Commonwealth Finance Ministers regularly meet to discuss international monetary questions and other financial matters of common interest during the week preceding the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. For the September 1972 meeting, it was apparent that reform of the international monetary system would be a topic of major importance, especially as some Commonwealth countries were expected to become members of the Committee of Twenty. With this in mind, the Commonwealth Secretary-General felt that a study dealing with some points of special interest to developing countries, particularly those of the Commonwealth, would be of value and guidance not only to the Finance Ministers in their discussions but also to Commonwealth Governments represented on the Committee of Twenty.