name: International Monetary Fund
text: The International Monetary Fundâ€”also known as the â€œIMFâ€ or the â€œFundâ€â€”was conceived at a United Nations conference convened in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, U.S. in July 1944. The 45 governments represented at that conference sought to build a framework for economic cooperation that would avoid a repetition of the disastrous economic policies that had contributed to the Great Depression of the 1930s.
  
  <I>Current membership: </I>184 countries 
  <I>Staff:</I> approximately 2,716 from 165 countries 
  <I>Total Quotas: </I> $317 billion (as of 7/31/06) 
  <I>Loans outstanding: </I> $28 billion to 74 countries, of which $6 billion to 56 on concessional terms (as of 7/31/06) 
  <I>Technical Assistance provided: </I> 429.2 person years during 2006 
  <I>Surveillance consultations concluded: </I> 128 countries during 2006, of which 122 voluntarily published information on their consultation.
   
  
  Article I of the Articles of Agreement sets out the IMF's main responsibilities:
  
  * promoting international monetary cooperation; 
  
  * facilitating the expansion and balanced growth of international trade; 
  
  * promoting exchange stability; 
  
  * assisting in the establishment of a multilateral system of payments;
  
  * making its resources available (under adequate safeguards) to members experiencing balance of payments difficulties.