276. Increased interaction and cooperation between the United Nations and the multilateral development institutions, including the Bretton Woods institutions and WTO, are necessary to respond to the challenges of development. Also, cooperative working relations between the United Nations and other international organizations should be strengthened. Examples of such cooperation already exist. There is a need to develop further effective and innovative approaches to this interaction and cooperation.

277. The strengthening of collaboration between the United Nations and the Bretton Woods institutions requires an integrated approach, encompassing a closer policy dialogue at the intergovernmental level on relevant areas of international development policy issues taking into account their respective competencies. In support of this dialogue, closer relationships should be developed between the United Nations, through the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council, and the Bretton Woods institutions, in particular the Interim Committee of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank/IMF Development Committee. In this regard, the Assembly should play a more active role in global economic matters including the deliberations on macroeconomic issues.

278. International financial and trade institutions should be more closely involved in the preparations and deliberations, when appropriate, of the high-level segment of the Council. Their heads should actively contribute to the discussion on the topic chosen for that segment. Decisions already taken by the Council to ensure their closer involvement, through, inter alia, furnishing relevant reports should be implemented.

279. A further opportunity to consider global issues of high priority and to identify areas where these institutions can mutually support their respective efforts in promoting development could be provided by high-level special meetings of the Council.

280. Concrete modalities for strengthening the exchange of information on development issues between the United Nations and the Bretton Woods institutions should be explored. Similar modalities may also be explored with WTO. Joint meetings between the Secretary-General and the executive heads of the United Nations funds and programmes, WTO, and the Bretton Woods institutions and other relevant organizations on selected themes, including those identified by the Assembly, should be encouraged.

281. At the field level, the United Nations development system and the Bretton Woods institutions, acting in accordance to their respective mandates, should cooperate more closely, including in the areas of capacity-building and field operations, in accordance with priorities determined by recipient countries. Under the overall guidance of national Governments, they should expand, whenever appropriate, their collaboration in co-financing of field programmes and projects and explore innovative ways to combine and maximize their resources. In consultation and agreement with Governments, efforts should be made to promote complementarity between the country strategy notes, where they exist, the policy framework papers of the Bretton Woods institutions and the World Bank's country assistance strategies. In channelling financial and technical assistance through multilateral development finance institutions, donor countries are encouraged to take into account the respective roles and functions of the United Nations programmes and funds and the Bretton Woods institutions so as to ensure the complementarity of development assistance.

282. In post-emergency situations, the United Nations and the Bretton Woods institutions must support the transition from emergency to rehabilitation, reconstruction and long-term development. To this end, coordination between the United Nations and the Bretton Woods institutions should be improved.