Development

The study of international organizations inevitably leads to consideration of the role of several that have been at the heart of international efforts to promote development after World War II, primarily but not exclusively in decolonized countries or countries soon to be decolonized. The paper adopts a semi-chronological approach, tracing the early connectivity introduced in the late 1800s by the International Telegraph Union and the General Postal Union, to the pre- and post-Bretton Woods development landscape. It then tackles a shift in global development efforts from economic protection to material poverty alleviation, assessing the role and performance of the principal organizational actors, clients, approaches and institutional structures along the way. The paper highlights regional economic advances and the emergence of successful economies in the global south (albeit some still hosting hundreds of millions of ultra-poor citizens) and looks at the role of diverse actors engaged in funding, organizing and promoting development globally.