1.	Introduction

2.	The changing role

3.	Conclusion

"International Monetary Fund (IMF) was found at The monetary and financial conference in Bretten Woods in american state New Hampshire on 22nd July 1944. But the first operations of Fund started on 1st March 1947 as a part of after-war reconstructions. After its foundation the primary objective of IMF was to supervise and to take control of the fixed exchange rate system, where the value of all world´s currencies was related to the gold and american dolar. The value of one gold ounce was determineted to 35 dolars by american governement. The second basic objective of Fund was to offer short-term financial supports to states, which expend their foreign monetary reserves.
Today International Monetary Fund is a company of 185 countries. The members of IMF are the same states as members of United Nations except North Korea, Cuba, Lichteinstein, Andorra, Monaco, Tuvalu and Nauru.
As I mentioned International Monetary Fund was found as a supervisor over fixed exchange rate system, as a support for international monetary cooperation a business, as a support for exchange stability and as a provider of financial help. Debats about need of supervising over the exchange market and about establishing new exchange market system started in thirties after the great depression. These debats was interrupted by Second World War and continued in year 1944, when Bretten Woods conference was organized. During the conference many proposals how to stabilize world economy after big depresion and world war was mentioned. States participating the conference agreed on foundation of International Monetary Fund a International Bank as a supervisor over world finance. Officialy International Monetary Fund was established in december 1945, when foundating states signed an agreement. Czechoslovakia was also one of the founders, but they had to withdraw an agreement, because of the communism. Czechoslovakia became a member again after the velvet revolution and at 1993 the membership lapsed to two succession states (Czech Republic and Slovakia).
In the first decades of existence of International Monetary Fund there were very important changes of the capitalistic world in a domain of world economy and monetary system. These changes gave a bigger sence to an existence of IMF. Fast progress in a domain of communication technologies caused international market connection. Risk of transfer potential depression among states significantly grew up. Because of this a sence of IMF´s supervision was substantial. "

Západočeská univerzita v Plzni, Fakulta ekonomická.