established - 18 September 1996 aim - to address the common concerns and challenges faced by Arctic governments and the people of the Arctic; to protect the Arctic environment members - (8) Canada, Denmark (Greenland, Faroe Islands), Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, US permanent participants - (6) Aleut International Association, Arctic Athabaskan Council, Gwich'in Council International, Inuit Circumpolar Conference, Russian Association of Indigenous People of the North, Saami Council observers - (6) France, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, UK
ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF)
established - 25 July 1994 aim - to foster constructive dialogue and consultation on political and security issues of common interest and concern members - (27) Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Canada, China, EU, India, Indonesia, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, NZ, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, US, Vietnam
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
established - 7 November 1989 aim - to promote trade and investment in the Pacific basin members - (21) Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, NZ, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, US, Vietnam observers - (3) Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Pacific Economic Cooperation Council, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat
Asian Development Bank (ADB)
established - 19 December 1966 aim - to promote regional economiccooperation members - (48) Afghanistan, Armenia, Australia,Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, China, CookIslands, Fiji, Georgia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan,Kiribati, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, MarshallIslands, Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Nauru, Nepal, NZ,Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore,Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste,Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam nonregionalmembers - (19) Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France,Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal,Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
established - 8 August 1967 aim - to encourage regional economic, social, and cultural cooperation among the non-Communist countries of Southeast Asia members - (10) Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam dialogue partners - (11) Australia, Canada, China, EU, India, Japan, South Korea, NZ, Pakistan, Russia, US observers - (1) Papua New Guinea
Australia Group (AG)
established - June 1985 aim - to consult on and coordinate exportcontrols related to chemical and biological weapons members - (41)Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia,Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, European Commission, Finland,France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, SouthKorea, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, NZ, Norway,Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, UK, US
Australia-New Zealand-United States Security Treaty (ANZUS)
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; Australia and the US continue to hold annual meetings members - (3) Australia, NZ, US
Baltic Assembly (BA)
established - 12 May 1990 aim - to thoroughly discuss various cooperation issues between Baltic states members - (3) Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania
Bank for International Settlements (BIS)
established - 20 January 1930; effective - 17 March 1930 aim - to promote cooperation among central banks in international financial settlements members - (56) Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, European Central Bank, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, UK, US; note - Montenegro has a separate central bank; its links with BIS are currently under review
Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and EconomicCooperation (BIMSTEC)
established - June 1997 aim - to foster socio-economic cooperation among members members - (7) Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand
Benelux Union (Benelux)
note - acronym from Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg; was formerly known as Benelux Economic Union established - 3 February 1958; effective - 1 November 1960; changed names 17 June 2008 aim - to develop closer economic and legal cooperation and integration members - (3) Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands
Big Seven
note - membership is the same as the Group of 7 established - 1975 aim - to discuss and coordinate major economic policies members - (7) Big Six (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK) plus the US
Black Sea Economic Cooperation Zone (BSEC)
established - 25 June 1992 aim - to enhance regional stability through economic cooperation members - (12) Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine; note - Macedonia is in the process of joining observers - (17) Austria, Belarus, Black Sea Commission, Commission of the EC, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Energy Charter Secretariat, France, Germany, International Black Sea Club, Israel, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Tunisia, US; note - Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia have applied for observer status
Caribbean Community and Common Market (Caricom)
established - 4 July 1973; effective - 1 August 1973 aim - to promote economic integration and development, especially among the less developed countries members - (15) Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago associate members - (5) Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands observers - (8) Aruba, Colombia, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Sint Maarten, Venezuela
Caribbean Development Bank (CDB)
established - 18 October 1969; effective - 26 January 1970 aim - topromote economic development and cooperation regional members - (21)Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, BritishVirgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Colombia, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana,Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia,Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and CaicosIslands, Venezuela nonregional members - (5) Canada, China, Germany,Italy, UK
Central African Customs and Economic Union (UDEAC)
see Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC)
Central African States Development Bank (BDEAC)
note - acronym from Banque de Developpement des Etats de l'Afrique Centrale established - 3 December 1975 aim - to provide loans for economic development members - (10) African Development Bank (AfDB), Cameroon, Central African States Bank (BEAC), Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, France, Gabon, Kuwait
Central American Bank for Economic Integration (BCIE)
note - acronym from Banco Centroamericano de Integracion Economico established - 13 December 1960 signature of Articles of Agreement; 31 May 1961 began operations aim - to promote economic integration and development members - (5) Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua nonregional members - (7) Argentina, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, Spain, Taiwan
Central American Common Market (CACM)
established - 13 December 1960, collapsed in 1969, reinstated in 1991 aim - to promote establishment of a Central American Common Market members - (5) Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua
Central American Integration System (SICA)
established - 13 December 1991; operational 1 February 1993 aim - to strengthen democracy; to set up a new model of regional security; to promote freedom; to achieve a regional system of welfare and economic and social justice; to attain economic unity and strengthen the area as an economic bloc; to act as a bloc in international matters members - (7) Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama associated member - (1) Dominican Republic observers - (8) Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Spain
Central European Initiative (CEI)
note - evolved from the Quadrilateral Initiative and the Hexagonal Initiative established - 11 November 1989 as the Quadrilateral Initiative, 27 July 1991 became the Hexagonal Initiative, July 1992 its present name was adopted aim - to form an economic and political cooperation group for the region between the Adriatic and the Baltic Seas members - (18) Albania, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, 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, German Democratic Republic, Hungary, North Korea, Laos, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, USSR, Vietnam, Yugoslavia, but now is limited to Cuba and North Korea, and less so to China
Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)
established - 7 October 2002 aim - to coordinate military and political cooperation, to develop multilateral structures and mechanisms of cooperation for ensuring national security of the member states members - (6) Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan
Colombo Plan (CP)
established - May 1950 proposal was adopted; 1 July 1951 commenced full operations aim - to promote economic and social development in Asia and the Pacific members - (26) Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Burma, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, NZ, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, US, Vietnam
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)
note - formerly known as Preferential Trade Area for Eastern and Southern Africa (PTA) established - treaty signed 5 November 1993; treaty ratified 8 December 1994 aim - recognizing, promoting and protecting fundamental human rights, commitment to the principles of liberty and rule of law, maintaining peace and stability through the promotion and strengthening of good neighborliness, commitment to peaceful settlement of disputes among member states members - (19) Burundi, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Commonwealth (C)
note - also known as Commonwealth of Nations established - 31 December 1931 aim - to foster multinational cooperation and assistance, as a voluntary association that evolved from the British Empire members - (54) Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brunei, Cameroon, Canada, Cyprus, Dominica, Fiji (suspended), The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, NZ, Nigeria, Pakistan (reinstated 2004), Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, UK, Vanuatu, Zambia; note - on 7 December 2003 Zimbabwe withdrew its membership from the Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
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 - (9) Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan; note - neither Ukraine as a participating member nor Turkmenistan as an associate member have signed the 1993 CIS charter, although both participate in meetings; Georgia left the organization in August 2009
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
Community of Democracies (CD)
established - 27 June 2000 aim - "to respect and uphold core democratic principals and practices" including free and fair elections, freedom of speech and expression, equal access to education, rule of law, and freedom of peaceful assembly members - (17) Cape Verde, Chile, Czech Republic, El Salvador, India, Italy, South Korea, Lithuania, Mali, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, US
Comuinidade dos Paises de Lingua Portuguesa (CPLP)
established - 1996 aim - to establish a forum for friendship among Portuguese-speaking nations where Portuguese is an official language members - (8) Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe, Timor-Leste associate observers - (3) Equatorial Guinea, Mauritius, Senegal
Conference of Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia(CICA)
established - proposed 5 October 1992; established 14 September 1999 aim - promoting a multi-national forum for enhancing cooperation towards promoting peace, security, and stability in Asia members - (22 and the Palestine Liberation Organization) Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, China, Egypt, India, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, South Korea, Russia, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and the Palestine Liberation Organization observers - (12) Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, League of Arab States, Malaysia, OSCE, Philippines, Qatar, Ukraine, UN, US
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; abolished 31 March 1994; COCOM members established a new organization, the Wassenaar Arrangement, with expanded membership on 12 July 1996 that 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 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)
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)
established - 5 May 1949; effective - 3 August 1949 aim - to promoteincreased unity and quality of life in Europe members - (47) Albania,Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina,Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland,France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy,Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta,Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal,Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, UK
Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS)
established - 6 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 - (12) Denmark, Estonia, EC, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden observers - (10) Belarus, France, Italy, Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Slovakia, Ukraine, UK, US
Council of the Entente (Entente)
established - 29 May 1959 aim - to promote economic, social, and political coordination members - (5) Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Niger, Togo
countries in transition
a term used by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the middle group in its hierarchy of formerly centrally planned economies; IMF statistics include the following 28 countries in transition: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan; note - this group is identical to the group traditionally referred to as the "former USSR/Eastern Europe" except for the addition of Mongolia
Customs Cooperation Council (CCC)
note - see World Customs Organization (WCO)
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 $15,000 although four OECD countries and South Africa have figures well under $15,000 and eight of the excluded OPEC countries have figures of more than $20,000; the DCs include: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holy See, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US; note - similar to the new International Monetary Fund (IMF) term "advanced economies" that adds Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan but drops Malta, Mexico, South Africa, and Turkey
developing countries
a term used by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the bottomgroup in its hierarchy of advanced economies, countries in transition,and developing countries; IMF statistics include the following 126developing countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Antigua andBarbuda, Argentina, Aruba, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados,Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burma,Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic,Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of theCongo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Cyprus,Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador,Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada,Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India,Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Laos,Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia,Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico,Federated States of Micronesia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal,Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan,Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda,Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, SierraLeone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan,Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad andTobago, Tunisia, Turkey, UAE, Uganda, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela,Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe; note - this category would presumablyalso cover the following 46 other countries that are traditionallyincluded in the more comprehensive group of "less developed countries":American Samoa, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, CaymanIslands, Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, Cook Islands, Cuba, Eritrea,Falkland Islands, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gaza Strip,Gibraltar, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guernsey, Isle of Man,Jersey, North Korea, Macau, Martinique, Mayotte, Montserrat, Nauru, NewCaledonia, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau,Pitcairn Islands, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Saint Helena, Ascension, andTristan da Cunha, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Tokelau, Tonga, Turks andCaicos Islands, Tuvalu, Virgin Islands, Wallis and Futuna, West Bank,Western Sahara
Developing Eight (D-8)
established - 15 June 1997 aim - to improve developing countries' positions in the world economy, diversify and create new opportunities in trade relations, enhance participation in decision-making at the international level, provide better standards of living member - (8) Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Turkey
East African Community (EAC)
note - originally established in 1967, it was disbanded in 1977 established - January 2001 aim - to establish a political and economic union among the countries members - (5) Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda
East African Development Bank (EADB)
established - 6 June 1967; effective - 1 December 1967 aim - to promote economic development members - (4) Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda
East Asia Summit (EAS)
established - 14 December 2005 aim - to promote cooperation in political and security issues; to promote development, financial stability, energy security, economic integration and growth; to eradicate poverty and narrow the development gap in East Asia, and to promote deeper cultural understanding members - (16) Australia, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, NZ, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC)
note - was formerly the Central African Customs and Economic Union (UDEAC) 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, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon
Economic and Monetary Union (EMU)
note - an integral part of the European Union; also known as the European Economic and Monetary Union established - 1-2 December 1969 (proposed at summit conference of heads of government; 7 February 1992 (Maastricht Treaty signed) aim - to promote a single market by creating a single currency, the euro; timetable - 2 May 1998: European exchange rates fixed for 1 January 1999; 1 January 1999: all banks and stock exchanges begin using euros; 1 January 2002: the euro goes into circulation; 1 July 2002 local currencies no longer accepted members - (17) Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
established - 26 June 1945; effective - 24 October 1945 aim - to coordinate the economic and social work of the UN; includes five regional commissions (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 nine functional commissions (Commission for Social Development, Commission on Human Rights, Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Commission on the Status of Women, Commission on Population and Development, Statistical Commission, Commission on Science and Technology for Development, Commission on Sustainable Development, and Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice) members - (54) selected on a rotating basis from all regions
Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL)
note - acronym from Communaute Economique des Pays des Grands Lacs established - 20 September 1976 aim - to promote regional economic cooperation and integration members - (3) Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda; note - organization collapsed because of fighting in 1998; reactivated in 2006
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
established - 28 May 1975 aim - to promote regional economic cooperation members - (15) Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d'Ivoire (suspended), The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea (suspended), Guinea- Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger (suspended), Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo
Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO)
established - 27-29 January 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
Eurasian Economic Community (EAEC or EurasEC)
note - merged with Central Asian Cooperation Organization (CACO) in 2005 established - May 2001 aim - to create a common economic and energy policy members - (5) Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan observers - (3) Armenia, Moldova, Ukraine
Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC)
note - began as the North Atlantic Cooperation Council (NACC); an extension of NATO established - 8 November 1991; effective - 20 December 1991 aim - to discuss cooperation on mutual political and security issues members - (50) Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, UK, US, Uzbekistan
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
established - 8-9 January 1990 (proposals made); 15 April 1991 (bank inaugurated) 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 - (63) Albania, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, EC, European Investment Bank (EIB), Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, UK, US, Uzbekistan
European Community (or European Communities, EC)
established 8 April 1965 to integrate the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), 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)
established - 4 January 1960; effective - 3 May 1960 aim - to promote expansion of free trade members - (4) Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland
European Investment Bank (EIB)
established - 25 March 1957; effective - 1 January 1958 aim - to promote economic development of the EU and its predecessors, the EEC and the EC members - (27) Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK
European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)
note - acronym retained from the predecessor organization Conseil Europeenne pour la Recherche Nucleaire established - 1 July 1953; effective - 29 September 1954 aim - to foster nuclear research for peaceful purposes only members - (20) Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK observers - (8) EC, India, Israel, Japan, Russia, Turkey, United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), US
European Space Agency (ESA)
established - 31 May 1975 aim - to promote peaceful cooperation in space research and technology members - (18) Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK cooperating states - (5) Estonia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovenia
European Union (EU)
note - see European Union entry at the end of the "country" listings
Financial Action Task Force (FATF)
established - by G-7 Summit in Paris in 1989 aim - to develop and promote policies to combat money laundering and terrorist financing members - (36) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, EC, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Gulf Cooperation Council, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands (Netherland Antilles and Aruba), NZ, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US
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)
established - 16 October 1945 aim - to raise living standards and increase availability of agricultural products; a UN specialized agency members - (192) includes all UN member countries except Brunei, Liechtenstein, and Singapore (189 total); plus Cook Islands, EU, and Niue
former Soviet Union (FSU)
former term often used to identify as a group the successor nations to the Soviet Union or USSR; this group of 15 countries consists of: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan
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, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Yugoslavia; this group is identical to the IMF group "countries in transition" except for the IMF's inclusion of Mongolia
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 consists of Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan; these countries are included in the IMF's "advanced economies" group
Franc Zone (FZ)
note - also known as Conference des Ministres des Finances des Pays de la Zone Franc established - 1964 aim - to form a monetary union among countries whose currencies were linked to the French franc members - (16) Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, France, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo
Front Line States (FLS)
established to achieve black majority rule in South Africa; has since gone out of existence; members included Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)
see the World Trade Organization (WTO)
General Confederation of Trade Unions (GCTU)
established - 16 April 1992 aim - to consolidate trade union actions to protect citizens' social and labor rights and interests, to help secure trade unions' rights and guarantees, and to strengthen international trade union solidarity members - (11) Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan
Group of 10 (G-10)
note - also known as the Paris Club; includes the wealthiest members of the IMF who provide most of the money to be loaned and act as the informal steering committee; name persists despite increased membership established - October 1962 aim - to coordinate credit policy members - (11) Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, US observers - (4) BIS, EC, IMF, OECD
Group of 11 (G-11)
established - 2006 aim - to narrow the income gap with the world's richest nations members - (12) Croatia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Georgia, Honduras, Indonesia, Jordan, Morocco, Pakistan, Paraguay, Sri Lanka, Tunisia
Group of 15 (G-15)
note - byproduct of the Nonaligned Movement; name persists despite increased membership established - September 1989 aim - to promote economic cooperation among developing nations; to act as the main political organ for the Nonaligned Movement members - (18) Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Venezuela, Zimbabwe
Group of 20 (G-20)
established - created 1999; inaugurated 15-16 December 1999 aim - to promote open and constructive discussion between industrial and emerging-market countries on any issues related to global economic stability; helps to support growth and development across the globe members - (20) Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, EU, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, UK, US
Group of 24 (G-24)
established - 1 August 1989 aim - to promote the interests of developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America within the IMF members - (24) Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Iran, Lebanon, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Syria, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela observers - (1) China
Group of 3 (G-3)
established - September 1990 aim - mechanism for policy coordination members - (2) Colombia, Mexico; note - Panama shows interest in joining
Group of 5 (G-5)
established - 22 September 1985 aim - to coordinate the economic policies of five major noncommunist economic powers members - (5) France, Germany, Japan, UK, US
Group of 6 (G-6)
also known as Groupe des Six Sur le Desarmement (not to be confused with the Big Six) was established in 22 May 1984 with the aim of achieving nuclear disarmament; its members were Argentina, Greece, India, Mexico, Sweden, Tanzania
Group of 7 (G-7)
note - membership is the same as the Big Seven established - 22 September 1985 aim - to facilitate economic cooperation among the seven major noncommunist economic powers members - (7) Group of 5 (France, Germany, Japan, UK, US) plus Canada and Italy
Group of 77 (G-77)
established - 15 June1964; October 1967 first ministerial meeting aim- to promote economic cooperation among developing countries; namepersists in spite of increased membership members - (129 plus thePalestine Liberation Organization) Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola,Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh,Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina,Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia,Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China,Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of theCongo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, DominicanRepublic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea,Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea,Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq,Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, North Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho,Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, MarshallIslands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Federated States of Micronesia,Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger,Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru,Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, SaintVincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia,Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia,South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Tajikistan,Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia,Turkmenistan, Uganda, UAE, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen,Zambia, Zimbabwe, Palestine Liberation Organization
Group of 8 (G-8)
established - October 1975 aim - to facilitate economic cooperation among the developed countries (DCs) that participated in the Conference on International Economic Cooperation (CIEC), held in several sessions between December 1975 and 3 June 1977 members - (9) Canada, EC, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, UK, US
Group of 9 (G-9)
established - NA aim - to discuss matters of mutual interest on an informal basis members - (9) Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Sweden
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
note - also known as the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf established - 25 May 1981 aim - to promote regional cooperation in economic, social, political, and military affairs members - (6) Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE
high income countries
another term for the industrialized countries with high per capita GDPs; see developed countries (DCs)
Indian Ocean Commission (InOC)
established - 21 December 1982 aim - to organize and promote regional cooperation in all sectors, especially economic members - (5) Comoros, France (for Reunion and Mayotte), Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles
industrial countries
another term for the developed countries; see developed countries (DCs)
Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)
note - also known as Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID) established - 8 April 1959; effective - 30 December 1959 aim - to promote economic and social development in Latin America members - (48) Argentina, Austria, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Finland, France, Germany, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, US, Uruguay, Venezuela
Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD)
note - formerly known as Inter-Governmental Authority on Drought and Development (IGADD) established - 15-16 January 1986 as the Inter- Governmental Authority on Drought and Development; revitalized - 21 March 1996 as the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development aim - to promote a social, economic, and scientific community among its members members - (6) Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda; note - Eritrea declared its suspension in 2007
Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)
established - 1889 aim - fosters contacts among parliamentarians,considers and expresses views of international interest and concernwith the purpose of bringing about action by parliaments andparliamentarians, contributes to the defense and promotion of humanrights, contributes to better knowledge of representative institutionsmembers - (154 and the Palestine Liberation Organization) Afghanistan,Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia,Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Benin,Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, BurkinaFaso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, China,Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of theCongo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, CzechRepublic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, ElSalvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia,Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary,Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan,Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait,Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya,Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malawi, Malaysia,Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco,Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands,NZ, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, PapuaNew Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar,Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe,Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore,Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname,Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, Uruguay,Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Palestine LiberationOrganization associate members - (9) Andean Parliament, CentralAmerican Parliament, East African Legislative Assembly, EuropeanParliament, Inter-Parliamentary Committee of the West African Economicand Monetary Union, Latin American Parliament, Parliament of theEconomic Community of West African States, Parliamentary Assembly ofthe Council of Europe, Transitional Arab Parliament
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
established - 26 October 1956; effective - 29 July 1957 aim - topromote peaceful uses of atomic energy members - (150) Afghanistan,Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria,Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin,Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, BurkinaFaso, Burma, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad,Chile, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic ofthe Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, CzechRepublic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador,Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany,Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland,India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan,Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia,Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg,Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands,Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro,Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger,Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru,Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia,Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia,Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland,Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda,Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen,Zambia, Zimbabwe; note - membership pending for Cambodia, Cape Verde,Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, and Togo until the necessary legalinstruments are deposited with the IAEA
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
note - also known as the World Bank established - 22 July 1944; effective - 27 December 1945 aim - to provide economic development loans; a UN specialized agency members - (187) includes all UN member countries except Andorra, Cuba, North Korea, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Nauru; plus Kosovo
International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
established - 1919 aim - to promote free trade and private enterpriseand to represent business interests at national and internationallevels members - (89 national committees) Algeria, Argentina,Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil,Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, Caribbean, Chile, China, Colombia, CostaRica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, DominicanRepublic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Finland, France, Georgia,Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India,Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, South Korea,Kuwait, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mexico,Monaco, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan,Panama, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, SaudiArabia, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa,Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Togo,Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay; note - Peru isrestructuring
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
established - 7 December 1944; effective - 4 April 1947 aim - to promote international cooperation in civil aviation; a UN specialized agency members - (190) includes all UN member countries except Dominica, Liechtenstein, and Tuvalu (189 total); plus Cook Islands
International Civilian Support Mission in Haiti (MICAH)
established 17 December 1999 to promote respect for human rights; members included Argentina, Benin, Canada, France, India, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo, Tunisia, US; closed 2001
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
established - 17 February 1863 aim - to provide humanitarian aid in wartime members - (15-25 individuals) all Swiss nationals
International Court of Justice (ICJ)
note - also known as the World Court; primary judicial organ of the UN established - 3 February 1946; superseded Permanent Court of International Justice (the international court attached to the League of Nations) aim - to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by States and to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorized UN organs and specialized agencies members - (15 judges) elected by the UN General Assembly and Security Council to represent all principal legal systems adherents (with reservations) - (55) Australia, Barbados, Belgium, Botswana, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Cyprus, Denmark, Djibouti, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, The Gambia, Germany, Greece, Guinea, Honduras, Hungary, India, Japan, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Madagascar, Malawi, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Senegal, Slovakia, Somalia, Spain, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Togo, Uganda, United Kingdom adherents (without reservations) - (11) Austria, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Luxembourg, Paraguay, Uruguay
International Criminal Court (ICCt)
established - 11 April 2002 aim - to hold all individuals andcountries accountable to international laws of conduct; to specifyinternational standards of conduct; to provide an important mechanismfor implementing these standards; to ensure that perpetrators arebrought to justice members (countries that have ratified the treaty) -(114) Afghanistan, Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina,Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin,Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, BurkinaFaso, Burundi, Cambodia, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile,Colombia, Comoros, Cook Islands, Democratic Republic of the Congo,Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic,Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Estonia,Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana,Greece, Guinea, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy,Japan, Jordan, Kenya, South Korea, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia,Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi,Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia,Montenegro, Namibia, Nauru, Netherlands, NZ, Niger, Nigeria, Norway,Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saint Kitts andNevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, SanMarino, Senegal, Seychelles, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia,South Africa, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan,Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, UK, Uruguay,Venezuela, Zambia
International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol)
established - September 1923 set up as the International CriminalPolice Commission; 13 June 1956 constitution modified and present nameadopted aim - to promote international cooperation among policeauthorities in fighting crime members - (188) Afghanistan, Albania,Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia,Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain,Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia,Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, BurkinaFaso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, CentralAfrican Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, DemocraticRepublic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Coted'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti,Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, EquatorialGuinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, TheGambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea,Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland,India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan,Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos,Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania,Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali,Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova,Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru,Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman,Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines,Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts andNevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, SanMarino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia,Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, SouthAfrica, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden,Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo,Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda,Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen,Zambia, Zimbabwe subbureaus - (11) American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda,British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Macau,Montserrat, Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos Islands
International Development Association (IDA)
established - 26 January 1960; effective - 24 September 1960 aim - toprovide economic loans for low-income countries; UN specialized agencyand IBRD affiliate members - (171) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria,Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, TheBahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia,Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi,Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad,Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo,Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus,Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic,Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia,Ethiopia, EU, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia,Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau,Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran,Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya,Kiribati, South Korea, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia,Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar,Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania,Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia,Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua,Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua NewGuinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Rwanda,Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, SierraLeone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, SouthAfrica, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria,Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad andTobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US,Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
International Energy Agency (IEA)
established - 15 November 1974 aim - to promote cooperation on energy matters, especially emergency oil sharing and relations between oil consumers and oil producers; established by the OECD members - (29) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, EC, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies(IFRCS)
note - formerly known as League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies(LORCS) established - 5 May 1919 aim - to organize, coordinate, anddirect international relief actions; to promote humanitarianactivities; to represent and encourage the development of NationalSocieties; to bring help to victims of armed conflicts, refugees, anddisplaced people; to reduce the vulnerability of people throughdevelopment programs members - (185 plus the Palestine LiberationOrganization) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antiguaand Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, TheBahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize,Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei,Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada,Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia,Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, CookIslands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic,Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, ElSalvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France,Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala,Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland,India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan,Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait,Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya,Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi,Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated Statesof Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco,Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria,Norway, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru,Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, SaintKitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa,San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia,Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, SolomonIslands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname,Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand,Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey,Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan,Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe, PalestineLiberation Organization observers - (3) Eritrea, Maldives, and Tuvalu
International Finance Corporation (IFC)
established - 25 May 1955; effective - 24 July 1956 aim - to support private enterprise in international economic development; a UN specialized agency and IBRD affiliate members - (182) includes all UN member countries except Andorra, Brunei, Cuba, North Korea, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Nauru, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Suriname, Tuvalu; plus Kosovo
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
established - November 1974 aim - to promote agricultural development;a UN specialized agency members - (165) List A - (23 industrializedaid contributors) Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France,Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg,Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, USList B - (12 petroleum-exporting aid contributors) Algeria, Gabon,Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,UAE, Venezuela List C - (130 aid recipients) Afghanistan, Albania,Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, TheBahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosniaand Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi,Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile,China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic ofthe Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba,Cyprus, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, ElSalvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, The Gambia,Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana,Haiti, Honduras, India, Israel, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya,Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho,Liberia, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali,Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova,Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Niue,Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines,Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent andthe Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles,Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan,Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda,Uruguay, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
International Hydrographic Organization (IHO)
note - name changed from International Hydrographic Bureau on 22 September 1970 established - June 1919; effective - June 1921 aim - to train hydrographic surveyors and nautical cartographers to achieve standardization in nautical charts and electronic chart displays; to provide advice on nautical cartography and hydrography; to develop the sciences in the field of hydrography and techniques used for descriptive oceanography members - (80) Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Burma, Canada, Chile, China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Latvia, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Mozambique, Netherlands, NZ, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden, Syria, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Venezuela
International Labor Organization (ILO)
established - 28 June 1919 set up as part of Treaty of Versailles; 11 April 1919 became operative; 14 December 1946 affiliated with the UN aim - to deal with world labor issues; a UN specialized agency members - (183) includes all UN member countries except Andorra, Bhutan, North Korea, Liechtenstein, Federated States of Micronesia, Monaco, Nauru, Palau, Tonga; note - includes the following dependencies: Netherlands (Aruba)
International Maritime Organization (IMO)
note - name changed from Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO) on 22 May 1982 established - 6 March 1948 set up as the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization; effective - 17 March 1958 aim - to deal with international maritime affairs; a UN specialized agency members - (168) includes all UN member countries except Afghanistan, Andorra, Armenia, Belarus, Bhutan, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Mali, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niger, Palau, Rwanda, Swaziland, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Zambia; and Cook Islands associate members - (3) Faroe Islands, Hong Kong, Macau
International Mobile Satellite Organization (IMSO)
established - 15 April 1999 aim - acts as watchdog over Inmarsat (International Maritime Satellite Organization), a private company, to make sure it follows ICAO standards and recommended practices; plays an active role in the development of international telecommunications policies members - (94) Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, South Korea, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Malaysia, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Netherlands, NZ, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
established - 22 July 1944; effective - 27 December 1945 aim - to promote world monetary stability and economic development; a UN specialized agency members - (187) includes all UN member countries except Andorra, Cuba, North Korea, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Nauru; plus Kosovo; note - includes the following dependencies or areas of special interest: China (Hong Kong and Macau), Netherlands (Aruba)
International Olympic Committee (IOC)
established - 23 June 1894 aim - to promote the Olympic ideals andadminister the Olympic games: 2012 Summer Olympics in London, UK; 2014Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia National Olympic Committees - (204and the Palestine Liberation Organization) Afghanistan, Albania,Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda,Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas,Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin,Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil,British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi,Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central AfricanRepublic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic ofthe Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Coted'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti,Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, EquatorialGuinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, TheGambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guam, Guatemala,Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary,Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica,Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea,Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya,Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi,Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania,Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco,Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal,Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan,Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland,Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts andNevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, SanMarino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia,Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, SolomonIslands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname,Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania,Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia,Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay,Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands, Yemen, Zambia,Zimbabwe, Palestine Liberation Organization