There are some 6115 IGOs and about 40300 NGOs (Weiss, 10.55). Though these organizations work together at times, their most important role is keeping each other in check.
The largest and most recognized of these organizations is the United Nations. They also play one of the key roles in putting environmental issues on the agenda. After World War II many international agreements were on the horizon. There was a general world agreement on tariff laws and many global societies were established. During September of 2000, the United Nations adopted the Millennium Development Goal to halve global poverty by 2015 (United Nations General Assembly). This declaration explains eight goals that all United Nations member states have agreed to achieve by 2015. One goal is the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger by reducing the number of people trying to survive on less than one dollar a day. Other goals include promoting gender equality, empowering women everywhere, achieving worldwide primary education, improving maternal health and reducing child mortality, and finding ways to combat diseases such as HIV/Aids and Malaria. Along the lines of sustainable development, the declaration calls for "developing a global partnership for development while ensuring environmental stability" (United Nations). This is truly a daunting task.
Throughout the past half century, the poorest of the world's nations have become extremely indebted to the multilateral institutions that were established to try to alleviate the financial burdens placed on them. One major group that evolved from the WWII era was the World Bank, or the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). It was put in place to aid the countries of Western Europe that had been devastated by the war. Its first loan was $250 million to France for post-war reconstruction. Reconstruction is still an important facet of the Banks work, and it offers loans to help with natural disasters, humanitarian emergencies, and postconflict rehabilitation needs that affect developing and transition economies (The World Bank Group).
