Its agencies began to face growing financial constraints as major donors in the North started to to squeeze out core funding." The UN's role in development was increasingly under attack, with the Bretton Woods institutions claiming greatertechnical expertise and relegating the UN's core competence to peace and security. On the other side, the neoliberal agenda and its policy prescriptions became more nuanced during this period, shifting focus somewhat away from an emphasis on crude budget cuts and towards privatization.