The New Nation - Internet Edition

BRITISH PM Gordon Brown during his recent visit to India said that world bodies like the United Nations, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund 'must reform’ to tackle the 21st century challenges. Set up after the Second World War they no longer reflect 'the new world order’ and 'the new global society’. 'The task ahead is to agree for our time the rules that can make globalisation a force for hope and progress for people’, Brown reportedly said. Brown’s speech picks up on a theme he outlined in his major foreign policy statement of last November where he described his approach to global affairs as 'hard-headed internationalism.’

That concept has been interpreted to mean 'a pragmatic, realistic and multilateral approach.’ Gordon Brown’s policy proposals it is said would help address the modern world’s most pressing challenges - poverty, the environment and extremism. The World Bank should become a bank for the environment with a greater focus on supporting environmental projects, particularly those aimed at tackling climate change. The International Monetary Fund should be central to an 'early warning system’ spotting potential turbulence in the global economy and acting with the independence of a central bank to prevent insecurity or collapse.

Senior British government officials said UN reform is a live issue with a number of countries putting forward suggestions. Not only the UN, as lending agencies, the World Bank and the IMF also face questions for scandalous acts including the one recently involving even one of its chief-besides corruption as highlighted often in the international media. The world organisations and institutions must maintain standard at any cost to be followed by others across the globe.