A United Nations organization is working to help developing countries become active partners in the world economy.
The UN Conference on Trade and Development says recent financial unrest shows the need for new thinking about international trade and development. The conference, also known as UNCTAD, notes financial problems like the debt crisis in Greece, growing debt levels in other nations and stock market troubles in Asia.
In a new report, UNCTAD is calling for reform of the International Monetary Fund to better meet the needs of developing countries. It also calls on nations to provide greater support for the IMF and development banks.
The report says countries should be able to pay for goods and services in their own currencies without having to use money from a third country. And pointing to the issue of debt, UNCTAD has called on international lenders to find better ways to restructure debt payments.
