization programs and strengthening their industrial capacity.
94. Specialized agencies of the United Nations and their functions.
United Nations specialized agencies- independent international organizations connected with the United Nations by a special cooperation agreement. Specialized institutions are created on the basis of intergovernmental agreements.
| Name | Location | |
| World Meteorological Organization (WMO, WMO) | Geneva | |
| World Health Organization (WHO, WHO) | Geneva | |
| World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO, WIPO) | Geneva | |
| Universal Postal Union (UPU, UPU) | Berne | |
| International Development Association (IDA, IDA) | Washington | |
| International Maritime Organization (IMO, IMO) | London | |
| International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, ICAO) | Montreal | |
| International Labor Organization (ILO, ILO) | Geneva | |
| International Finance Corporation (IFC, IFC) | Washington | |
| International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD, IBRD) | Washington | |
| International Monetary Fund (IMF, IMF) | Washington | |
| International Telecommunication Union (ITU, ITU) | Geneva | |
| International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD, IFAD) | Rome | |
| United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO, UNESCO) | Paris | |
| United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO, UNIDO) | Vein | |
| Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO, FAO) | Rome | |
| World Tourism Organization (WTO, WTO) | Madrid |
WMO- a specialized intergovernmental agency of the United Nations in the field of meteorology. It is the competent UN body for monitoring the state of the Earth's atmosphere and its interaction with the oceans.
WHO- a special agency of the United Nations, consisting of 193 member states, whose main function lies in solving international health problems and protecting the health of the world's population.
WIPO- an international organization that administers a number of key international conventions in the field of intellectual property, primarily the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works and the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property.
UPU- an interstate organization for the provision and improvement of postal communications on the basis of the Universal Postal Union unified postal territory.It unites almost all countries of the world, including Russia.
IDA is a lending institution that is part of the World Bank Group.
IMO- an international intergovernmental organization, is a specialized agency of the UN, serves as an apparatus for cooperation and exchange of information on technical issues related to international merchant shipping.
ICAO- a specialized agency of the United Nations that establishes international standards for civil aviation and coordinates its development in order to improve safety and efficiency.
ILO- a specialized agency of the United Nations, an international organization dealing with the regulation of labor relations.
IMF- Created in 1945. as a mechanism for monitoring the system of exchange rates and gradually transformed into the most influential international organization that regulates int. macroek-ku. Main fun-i - supervision of exchange rates and macroeconomics. policy of member countries and the development of int. the economy as a whole; provision of temporary financial assistance to countries experiencing difficulties in paying off their international debts as a result of an imbalance in the balance of payments; provision of technical assistance to the governments of member countries in the field of state. finance, statistics, banking regulation and balance of payments.
IFAD is a UN specialized agency dedicated to mobilizing financial resources to increase food production and improve the nutritional status of the poor in developing countries. The main goal of IFAD is the elimination of rural poverty in developing countries. 75% of the world's poor live in rural areas of these countries, but only 4% of the funds allocated for support from the world community officially go to the development of the agricultural sector.
UNESCO- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The main goals declared by the organization are to promote the strengthening of peace and security through the expansion of cooperation between states and peoples in the field of education, science and culture; ensuring justice and observance of the rule of law, universal respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, proclaimed in the Charter of the United Nations, for all peoples, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion.
FAO is an international organization under the auspices of the United Nations. Its work is aimed at reducing the severity of the problem of poverty and hunger in the world by promoting agriculture, improving nutrition and solving the problem of food security - access to all and always the food necessary for an active and healthy life.
HERE- Establishment of the United Nations. Leading international organization in the field of tourism. The World Tourism Organization is dedicated to the development of sustainable and accessible tourism.
The OECD is the successor to the Organization for European Economic Cooperation, OEEC, which, in turn, was created on the basis of the European Recovery Program (European Recovery Programmer), proposed by US Secretary of State A. Marshall, known as the Marshall Plan (1947). In 1948, the OEEC was created to coordinate this program for the economic recovery of 16 European countries.
The members of the organization were Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Great Britain, the Anglo-American and French occupation zones of Germany. In 1949, the Federal Republic of Germany became a full member of the organization, and in 1950, Canada and the United States joined as associate members. Although initially the activities of the organization were mainly limited to the implementation of the European Recovery Program, subsequently, within its framework, programs were implemented aimed at stimulating economic cooperation between member countries through trade liberalization and the creation of a system of multilateral settlements.
In 1960, in Paris, between the OEEC members and a number of other countries, the Convention on the Establishment of the OECD was signed, which was ratified by the parliaments of the countries and entered into force in 1961. The OECD includes 31 countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Great Britain, Hungary, Germany, Greece , Denmark, Ireland, Iceland, Spain, Italy, Canada, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, USA, Turkey, Finland, France, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Sweden, Japan, Slovenia, Slovakia .
The main tasks and functions of the OECD:
- formulating, coordinating and implementing policies aimed at stimulating economic growth and maintaining financial stability in the participating countries;
- stimulating and coordinating the efforts of the participating countries in the field of financial and technical assistance to developing countries;
- promoting the expansion of international trade, excluding the use of discriminatory measures.
Simplified OECD scheme:
- The main body is the Council (General Secretariat);
- Directorates:
■ executive directorate,
■ Directorate for Finance, Fiscal Policy and Entrepreneurship,
■ Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Directorate,
■ work with the public and the media,
■ Development Cooperation Directorate,
■ cooperation with non-OECD countries,
■ trade directorate,
■ directorate for environmental protection,
■ directorate for economic affairs,
■ Directorate for Statistics,
■ public sector management service,
■ education, employment, labor and social issues,
■ Directorate for Science, Technology and Industry.
The organization is governed by a Council composed of representatives from all participating countries. The activities of the OECD are carried out by more than 100 specialized committees and working groups, which, together with the international secretariat, study specific problems and formulate policy recommendations, for example, in the fields of economic development, technical cooperation, international trade, energy and environmental protection. Council founded in 1974.
Among the developments carried out under the auspices of the OECD, we should mention the Code of Conduct for TNCs (adopted by the UN in the 1970s), and also the guidelines devoted to the procedure for the preparation of financial statements by TNCs. The OECD institutions do a very useful job of facilitating international forums where the political, economic, cultural and other global or regional issues of today are discussed.
Organizations of the OECD:
- International Energy Agency (IEA);
- Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA);
- Center for Research and Innovation in Education (CINO);
- Development Center;
- Territory Development Service.
International Energy Agency (IEA) is designed to stimulate international cooperation in the field of energy and reduce the dependence of participating countries on oil imports. Operating since 1974
Atomic Energy Agency ( ATE), established in 1958 as the European Atomic Energy Agency, promotes international cooperation among OECD countries in the development and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
Center for Research and Innovation in Education (CINO) established in 1968 to encourage and promote the development of research activities in the field of education. All OECD member countries are members of CINO.
OECD Development Center created by a decision of the OECD Council in 1962 with the aim of pooling the knowledge and experience of member countries in the field of economic development, as well as the development and implementation of a common policy of economic assistance; making such knowledge and experience available to developing countries in accordance with their needs. All OECD member countries are members of the Center.
An important role in the OECD is played by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC), which is a specialized committee. Its functions include consideration of issues such as assistance to Member States, as well as developing countries; ensuring the necessary amount of resources that can be provided to developing countries; providing support to countries in order to ensure their sustainable development, building the capacity to participate in the global economy. In 1993, the DAC revised the list of developing countries receiving official development assistance; it included the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. In 1995, the document "Partnership for Development in a Changed World" was adopted, which contains the main directions for supporting the efforts of member states in ensuring sustainable economic and social development. In 1990, within the framework of the OECD, the Center for Cooperation with European Countries with Economies in Transition was established to coordinate relations between the OECD and the countries of Eastern Europe. This center also provides training in the following areas: economic development and structural adjustment; competition; labor market; banks and social policy; banking and finance, etc.
The OECD has developed a multilateral investment agreement (MIT) that is open to member countries. A group of committees also deals with issues of promoting the efficient use of the economic resources of industry and agriculture. Financing of the OECD activities is carried out at the expense of the contributions of the members of the Organization. The OECD has official relations with a number of international organizations - the ILO, UNESCO, IMF, WTO, UNCTAD, etc.
G-7 - G-8. Group-7 (G-7) was created in 1975 at the initiative of French President Giscard d'Estaing with the aim of annually discussing the most important economic problems by the heads of the world's leading economic powers. This group included the USA, Japan, Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy and Canada.
It should be noted that the leaders of these countries have invariably turned their attention primarily to the urgent problems of world economic development, especially since the early 1990s, when the world socialist system collapsed and for many new countries that chose capitalist values, an era of cardinal changes began. From such positions, i.e. as an incentive grant, obviously, it is most correct to assess the fact that Russia was invited to participate in the G-7, received in 1997.
However, Russia's full-fledged entry into the G7 did not occur until 2003 - the leaders considered the main economic issues as before within the framework of the G7. The powerful strengthening of Russia's economic position, especially in the oil and gas sector, and the desire of the Russian president for an independent foreign policy, the rejection of the status of a "junior partner" of the West - all this contributed to a revision of relations with Russia. These factors seem to have played a decisive role in this matter. Despite the fact that Russia is significantly behind in terms of GDP (GNP) growth both in absolute volumes and in terms of per capita not only from developed countries, but also from a whole group of developing countries, the leaders of the G-7 granted our country an equal status in this organization which has (albeit informally) a serious influence on international economic relations. Recall that during the Scottish summit in 2005, the G8 leaders decided to provide assistance to the least developed countries (the last in the PC group in terms of poverty) in the amount of $50 billion, as well as to write off the debts of developing countries. Similar decisions were made in the G-8 in 2009-2012, when the need to provide assistance to this group of countries was foreseen. Judging by the actual assessment, Russia occupies one of the leading places in terms of the amount of debts written off in 2005 (more than $15 billion).
"Group-77"- a group within UNCTAD, created to assist developing countries in the formation of plans for the development of the economy and international trade. It currently includes 122 countries.
"Group of Ten" a group within the IMF whose members are Belgium, the United Kingdom, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands, the United States, Germany, France, Sweden, and Japan. Switzerland, while not a member of the IMF, is an associate member.
"Group of Five" USA, France, Japan, Germany and UK. These countries, usually represented
finance ministers or central bank governors meet several times a year on economic issues.
The "Group of Five" was formed in 2005 during the last round of negotiations within the WTO (Doha, Qatar, 2001) in order to reach a compromise with developed countries. It includes: Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa. Since that period, the "five" has been interacting with the G-8, consultations were especially intense in 2008-2010, during the global crisis.
"Group-20". The G-20 is an informal international forum that brings together the heads of government and states of systemically important industrialized countries and countries with emerging markets. G-20 members: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, UK, Germany, Indonesia, India, Italy, Canada, China, Mexico, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, USA, Turkey, France, South Africa, South Korea, Japan, European Union (EU ), IMF and WB. From the IMF and the WB, the forum is attended by the IMF Managing Director and the WB President, as well as the chairmen of the committees of these organizations: the International Monetary and Financial Committee and the Development Committee. The G-20 countries account for about 90% of global GDP and 80% of trade (including trade within the EU), as well as 2/3 of the population.
During the global economic crisis, there has been a clear downward trend in the weight and influence of the G-8 in favor of the G-20. In fact, all the main decisions and recommendations during the last summits were already taken within the framework of the G-20. This also affected the strengthening of influence on the international regulation of the activities of financial organizations through the Council on Financial Statistics, created by the decision of the G-20 in 2010.
Ministerial Group-20. The decision to organize the international forum "Group-20" (G-20) was made at a meeting of heads of finance ministries and central banks G7 countries on September 25, 1999 in Washington. The idea of creating the G-20 is due to the joint commitment adopted at the meeting of the leaders of the "Group-7" in Cologne (June 1999) "...to establish an informal mechanism for dialogue between the backbone countries of the world within the framework of the Bretton Woods system." This idea was developed in the Communiqué of the meeting, where the goal of creating the G-20 was "expanding dialogue on key issues of economic and financial policy among the main systemically important countries of the world and developing cooperation in order to achieve stable and sustainable growth of the world economy for the benefit of all countries."
The founding conference of G-20 finance ministers and central bank governors was held on 15–16 December 1999 in Berlin. The G-20 does not have its own staff. The presiding country appoints an interim secretariat of the group for the period of its chairmanship, which coordinates the work of the group and organizes its meetings. The Chairman of the G-20 is elected for a period of one year on a rotational basis and ensures the holding of a meeting / meetings of the Ministers of Finance and Governors of the Central Banks of the participating countries (the Chairman of the Bank of Russia participates on a permanent basis); meetings of their deputies, as well as thematic seminars organized for discussion by the participating countries of the main issues that will be raised in the final document of the "ministerial" meeting - the Communiqué.
Since the founding of the G-20, Canada has been the chair country for the first three years. In 2013, the role of chairman is performed by Russia. The chairmanship changes on an annual basis. All G-20 countries are subdivided into five groups, from each of which a chairman is elected once every five years.
The decision to establish a G-20 managing Troika consisting of the previous, current and future chairmen was taken in 2002.
Troika is responsible for preparing the agenda of the meetings, selecting speakers (after consultations with members of the G-20), and organizing the meetings. The Troika currently consists of Brazil, Great Britain and the Republic of Korea.
Washington (November 15, 2008) and London (April 2, 2009) G-20 (G20) summits. On November 15, 2008, in the midst of the global crisis, the then President of America, George W. Bush, convened in Washington a summit of two groups - the G8 and the G20 - and tried to encourage them to take coordinated measures to overcome the economic crisis raging in the world. According to many analysts, the world's leading economic powers failed to agree on any of the issues proposed on the agenda. And it was necessary to agree at all costs - the G-20 countries accumulated about 90% of the MVP, and the dynamics of the global crisis to a certain extent depends on their decisions.
In fact, this first-ever G-20 summit has become an important milestone for the future of the entire system of international economic relations. Only at first glance it seemed that from a practical point of view, this meeting of the leaders of the world's leading economies did not bring any major results. In particular, in its final Communiqué, such provisions as the creation of boards of financial controllers to oversee the largest international financial institutions and the development of unified global accounting standards deserve attention. At the summit, it was stated that the principles of managing global finance must change; the need to expand the composition of the Financial Stability Forum (which is an organization of regulators and central banks responsible for the technical side of financial supervision), as well as the need for a comprehensive reform of the IMF and the World Bank, was emphasized.
At the same time, the most significant outcome of the summit was the change in the role of the G-20 on the world stage, while at the same time - we can say with confidence - reducing the weight of such an influential club of leading developed countries as the G8.
London G-20 summit. It seemed that the London meeting of the G20 meant the formation of a new important international center for making decisions of a global nature. The adoption of a number of important decisions, apparently, was facilitated by the following two circumstances.
First, during their first meeting in Washington, some participants (if not most) proceeded from the assumption that in the summer of 2009 the development of the crisis would stop, it would slow down, and by the beginning of autumn a recovery phase would begin. Such a development of the global crisis was described by many economists and analysts and international organizations in their reports. In fact, the opposite happened - the crisis deepened everywhere, investments decreased, unemployment increased, the social and labor situation deteriorated, and secondly, in such an environment of uncertainty and instability, a more favorable political background was created for reaching agreement on a number of issues (although far from all necessary) concerning the development of general anti-crisis measures affecting a number of fundamental provisions of global economic policy and the principles of the activities of international financial and economic organizations (IMF, as well as G-8).
In this regard, it can be noted that the London Summit in 2009 was the biggest success continental European model of economic regulation. In the final Declaration of the summit, almost all the requirements of Germany and France were taken into account. The Financial Stability Forum under the G7 has been transformed into the Financial Stability Board, and the small FSF secretariat that operated at the Bank for International Settlements in Basel will now be replaced by a larger body that can more effectively monitor the state of global finance. All parties agreed to establish tight control over the activities of systemically important hedge funds. This is an extremely important, breakthrough decision, since 52% of hedge funds are registered in offshore zones, and of the remaining 65% are in the US, 16% in the UK and only 15% in the eurozone countries. Thus, the European supporters of strict regulation of the financial sector, who previously controlled less than 7% of this industry, received the right to "look after" all the rest of its participants.
At the same time, participants from the developing world (China, India, Brazil, South Africa, Russia, etc.) generally failed to implement their proposals. Before the summit, the Russian side published a long list of measures, suggesting the need for "democratic and equal responsibility for decision-making", "fair distribution of risks", "correct" division of IMF quotas and "predictability of the international monetary and financial system functioning according to pre-known rules". The Russian side believed that since "most countries of the world place their international reserves in foreign currencies, they would like to be sure of their reliability", which could be facilitated by "internationally recognized standards in the field of macroeconomic and budgetary policy, compliance with which would be mandatory for countries issuing reserve currencies. China also joined the demand of Russian negotiators to "expand the list of currencies used as reserve ones". But this issue was not developed, since the majority, while being critical of the United States, believed that there was no real alternative to the dollar.
Europeans (primarily France and Germany) managed to secure Financial Stability Board the right to set internationally recognized standards for top management remuneration.
By the way, the remuneration of top managers in Russian large corporations is slightly higher than the European level and is more in line with American, excessively high forms of remuneration. At the same time, the paradox is that almost all large Russian corporations and their management are extremely inefficient and far from meeting the standards of either modern companies or managers. But the gaps between the pay of these managers and workers exceed the European and American levels by 4-5 times.
All countries are now required to provide full information on the state of their banking sector.
The most important decision of the London summit was that the number of offshore companies and freedom of action in them was limited. Most large corporations in Russia operate through offshore companies. Switzerland also had to agree to the need for greater transparency in bank deposits of clients. The need to establish a uniform accounting system has been recognized, and everything is moving towards the fact that it will be created on the basis of the European IFRS, and not the American GAAP. Finally, rating agencies will have to re-register under strict international control. The Americans agreed with all these provisions, although it should not be assumed that the introduction of these measures will not meet with resistance from large corporations and their supporters in governments and parliaments.
International Maritime Organization (International Maritime Organization - IMO, until 1982 - Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organization) is an international intergovernmental organization included by the UN among its specialized agencies. It was established in 1958 in accordance with the decision of the Maritime Conference held under the auspices of the UN in 1948. The organization includes over 140 states (including Russia, as well as an associate member - Xianggang, Hong Kong).
The objectives of the IMO are to support cooperation between states on technical issues of maritime navigation, ensure compliance with maritime safety standards, and work to eliminate discriminatory practices in merchant shipping carried out by a number of countries.
IMO develops draft international maritime conventions and organizes control over their implementation, convenes international conferences on shipping issues. There are committees within the IMO Maritime Safety, Legal Affairs, Marine Environment Protection and Technical Cooperation.
The activities of the IMO are mainly of a consultative and deliberative nature.
The supreme body of the IMO is Assembly, convened every two years, between its sessions the work of the organization is directed by Advice composed of 32 members elected by the assembly. Administrative working body of the IMO - secretariat. The headquarters is in London.
International Civil Aviation Organization (International Civil Aviation Organization - ICAO) - an intergovernmental specialized agency of the United Nations, founded in 1944, began functioning in 1947. It deals with issues of cooperation between states and the development of standards in the field of civil aviation, generalizes the experience of member states in the training and advanced training of personnel. The USSR has been a member of ICAO since 1970. The supreme body is the assembly (meets once every three years). Location - Montreal (Canada).
World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU ) - the largest international association of democratic trade unions, established in 1945 at the I World Congress of Trade Unions in Paris. The main tasks of the WFTU in accordance with the charter: the struggle against war and the causes that give rise to it, the protection of the interests of the working people of the whole world, the organization of the common struggle of trade unions of all countries against any infringement on the economic and social rights of workers and their economic freedoms, the organization of educational work among members of trade unions on issues of international unity of workers, etc. The WFTU includes trade unions from more than 100 countries (about 200 million members).
Branch international trade union associations have been created under the WFTU. The Fund for International Solidarity of Workers functions to provide assistance to workers during strikes, in case of natural disasters, catastrophes, as well as material support for the trade union movement in the liberated countries.
The WFTU enjoys consultative status in the UN, as well as in its specialized agencies - ILO, ECOSOC, UNESCO, FLO, UNIDO, UNCTAD.
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU ) is the second largest international union of trade unions. Founded in 1949 as a result of the split of the World Federation of Trade Unions. Unites trade unions in more than 100 countries. The backbone of the ICFTU is made up of trade union centers from Western Europe and North America.
European Trade Union Confederation, ETUC (ETUC). Represents the interests of trade unions in 36 countries (27 EEC countries, plus Andorra, Iceland, Croatia, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland and Turkey). The main goal is the implementation of the "European social model", i.e. creation of a society where economic progress would be combined with social security, social market economy.
Pan-European Regional Council of Trade Unions (PERC). One of the four regional divisions of the International Trade Union Federation (ITUC), covers 87 national trade unions in 55 European countries.
Inter-Parliamentary Union (MS ) is an international non-governmental organization consisting of groups of members of parliaments (national parliamentary groups) of more than 100 countries. Founded in 1889 in Paris. The USSR became a member of the union in 1955. The Charter of the IC provides for the promotion of contacts between members of all parliaments that are members of the IC, joint activities to strengthen
and the development of democratic institutions, as well as in the defense of peace and cooperation among peoples. Decisions of the ICJ are considered by the parliaments of the participating countries as recommendations.
International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) an international non-governmental organization uniting national and regional unions and federations of consumer, agricultural, credit and other cooperatives. Founded in 1895, it brings together national organizations from over 60 countries and 7 international cooperative organizations. The main goals of the ICA are to promote the development of the cooperative movement, establish cooperation between the cooperation of various countries, and strengthen global peace and security. At the congresses of the ICA, on the initiative of the delegation of the Central Union of the USSR and progressive cooperative organizations of other countries, a number of decisions were adopted aimed at uniting the actions of the cooperative and trade union movements, intensifying the struggle against transnational corporations, establishing cooperation between European states. It has consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council and UNESCO. The supreme body of the ICA is the congress. The headquarters is in Geneva (Switzerland).
International Red Cross (ICC ) - an association of national and international organizations whose goal is to help the wounded, prisoners of war and other victims of war, as well as help the sick and victims of natural disasters. The ICRC includes the national societies of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (in Muslim countries), the Red Lion and the Sun (in Iran), the League of Red Cross Societies (LOCC) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The national and international organizations that make up the IWC are legally independent of each other. The supreme body of the IWC is the International Conference. The seat of the governing bodies of the IWC is Geneva (Switzerland).
International Olympic Committee (IOC) - the supreme body of the modern Olympic movement. Created in 1894 at the International Congress in Paris. The tasks of the IOC are the regular holding of the Olympic Games and their continuous improvement, promoting the development of amateur sports, strengthening friendship between athletes of all countries. The IOC decides on the recognition of National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and International Federations (the IOC has recognized 160 NOCs and 30 International Federations), determines the program of the Olympic Games and the venue. It also supports the activities of sports federations in non-Olympic sports. The IOC Executive Board consists of a President, elected for an eight-year term, three Vice-Presidents and five members. The headquarters of the IOC is in Lausanne (Switzerland).
- According to the results of 2007, the heads of the 50 largest corporations in the Eurozone received 14.8 times less salaries and bonuses than their counterparts from the US, although the profitability of these companies was only 15% lower than the American ones. This gap widened even more in the post-crisis period, amounting to 15 times (2011–2012).