Over its existence the IMF has been an instrument with multiple objectives. The main objectives have been (a) surveillance over countries' economic policies; (b) occasional provision of financial resources for countries undergoing adjustment under a Fund-supported program; (c) technical assistance for structural reforms and for institution building; and (d) ‘certification’ over some desirable actions by counties. The Fund is now criticised for its limited role with respect to global imbalances, which have become very large in connection with a few major countries such as the United States, China, and Japan. Critics are demanding a larger role in multinational surveillance. Some changes would make the Fund more effective: the quotas assigned to the countries could better reflect their current economic power; some expansion in multilateral surveillance work should be planned; the Management and the staff should be instructed to be much more focused or even blunt in their views on countries' policies; the resources available to the Fund should be increased; and the executive directors should be made more independent from the countries that nominate them.