Rationale

-- A manageable forum for global policy coordination, trusted by both industrial and developing countries.

Mandate

-- To design a global policy framework in all key economic and social areas, including food security, ecological security, development assistance, humanitarian assistance, debt, commodity price stabilization, technology transfers, drug controls, women's issues, children's issues, and human development.

-- To prepare a global budget of development resource flows for a revolving five-year period, to identify shortfalls between global development potential and resource availability, and to identify policies and programs to meet these shortfalls.

-- To provide a policy coordination framework for the smooth functioning of international development and financial institutions.

Composition

-- A Council of 22 country members, 11 permanent and 11 on the basis of rotational election. The Council membership to be chosen in such criteria as GNP, population, share of international trade, strategic political importance and considerations of regional balance. The 11 permanent members may include China, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, the UK, and the US. These could be joined by the most populous country in each developing region: India, Brazil, Nigeria and Egypt. The 11 rotating members can be chosen to represent various regional and economic social groupings.

Secretariat

-- A professional secretariat, under the direct guidance of the UN Secretary General. The secretariat will propose various policy options for discussion by the Council.

Source: United Nations Development Programme