note — acronym from Agence de Cooperation Culturelle et Technique
address — 13 quai Andre-Citroen, F-75015 Paris, France
telephone — [33] (1) 44 37 33 00
established — 21 March 1970
aim — to promote cultural and technical cooperation among French-speaking countries
members — (37) Belgium, Benin, Bulgaria, Burkina, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, France, Gabon, Guinea, Haiti, Laos, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Monaco, Niger, Romania, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Togo, Tunisia, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Zaire
associate members — (5) Egypt, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Morocco,Saint Lucia
participating governments — (2) New Brunswick (Canada), Quebec(Canada)
Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the
Caribbean (OPANAL)
note — acronym from Organismo para la Proscripcion de las ArmasNucleares en la America Latina y el Caribe (OPANAL)
address — Temistocles 78, Col Polanco, CP 011560, Mexico City 5 DF,Mexico
telephone — [52] (5) 280 4923, 280 5064
established — 14 February 1967
aim — to encourage the peaceful uses of atomic energy and prohibit nuclear weapons
members — (28) Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, The Bahamas, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela
Andean Group (AG)
address — c\o JUNAC, Paseo de la Republica 3895, Casilla 18-1177, Lima 27, Peru
telephone — [51] (14) 414212
established — 26 May 1969
effective — 16 October 1969
aim — to promote harmonious development through economic integration
members — (5) Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
associate member — (1) Panama
observers — (26) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil,Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, India,Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Paraguay, Spain, Sweden,Switzerland, UK, US, Uruguay, Yugoslavia
Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (ABEDA)
note — also known as Banque Arabe de Developpement Economique enAfrique (BADEA)
address — Sayed Abdel Rahman El Mahdi Avenue, P.O. Box 2640,Khartoum, Sudan
telephone — [249] (11) 73646, 73498, 73709
established — 18 February 1974
effective — 16 September 1974
aim — to promote economic development
members — (17 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, UAE, Palestine Liberation Organization; note - these are all the members of the Arab League except for Comoros, Djibouti, Somalia, and Yemen
Arab Cooperation Council (ACC)
established — 16 February 1989
aim — to promote economic cooperation and integration, possibly leading to an Arab Common Market
members — (4) Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Yemen
Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD)
address — P.O. Box 21923, Safat 13080, Kuwait
telephone — [965] 2451580, 2451588
established — 16 May 1968
aim — to promote economic and social development
members — (20 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Algeria,Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt (suspended from 1979 to 1988), Iraq, Jordan,Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, SaudiArabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, UAE, Yemen, PalestineLiberation Organization
Arab League (AL)
note — also known as League of Arab States (LAS)
address — Midan Attahrir, Tahrir Square, P.O. Box 11642, Cairo, Egypt
telephone — [20] (2) 750 511
established — 22 March 1945
aim — to promote economic, social, political, and military cooperation
members — (21 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Algeria,Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon,Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan,Syria, Tunisia, UAE, Yemen, Palestine Liberation Organization
Arab Maghreb Union (AMU)
address — 27 avenue Okba Agdal, Rabat, Morocco
established — 17 February 1989
aim — to promote cooperation and integration among the Arab states of northern Africa
members — (5) Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia
Arab Monetary Fund (AMF)
address — P.O. Box 2818, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
telephone — [971] (2) 215000
established — 27 April 1976
effective — 2 February 1977
aim — to promote Arab cooperation, development, and integration in monetary and economic affairs
members — (19 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Algeria,Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania,Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia,UAE, Yemen, Palestine Liberation Organization
Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
address — Ministry of Trade and Industry, Public Relations, 8 Shenton Way No 48-01, Treasury Building, Singapore, Singapore
established — 7 November 1989
aim — to promote trade and investment in the Pacific basin
members — (18) all ASEAN members (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia,Philippines, Singapore, Thailand) plus Australia, Canada, Chile,China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, NZ, Papua New Guinea,Taiwan, US
observers — (3) Association of Southeast Asian Nations, PacificEconomic Cooperation Conference, South Pacific Forum
Asian Development Bank (AsDB)
address — 6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong, METRO Manila, Philippines
telephone — [63] (2) 711 3851
established — 19 December 1966
aim — to promote regional economic cooperation
regional members — (40) Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan,Burma, Cambodia, China, Cook Islands, Fiji, Hong Kong, India,Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos,Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia,Mongolia, Nauru, Nepal, NZ, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines,Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Tonga,Tuvalu, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Western Samoa
nonregional members — (16) Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark,Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden,Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US
Asociacion Latinoamericana de Integracion (ALADI)
see — Latin American Integration Association (LAIA)
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
address — Jalan Sisingamangaraja 70A, Kebayoran Baru, P.O. Box 2072, Jakarta 12110, Indonesia
telephone — [62] (21) 71 22 72, 71 19 88
established — 9 August 1967
aim — to encourage regional economic, social, and cultural cooperation among the non-Communist countries of Southeast Asia
members — (6) Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore,Thailand
observers — (3) Laos, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam
Australia Group
established — 1984
aim — to consult on and coordinate export controls related to chemical and biological weapons
members — (28) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, CzechRepublic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland,Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Poland,Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, US
observer — (1) Singapore
Australia-New Zealand-United States Security Treaty (ANZUS)
address — c/o Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Bag 8, Queen Victoria Terrace, Canberra ACT 2600, Australia
telephone — [61] (62) 61 91 11
established — 1 September 1951
effective — 29 April 1952
aim — to implement a trilateral mutual security agreement, although the US suspended security obligations to NZ on 11 August 1986
members — (3) Australia, NZ, US
Banco Centroamericano de Integracion Economico (BCIE)
see — Central American Bank for Economic Integration (BCIE)
Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID)
see — Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)
Bank for International Settlements (BIS)
address — Centralbahnplatz 2, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland
telephone — [41] (61) 280 80 80
established — 20 January 1930
effective — 17 March 1930
aim — to promote cooperation among central banks in international financial settlements
members — (33) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, CzechRepublic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary,Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands,Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain,Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US, Yugoslavia
Banque Africaine de Developpement (BAD)
see — African Development Bank (AfDB)
Banque Arabe de Developpement Economique en Afrique (BADEA)
see — Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (ABEDA)
Banque de Developpement des Etats de l'Afrique Centrale (BDEAC)
see — Central African States Development Bank (BDEAC)
Banque Ouest-Africaine de Developpement (BOAD)
see — West African Development Bank (WADB)
Benelux Economic Union (Benelux)
note — acronym from Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg
address — Rue de la Regence 39, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium
telephone — [32] (2) 519 38 11
established — 3 February 1958
effective — 1 November 1960
aim — to develop closer economic cooperation and integration
members — (3) Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands
Big Seven
note — membership is the same as the Group of 7
established — NA 1975
aim — to discuss and coordinate major economic policies
members — (7) Big Six (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK) plus the US
Big Six
note — not to be confused with the Group of 6
established — NA 1967
aim — to foster economic cooperation
members — (6) Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK
Black Sea Economic Cooperation Zone (BSEC)
established — 25 June 1992
aim — to enhance regional stability through economic cooperation
members — (11) Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine
observer — (1) Poland
Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM)
address — CARICOM, P.O. Box 10827, Bank of Guyana Building, 3rd floor, Avenue of the Republic, Georgetown, Guyana
telephone — [592] (2) 69281 through 69289
established — 4 July 1973
effective — 1 August 1973
aim — to promote economic integration and development, especially among the less developed countries
members — (14) Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize,Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis,Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad andTobago
associate members — (2) British Virgin Islands, Turks and CaicosIslands
observers — (9) Anguilla, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, DominicanRepublic, Haiti, Mexico, Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico, Venezuela
Caribbean Development Bank (CDB)
address — P.O. Box 408, Wildey, St. Michael, Barbados
telephone — [1] (809) 431 1600
established — 18 October 1969
effective — 26 January 1970
aim — to promote economic development and cooperation
regional members — (20) Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Colombia, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Mexico, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Venezuela
nonregional members — (5) Canada, France, Germany, Italy, UK
Cartagena Group
see — Group of 11
Central African Customs and Economic Union (UDEAC)
note — acronym from Union Douaniere et Economique de l'Afrique Centrale
address — BP 969, Bangui, Central African Republic
telephone — [236] 61 09 22, 61 45 77
established — 8 December 1964
effective — 1 January 1966
aim — to promote the establishment of a Central African Common Market
members — (6) Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon
Central African States Development Bank (BDEAC)
note — acronym from Banque de Developpement des Etats de l'Afrique Centrale
address — BDEAC, Place du Gouvernement, BP 1177, Brazzaville, Congo
telephone — [242] 83 01 26, 83 01 49, 81 02 12, 81 02 21
established — 3 December 1975
aim — to provide loans for economic development
members — (9) Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, France, Gabon, Germany, Kuwait
Central American Bank for Economic Integration (BCIE)
note — acronym from Banco Centroamericano de Integracion Economico
address — Apartado Postal 772, Tegucigalpa DC, Honduras
telephone — [504] 372230 through 372239, 371184 through 371188
established — 13 December 1960
aim — to promote economic integration and development
members — (5) Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua
nonregional members — (4) Argentina, Mexico, Taiwan, Venezuela
Central American Common Market (CACM)
address — 4A Avda 10-25, Zona 14, Apdo Postal 1237, 01901 Guatemala City, Guatemala
telephone — [502] (2) 682151
established — 13 December 1960
effective — 3 June 1961
aim — to promote establishment of a Central American Common Market
members — (5) Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua
Central European Initiative (CEI)
note — evolved from the Hexagonal Group
address — Chairman of the National Coordinators, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Bem rakpart 47, Budapest II, Hungary
established — 27 July 1991
aim — to form an economic and political cooperation group for the region between the Adriatic and the Baltic Seas
members — (10) Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia
associate members — (4) Bulgaria, Belarus, Romania, Ukraine
centrally planned economies
a term applied mainly to the traditionally Communist states that looked to the former USSR for leadership; most are now evolving toward more democratic and market-oriented systems; also known formerly as the Second World or as the Communist countries; through the 1980s, this group included Albania, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, GDR, Hungary, North Korea, Laos, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, USSR, Vietnam, Yugoslavia
Colombo Plan (CP)
address — Colombo Plan Bureau, P.O. Box 596, 12 Melbourne Avenue, Colombo 4, Sri Lanka
telephone — [94] (1) 581813, 581853, 581754
established — 1 July 1951
aim — to promote economic and social development in Asia and thePacific
members — (24) Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma,Cambodia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Laos,Malaysia, Maldives, Nepal, NZ, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea,Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, US
Commission for Social Development
note — formerly Social Commission
address — c/o ECOSOC/DPCSD, United Nations, New York, NY 10017, USA
telephone — [1] (212) 963 2320
established — 21 June 1946 as the Social Commission, renamed 29 July 1966
aim — to deal, as part of the Economic and Social Council, with social development programs of UN
members — (32) selected on a rotating basis from all regions
Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice
established — 6 February 1992
aim — to provide guidance, as part of the Economic and Social Council, on crime prevention and criminal justice
members — (40) selected on a rotating basis from all regions
Commission on Human Rights
address — c/o United Nationas Office, Centre for Human Rights, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
telephone — [41] (22) 917 12 34, 907 12 34
established — 18 February 1946
aim — to assist, as part of the Economic and Social Council, with human rights programs of UN
members — (53) selected on a rotating basis from all regions
Commission on Human Settlements (Habitat)
address — c/o HABITAT, P.O. Box 30030, Nairobi, Kenya
telephone — [254] (2) 621234
established — 12 October 1978
aim — to assist, as part of the Economic and Social Council, in solving human settlement problems of UN
members — (58) selected on a rotating basis from all regions
Commission on Narcotic Drugs
address — c/o International Drug Control Programme, Treaty Implementation and Legal Affairs Division, P.O. Box 500, A-1400 Vienna, Austria
telephone — [43] (1) 211 310
established — 16 February 1946
aim — Economic and Social Council organization dealing with illicit drugs programs of UN
members — (53) selected on a rotating basis from all regions with emphasis on producing and processing countries
Commission on Science and Technology for Development
established — 30 April 1992
aim — to promote international cooperation, as part of the Economic and Social Council, in the field of science and technology
members — (53) selected on a rotating basis from all regions
Commission on the Status of Women
address — c/o Economic and Social Council, Affairs Division, Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development, Room S-2963, United Nations, New York, NY 10017, USA
established — 21 June 1946
aim — to deal, as part of the Economic and Social Council, with women's rights goals of UN
members — (45) selected on a rotating basis from all regions
Commission on Sustainable Development
established — 12 February 1993
aim — to monitor, as part of the Economic and Social Council, implementation of agreements reached at the UN Conference on Environment and Development
members — (53) selected on a rotating basis from all regions
Commonwealth (C)
address — c/o Commonwealth Secretariat, Marlborough House, Pall Mall, London SW1Y5HX, UK
telephone — [44] (71) 839 3411
established — 31 December 1931
aim — to foster multinational cooperation and assistance, as a voluntary association that evolved from the British Empire
members — (49) Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas,Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brunei, Canada, Cyprus,Dominica, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kenya,Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius,Namibia, NZ, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts andNevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Seychelles,Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka,Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, UK, Vanuatu,Western Samoa, Zambia, Zimbabwe
special members — (2) Nauru, Tuvalu
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
address — Kirov Street 17, 220000 Minsk, Belarus
telephone — [7] (172) 293434, 293517
established — 8 December 1991
effective — 21 December 1991
aim — to coordinate intercommonwealth relations and to provide a mechanism for the orderly dissolution of the USSR
members — (12) Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan
Communaute Economique de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (CEAO)
see — West African Economic Community (CEAO)
Communaute Economique des Etats de l'Afrique Centrale (CEEAC)
see — Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC)
Communaute Economique des Pays des Grands Lacs (CEPGL)
see — Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL)
Communist countries
traditionally the Marxist-Leninist states with authoritarian governments and command economies based on the Soviet model; most of the original and the successor states are no longer Communist; see centrally planned economies
Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE)
see — Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
Conseil Europeen pour la Recherche Nucleaire (CERN)
see — European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)
Contadora Group (CG)
was established 5 January 1983 (on the Panamanian island of Contadora) to reduce tensions and conflicts in Central America; has evolved into the Rio Group (RG); members included Colombia, Mexico, Panama, Venezuela
Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf
see — Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
Coordinating Committee on Export Controls (COCOM)
established in 1949 to control the export of strategic products and technical data from member countries to proscribed destinations; members were Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, UK, US; was abolished 31 March 1994; COCOM members are working on a new organization with expanded membership which focuses on nonproliferation export controls as opposed to East-West control of advanced technology
Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CEMA)
note — also known as CMEA or Comecon established 25 January 1949 to promote the development of socialist economies and was abolished 1 January 1991; members included Afghanistan (observer), Albania (had not participated since 1961 break with USSR), Angola (observer), Bulgaria, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Ethiopia (observer), GDR, Hungary, Laos (observer), Mongolia, Mozambique (observer), Nicaragua (observer), Poland, Romania, USSR, Vietnam, Yemen (observer), Yugoslavia (associate)
Council of Arab Economic Unity (CAEU)
address — BP 925100, Amman, Jordan
telephone — [962] (6) 66 43 26, 66 43 27, 66 43 28
established — 3 June 1957
effective — 30 May 1964
aim — to promote economic integration among Arab nations
members — (11 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, UAE, Yemen, Palestine Liberation Organization
Council of Europe (CE)
address — Palais de lEurope, F-67075 Strasbourg CEDEX, France
telephone — [33] 88 41 20 00
established — 5 May 1949
effective — 3 August 1949
aim — to promote increased unity and quality of life in Europe
members — (32) Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic,Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland,Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta,Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia,Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK
guests — (9) Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,Latvia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Russia,Ukraine
observer — (1) Israel
Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS)
established — 5 March 1992
aim — to promote cooperation among the Baltic Sea states in the areas of aid to new democratic institutions, economic development, humanitarian aid, energy and the environment, cultural programs and education, and transportation and communication
members — (10) Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden
Council of the Entente (Entente)
address — BP 3734, Abidjan 01, Cote dIvoire
telephone — [225] 33 10 01, 33 28 35
established — 29 May 1959
aim — to promote economic, social, and political coordination
members — (5) Benin, Burkina, Cote d'Ivoire, Niger, Togo
Customs Cooperation Council (CCC)
address — Rue de lIndustrie 26-38, B-1040 Brussels, Belgium
telephone — [32] (2) 508 42 11
established — 15 December 1950
aim — to promote international cooperation in customs matters
members — (136) Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia,Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belarus,Belgium, Bermuda, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina, Burma, Burundi,Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chile, China,Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, CzechRepublic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon,The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea,Guyana, Haiti, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran,Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan,Kenya, South Korea, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya,Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, The Former Yugoslav Republic ofMacedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mauritania,Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal,Netherlands, NZ, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru,Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, SaudiArabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, SouthAfrica, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland,Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey,Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan,Vietnam, Yemen, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe
developed countries (DCs)
the top group in the hierarchy of developed countries (DCs), former USSR/Eastern Europe (former USSR/EE), and less developed countries (LDCs); includes the market-oriented economies of the mainly democratic nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Bermuda, Israel, South Africa, and the European ministates; also known as the First World, high-income countries, the North, industrial countries; generally have a per capita GDP in excess of $10,000 although four OECD countries and South Africa have figures well under $10,000 and two of the excluded OPEC countries have figures of more than $10,000; the 35 DCs are: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holy See, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US
developing countries
an imprecise term for the less developed countries with growing economies;
see — less developed countries (LDCs)
East African Development Bank (EADB)
address — 4 Nile Avenue, P.O. Box 7128, Kampala, Uganda
telephone — [256] (41) 230021, 230825
established — 6 June 1967
effective — 1 December 1967
aim — to promote economic development
members — (3) Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
address — United Nations Building, Rajadamnern Avenue, Bangkok 10200, Thailand
telephone — [66] (2) 2829161 through 2829200, 2829381 through 2829389
established — 28 March 1947 as Economic Commission for Asia and theFar East (ECAFE)
aim — to carryout the commitment of the Economic and Social Councilof the UN to promote economic development
members — (49) Afghanistan, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan,Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, China, Fiji, France,India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, North Korea,South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands,Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands,NZ, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Russia, Singapore,Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tonga, Turkmenistan,Tuvalu, UK, US, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Western Samoa
associate members — (10) American Samoa, Cook Islands, FrenchPolynesia, Guam, Hong Kong, Macau, New Caledonia, Niue, NorthernMariana Islands, Palau
Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)
address — (temporary) P.O. Box 927115, Amman, Jordan
telephone — [962] (6) 694351
established — 9 August 1973 as Economic Commission for Western Asia(ECWA)
aim — to promote economic development as a regional commission for the UN's Economic and Social Council
members — (12 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, UAE, Yemen, Palestine Liberation Organization
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
address — United Nations, New York, NY 10017, USA
telephone — [1] (212) 963 1234
established — 26 June 1945
effective — 24 October 1945
aim — to coordinate the economic and social work of the UN; includes five regional commissions (see Economic Commission for Africa, Economic Commission for Europe, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia) and 10 functional commissions (see Commission for Social Development, Commission on Human Rights, Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Commission on the Status of Women, Population Commission, Statistical Commission, Commission on Science and Technology for Development, Commission on Sustainable Development, Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, and Commission on Transnational Corporations)
members — (54) selected on a rotating basis from all regions
Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
address — P.O. Box 3001-3005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
telephone — [251] (1) 51 72 00
established — 29 April 1958
aim — to promote economic development as a regional commission of theUN's Economic and Social Council
members — (53) Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina, Burundi,Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo,Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia,Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho,Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius,Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome andPrincipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa,Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zaire, Zambia,Zimbabwe
associate members — (2) France, UK
Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East (ECAFE)
see — Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
Economic Commission for Europe (ECE)
address — Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
telephone — [41] (22) 917 1234, 907 2893
established — 28 March 1947
aim — to promote economic development as a regional commission of theUN's Economic and Social Council
members — (54) Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan,Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia,Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia,Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The FormerYugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Netherlands,Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Slovakia,Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine,UK, US, Uzbekistan, Yugoslavia
Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLA)
see — Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
address — Edificio Naciones Unidas, Avenida Dag Hammarskjold, Casilla 179 D, Santiago, Chile
telephone — [56] (2) 2102000 FAX [56] (2) 2080252, 2081946
established — 25 February 1948 as Economic Commission for LatinAmerica (ECLA)
aim — to promote economic development as a regional commission of theUN's Economic and Social Council
members — (41) Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Spain, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, US, Uruguay, Venezuela
associate members — (6) Aruba, British Virgin Islands, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands
Economic Commission for Western Asia (ECWA)
see — Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)
Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC)
note — acronym from Communaute Economique des Etats de l'Afrique Centrale
address — CEEAC, BP 2112, Libreville, Gabon
telephone — [241] 73 35 47, 73 35 48, 73 36 77
established — 18 October 1983
aim — to promote regional economic cooperation and establish aCentral African Common Market
members — (10) Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad,Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Zaire
observer — (1) Angola
Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL)
note — acronym from Communaute Economique des Pays des Grands Lacs
address — B.O. Box 58, Gisenyi, Rwanda
telephone — [250] 40228
established — 26 September 1976
aim — to promote regional economic cooperation and integration
members — (3) Burundi, Rwanda, Zaire
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
address — 6 King George V Road, PMB 12745, Lagos, Nigeria
telephone — [234] (1) 636839, 636841, 636064, 630398
established — 28 May 1975
aim — to promote regional economic cooperation
members — (16) Benin, Burkina, Cape Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo
Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO)
address — 5 Hejab Avenue, Bd Keshavarz, P.O. Box 14155-6176, Teheran, Iran Islamic Republic
telephone — [98] (21) 658614, 656152, 658045
established — NA 1985
aim — to promote regional cooperation in trade, transportation, communications, tourism, cultural affairs, and economic development
members — (10) Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
associate member — (1) "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus"
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
address — One Exchange Square, London EC2A 2EH, UK
telephone — [44] (71) 338 6000
established — 15 April 1991
aim — to facilitate the transition of seven centrally planned economies in Europe (Bulgaria, former Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, former USSR, and former Yugoslavia) to market economies by committing 60% of its loans to privatization
members — (59) Albania, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan,Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic,Denmark, Egypt, European Union (EU), European Investment Bank (EIB),Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland,Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan,Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former YugoslavRepublic of Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, Moldova, Morocco, Netherlands,NZ, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia,Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine,UK, US, Uzbekistan; note - includes all 25 members of the OECD; alsoincludes the EU as a single entity
European Community (or European Communities, EC)
was established 8 April 1965 to integrate the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), the European Coal and Steel Community (ESC), the European Economic Community (EEC or Common Market), and to establish a completely integrated common market and an eventual federation of Europe; merged into the European Union (EU) on 7 February 1992; member states at the time of merger were Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK
European Free Trade Association (EFTA)
address — 9-11 rue de Varembe, CH-1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland
telephone — [41] (22) 749 11 11
established — 4 January 1960
effective — 3 May 1960
aim — to promote expansion of free trade
members — (7) Austria, Finland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland
European Investment Bank (EIB)
address — Bd Konrad Adenauer 100, L-2950 Luxembourg, Luxembourg
telephone — [352] 43791
established — 25 March 1957
effective — 1 January 1958
aim — to promote economic development of the EU
members — (12) Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK
European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)
note — acronym retained from the predecessor organization Conseil Europeen pour la Recherche Nucleaire
address — CH-1211 Geneva 23, Switzerland
telephone — [41] (22) 767 61 11
established — 1 July 1953
effective — 29 September 1954
aim — to foster nuclear research for peaceful purposes only
members — (19) Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland,France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland,Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK
observers — (6) EC, Israel, Russia, Turkey, United NationsEducational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO),Yugoslavia
European Space Agency (ESA)
address — 8-10 rue Mario Nikis, F-75738 Paris CEDEX 15, France
telephone — [33] (1) 42 73 76 54
established — 31 July 1973
effective — 1 May 1975
aim — to promote peaceful cooperation in space research and technology
members — (13) Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland,Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK
associate member — (1) Finland
cooperating state — (1) Canada
European Union (EU)
note — evolved from the European Community (EC)
address — c/o European Commission, Rue de la Loi 200, B-1049Brussels, Belgium
telephone — [32] (2) 299 11 11 FAX [32] (2) 295 01 38 through 295 01 40
established — 7 February 1992
effective — 1 November 1993
aim — to coordinate policy among the 15 members in three fields: economics, building on the European Economic Community's (EEC) efforts to establish a common market and eventually a common currency; defense, within the concept of a Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP); and justice and home affairs, including immigration, drugs, terrorism, and improved living and working conditions
members — (15) Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, UK
First World
another term for countries with advanced, industrialized economies; this term is fading from use; see developed countries (DCs)
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
address — Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, I-00100 Rome, Italy
telephone — [39] (6) 52251 FAX [39] (6) 5225 3152, 5225 5155, 578 2610
established — 16 October 1945
aim — to raise living standards and increase availability of agricultural products, as a UN specialized agency
members — (170) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua andBarbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, The Bahamas, Bahrain,Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosniaand Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina, Burma,Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central AfricanRepublic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica,Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador,Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, EU, Fiji, Finland,France, Gabon, The Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala,Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland,India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan,Jordan, Kenya, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos,Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, TheFormer Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia,Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia,Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua,Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea,Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda,Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, SierraLeone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa,Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland,Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia,Turkey, Uganda, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam,Western Samoa, Yemen, Yugoslavia (suspended), Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe
associate member — (1) Puerto Rico
Former USSR
/Eastern Europe (former USSR/EE) the middle group in the hierarchy of developed countries (DCs), former USSR/Eastern Europe (former USSR/EE), and less developed countries (LDCs); these countries are in political and economic transition and may well be grouped differently in the near future; this group of 27 countries consists of Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan
Four Dragons
the four small Asian less developed countries (LDCs) that have experienced unusually rapid economic growth; also known as the Four Tigers; this group includes Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan
Four Tigers
another term for the Four Dragons; see Four Dragons
Franc Zone (FZ)
address — Direction Generale des Service Etrangers (Service de la Zone Franc), Banque de France, 39 rue Crois-des-Petits-Champs, BP 140-01, Paris Cedex 01, France
telephone — [33] (1) 42 92 31 26
established — 20 December 1945
aim — to form a monetary union among countries whose currencies are linked to the French franc
members — (15) Benin, Burkina, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, France, Gabon, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo; note - France includes metropolitan France, the four overseas departments of France (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion), the two territorial collectivities of France (Mayotte, Saint Pierre and Miquelon), and the three overseas territories of France (French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna)
Front Line States (FLS)
established to achieve black majority rule in South Africa; members included Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)
note — was subsumed by the World Trade Organization (WTrO) on 1 January 1995
address — rue de Lausanne 154, CH-1211 Geneva 21, Switzerland
telephone — [41] (22) 739 51 11
established — 30 October 1947
effective — 1 January 1948
aim — to promote the expansion of international trade on a nondiscriminatory basis
members — (123) Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia,Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin,Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Burkina, Burma, Burundi, Cameroon,Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Congo, CostaRica, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica,Dominican Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon,The Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau,Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India,Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, South Korea,Kuwait, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau, Madagascar, Malawi,Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico,Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger,Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland,Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia,Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore,Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden,Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia,Turkey, Uganda, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Venezuela, Yugoslavia(suspended), Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Group of 2 (G-2)
established — informal term that came into use about 1986
aim — to facilitate bilateral economic cooperation between the two most powerful economic giants
members — (2) Japan, US
Group of 3 (G-3)
established — NA October 1990
aim — mechanism for policy coordination
members — (3) Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela
Group of 5 (G-5)
established — 22 September 1985