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• The United Nations was the first post-war IGO to be established

  It has a role in global governance and peacekeeping and tries to ensure human rights and freedom from discrimination and abuse by supporting international justice.


  mixed success: the UN forces in Congo have been accused of not providing aid after peacekeepers failed to provide assistance in Mavivi after attacks.

  In a report of 2014, Human Rights Watch accused peacekeepers of failing to respond to repeated calls for help during an attack which killed 30 people.

  The peacekeepers were only 9 km away but arrived two day later.
• . The UN can introduce economic sanctions against countries or can carry out direct military intervention:

  • Arms embargoes – banning weapons and military supplies
  • Trade embargoes – banning certain imports and exports from and to certain countries
  • Restrictions on loans
  • Freezing assets
  • Travel restrictions – for high profile people like politicians and business people
• The IMF, WB and WTO were created by world war two allied nations and have been vital in maintaining the dominance of western capitalism, global economic management and trade policy (free trade).

  Global borrowing rules and trade policies have been effective in delivering growth to the developed world, but the impact of Structural Adjustment and HIPC policies on the developing world’s economies and economic sovereignty is disputed.

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• Jamaica, for example, is under massive debts and loans from the IMF and World Bank, which prevents the nation from growing efficiently. Jamaica spends twice as much on debt repayments as it does on education and health combined.

  During the 1980s, the number of registered nurses fell by 60% whilst food prices increased whilst the IMF held down wages.
• The IMF and World Bank only agreed to help struggling countries if they agreed to Structural Adjustment Policies (SAPS).

  SAPS are often policies which countries have to implement if they want to receive a loan.

  • Open up domestic markets to allow private investment
  • Reduce the role of government by privatising industries and services
  • Remove restrictions on capital so there are no limits on international investments
  • Reduce government spending by cutting infrastructure and welfare spending
  • Devalue currency to make exports cheaper
• In the 1980s, global interest rates increased very rapidly. This caused substantial interest to be added to loans which increased global debts. Developing countries were mainly affected since the loan became unaffordable. Countries were struggling to pay off the interest of these loans and were ending up in further debt
• In 1996, the IMF and the World Bank introduced the HIPC initiative, following criticism over the spiralling debts of developing countries and lack of fair assistance from the IMF and World Bank. HIPC aimed at reducing the national debts of developing countries by writing them off in return for Structural Adjustment Policies.