More on Major Stakeholders
Last updated: 26 February 2002

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At the initiative of the General Assembly, special working relationships have been put in place with the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization.

UNCTAD, UNDP, DESA as well as other organizations of the UN system are actively participating in the preparation for the Monterrey Conference. A number of important non-ACC intergovernmental organizations involved in trade, monetary affairs, and economic policy making are also playing a major role in the preparations for the International Conference 

The Preparatory Committee decided to invite the heads of the World Bank, IMF and WTO to be a co-chairs of the Heads of State Multi-stakeholder Roundtables in Monterrey.

World Bank

The Executive Board of the World Bank developed with the FfD Bureau in the spring of 2000 a three-prong arrangement for the active involvement of the World Bank in the financing for development process.   Under this agreement, the World Bank has provided senior staff to liaise with the Bureau, held meetings at crucial moments between the Bureau of the PrepCom and the Executive Board of the Bank, and invited continued informal discussions at the intergovernmental level. 

The FfD Bureau had an exchange of views with the Executive Board of the World Bank on issues in the FfD agenda and other co-ordination matters on the afternoon of 5 February 2001. The World Bank has participated at a senior level at all preparatory committee meetings.

 The World Bank and IMF staff have prepared a background paper for the IMF/World Bank Development Committee.

International Monetary Fund  

    International Monetary Fund has been engaged in the preparatory process at a number of different levels.   Many of the areas in the FfD agenda are integral part of the IMF.    The IMF Executive Board and the FfD Bureau have been engaged in an on-going process of consultations. 

    Recently the Managing Director of the IMF wrote to the new co-chair of the Bureau congratulating her on her election.   In addition,   the IMF is working with the FfD Co-ordinating Secretariat in the preparation of the documentation for the third session of the PrepCom.

 The World Bank and IMF staff have prepared a background paper for the IMF/World Bank Development Committee.

World Trade Organization 

The FfD Bureau had an informal meeting with the General Council of the WTO.   The General Council has agreed that the WTO Committee on Trade and Development (CTD) would be the inter-governmental liaison with the FfD Preparatory Committee. On 16 February and 9 April 2001, the CTD met on the report of the Secretary-General. 

  In March 2001, the Chair of the CTD met in New York with the Bureau. Then on 9 April 2001 the FfD Bureau met in Geneva with the members of the CTD and the Director-General of the WTO.  At the Third PrepCom, the WTO distributed to the PrepCom the unanimously agreed policy recommendations approved by the WTO Committee on Trade and Development.