International organizations and development

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of the intertwined history between development and international organizations over the course of the twentieth century. It describes how organizations like the League of Nations, the International Labour Organization, the UN organizations, the World Bank, COMECON, and UNDP served as spaces in which development ideas were discussed and in which development experts met. It also highlights the importance of international organizations as providers of technical and financial development resources. In doing so, the chapter emphasizes that international organizations working in the development field cannot be understood in isolation from the larger political environment, or as independent actors. The history of international organizations shows that actors representing particular political, ideological, cultural, and economic interests could have a large influence on how an organization conceptualized development and what kind of development approach it promoted.