In the face of the continuing economic gap between the industrialized and the developing countries, the Third World began to demand a reorganization of the international economic system—its mechanisms, organizations, purposes—that would make the system responsive to the needs of all of its members. The United Nations’ Sixth Special Session in 1974

An assessment of the relationship between the major international economic organizations (IEOs) and the developing countries. The emphasis is on the role of multilateral actors and therefore the organizations discussed are intergovernmental rather than nongovernmental.

The New International Economic Order: An Overview focuses on the influence of the creation of the New International Economic Order (NIEO) on the economy of different countries. The book first offers information on the structure of world economy, prospects, and obstacles to the NIEO. Topics include obstacles to the production and distribution of primary commodities and energy, transfer of technology, commodity trade, international finance, function of international law in the NIEO, and prospects and problems of the NIEO. The text then examines the financial, political, and institutional issues of the NIEO. Discussions focus on policies and practices of nationalization; asymmetries and dependency of developing countries in the social science subsystem; and renegotiation of third world debt and appropriate adjustments in international trade. The manuscript takes a look at the relationship of international trade, industrialization, and the NIEO and social and cultural issues of the NIEO. Topics include women in the labor force, health and medical care, education as a step toward development, military considerations, competitiveness of natural resources, and access to raw materials and supplies. The book also reviews the positions of the United States, Canada, Africa, and the Middle East on the NIEO. The publication is a dependable reference for readers interested in the New International Economic Order.

Financial resources of the magnitude, form, and character necessary to support changes in the structure of production in developing countries are essential for progress toward a new, more equitable international economic order. Inadequacies in the current monetary and financial system contribute to the underutilization of resources productive to developing countries and to the maintainence of economic imbalance. This volume demonstrates the need for a systematic attack on the acute problems of poverty and underdevelopment. It provides background information and data for those directly involved in the formulation of development theory and the implementation of development policy. The theory developed and practical experience discussed in these essays provide valuable perspectives on the continuing efforts to realign the international economic order.

The New International Economic Order.