This article evaluates the activities of the United Nations (UN) in its efforts to achieve a new international economic order, to regulate the activities of transnational corporations, and, in this framework, to address developing countries' strategies, particularly their self-reliance and economic cooperation. It confirms that 1) international and domestic factors play a decisive role in determining UN activities in economics; 2) economic issues are gradually being overshadowed by pressing political problems and war, although they may cause them as well; 3) the fragmentation of international economic organizations prevents them from dealing successfully with ever more complex economic issues; 4) the gap between declared and real interests prevents developing countries from realizing a self-reliance strategy; and 5) in order to achieve a better world economic system, a return to Keynes' idea of a holistic international economic organization is suggested, which could coordinate economic strategies and policies of developing countries within the UN.
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