User:Intern-DC/The Bretton Woods Committee

Creation of Committee
After the 1944 Bretton Woods Conference, the International Monetary Fund and World Bank were established; they are now often referred to as "Bretton Woods Institutions". In 1983 the Bretton Woods Committee was created at the suggestion of former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Henry Fowler, and former U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, Charls Walker – a Republican and Democrat, respectively. The consensus they arrived at was that world leaders should express to the public the significance of international finance institutions (IFIs), like the Bretton Woods Institutions, and how important it was for their prominence in the world to be maintained.

Main Objectives
The original goal of the Committee was to improve the awareness of the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organization, and other major development banks and their actions to accelerate economic growth, lessen poverty, and increase financial stability.

Introduction
Currently, the Committee works to be nonpartisan and is composed of notable individuals-more specifically members of the Committee agree upon the significance of international economic cooperation, which in their view results from well-functioning, adept Bretton Woods Institutions that move to create universal economic progress.

Activities
The Committee is based out of Washington, D.C., and continues to host events relevant to the shared interests of its members at various academic institutions, government establishments, such as Capitol Hill, the U.S. Department of State, the IMF and related locations pertaining to their goals.

Meetings and Events
The Committee regularly holds events at various locations related to their goals in spreading awareness of major IFIs, including an Annual Meeting, the International Council Meeting, educational briefings, round table discussions, events at academic institutions and related events. The two purposes of these events is to first reach a general audience regarding the current actions of the IFIs and the magnitude they have on the global economy. The second is to give members an opportunity to share their opinions and critiques of current management of the IFIs. The Committee in addition informs U.S. government officials of the presumed correlation between global economic advancement and national security.

Types of Memberships
The Committee is comprised of financiers, economists, politicians, business leaders and distinguished members of the academic community from the U.S. and abroad. A subsidiary of the Committee, referred to as the International Council, includes members outside of the U.S. who aim to advance and observe the work of Bretton Woods institutions and political officials of countries that council members are from/involved in, and in addition submit advice when appropriate.

Some of the current leadership/members of the Committee include:
 * George H.W. Bush, Honorary Co-Chair
 * Bill Frenzel, Co-Chair
 * James Wolfensohn, Co-chair
 * Jimmy Carter, Honorary Co-Chair
 * Richard A. Debs, Executive Committee Chair
 * James C. Orr, Secretary
 * Colin Powell
 * Paul Volcker