UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER
International Development Organizations

International Development Organizations and Groups

African, Caribbean, and Pacific Countries (ACP)

0000250CIA   
920120
CIA World Factbook 1991
Appendix C: International Organizations and Groups

------------------------------------------------------------------------
advanced developing countries--another term for those less developed 
countries (LDCs) with particularly rapid industrial development; see 
newly industrializing economies (NIEs)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

African, Caribbean, and Pacific Countries (ACP)

established--1 April 1976;

aim--members have a preferential economic and aid relationship with the EC;

members--(66) Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Botswana, Burkina, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Western Samoa, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe

------------------------------------------------------------------------ African Development Bank (AfDB), also known as Banque Africaine de Developpement (BAD);

established--4 August 1963;

aim--to promote economic and social development;

regional members--(50) Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe;

nonregional members--(25) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Kuwait, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, US, Yugoslavia

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Agence de Cooperation Culturelle et Technique (ACCT)--see Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation (ACCT)

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation (ACCT)--acronym from Agence de Cooperation Culturelle et Technique;

established--21 March 1970;

aim--to promote cultural and technical cooperation among French-speaking countries;

members--(30) Belgium, Benin, Burkina, Burundi, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, France, Gabon, Guinea, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Mali, Mauritius, Monaco, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Togo, Tunisia, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Zaire;

associate members--(7) Cameroon, Egypt, Guinea-Bissau, Laos, 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)--acronym from Organismo para la Proscripcion de las Armas Nucleares en la America Latina y el Caribe (OPANAL);

established--14 February 1967;

aim--to encourage the peaceful uses of atomic energy and prohibit nuclear weapons;

members--(25) Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela;

observer--(1) Cuba

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Andean Group (AG)

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), also known as Banque Arabe de Developpement Economique en Afrique (BADEA);

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 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)

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, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, UAE, Yemen, Palestine Liberation Organization

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Arab League (AL), also known as League of Arab States (LAS);

established--22 March 1945;

aim--to promote economic, social, political, and military cooperation;

members--(20 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Algeria, Bahrain, 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)

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)

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)

established--NA November 1989;

aim--to promote trade and investment in the Pacific basin;

members--(12) all ASEAN members (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand) plus Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, NZ, US

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Asian Development Bank (AsDB)

established--19 December 1966;

aim--to promote regional economic cooperation;

regional members--(34) Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, Cambodia, China, Cook Islands, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kiribati, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, NZ, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Tonga, Turkey, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Western Samoa;

nonregional members--(15) Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, US

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Asociacion Latinoamericana de Integracion (ALADI)--see Latin American Integration Association (LAIA)

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

established--9 August 1967;

aim--regional economic, social, and cultural cooperation among the non- Communist countries of Southeast Asia;

members--(6) Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand;

observer--(1) Papua New Guinea

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Australia-New Zealand-United States Security Treaty (ANZUS)

established--1 September 1951, effective 29 April 1952;

aim--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 Desarvollo (BID)--see Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)

------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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--(29) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, 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)--acronym from Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg;

established--3 February 1958, effective 1 November 1960;

aim--to develop closer economic cooperation and integration;

members--(3) Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Big Seven--membership is the same as the Group of 7;

established--NA;

aim--to discuss and coordinate major economic policies;

members--(7) Big Six (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK) plus the US

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Big Six--not to be confused with the Group of 6;

established--NA;

aim--economic cooperation;

members--(6) Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK

------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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--(13) Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago;

observers--(7) Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Netherlands Antilles, Suriname

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Caribbean Development Bank (CDB)

established--18 October 1969, effective 26 January 1970;

aim--to promote economic development and cooperation;

regionalmembers--(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--(3) Canada, France, UK

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cartagena Group--see Group of 11

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Central African Customs and Economic Union (UDEAC)--acronym from Union Douaniere et Economique de l'Afrique Centrale;

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)--acronym from Banque de Developpement des Etats de l'Afrique Centrale;

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)--acronym from Banco Centroamericano de Integracion Economico;

established--13 December 1960;

aim--to promote economic integration and development;

members--(5) Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Central American Common Market (CACM)

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

------------------------------------------------------------------------ centrally planned economies--a term applied mainly to the traditionally Communist states that looked to the USSR for leadership; many 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)

established--1 July 1951;

aim--to promote economic and social development in Asia and the Pacific;

members--(26) Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, Cambodia, Canada, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Nepal, NZ, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, UK, US

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Commission for Social Development

established--21 June 1946 as the Social Commission, renamed 29 July 1966;

aim--ECOSOC organization dealing with social development programs;

members--(32) selected on a rotating basis from all regions

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Commission on Human Rights

established--18 February 1946;

aim--ECOSOC organization dealing with human rights;

members--(43) selected on a rotating basis from all regions

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Commission on Narcotic Drugs

established--16 February 1946;

aim--ECOSOC organization dealing with illicit drugs;

members--(40) selected on a rotating basis from all regions with emphasis on producing and processing countries

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Commission on the Status of Women

established--21 June 1946;

aim--ECOSOC organization dealing with women's rights;

members--(32) selected on a rotating basis from all regions

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Commonwealth (C)

established--31 December 1931;

aim--voluntary association that evolved from the British Empire and that seeks to foster multinational cooperation and assistance;

members--(48) 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 and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, UK, Vanuatu, Western Samoa, Zambia, Zimbabwe;

special members--(2) Nauru, Tuvalu

------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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; see centrally planned economies

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE)

established--NA November 1972;

aim--discusses issues of mutual concern and reviews implementation of the Helsinki Agreement;

members--(35) Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US, USSR, Vatican City, Yugoslavia

------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 but 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--NA 1949;

aim--compiles strategic embargo list of goods not to be sold by the West to Eastern bloc countries;

members--(15) Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Turkey, UK, US

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CEMA), also known as CMEA or Comecon, was 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)

established--3 June 1957, effective 30 May 1964;

aim--to promote economic integration among Arab nations;

members--(11) Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, UAE, Yemen

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Council of Europe (CE)

established--5 May 1949, effective 3 August 1949;

aim--to promote increased unity and quality of life in Europe;

members--(24) Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK

------------------------------------------------------------------------ 176Council of the Entente (Entente)

established--29 May 1959;

aim--to promote economic, social, and political coordination;

members--(5) Benin, Burkina, Ivory Coast, Niger, Togo

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Customs Cooperation Council (CCC)

established--15 December 1950;

aim--to promote international cooperation in customs matters;

members--(104) Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belgium, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chile, China, Congo, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Egypt, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, South Korea, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe

------------------------------------------------------------------------ developed countries (DCs)--the top group in the comprehensive but mutually exclusive hierarchy of developed countries (DCs), USSR/Eastern Europe (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 GNP/GDP in excess of $10,000 although some OECD countries and South Africa have figures well under $10,000 and three of the excluded OPEC countries have figures of $10,000 or more;

the 34 DCs are--Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US, Vatican City

------------------------------------------------------------------------ developing countries--an imprecise term for the less developed countries with growing economies; see less developed countries (LDCs)

------------------------------------------------------------------------ East African Development Bank (EADB)

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)

established--28 March 1947 as Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East (ECAFE);

aim--to promote economic development as a regional commission for the UN's ECOSOC;

members--(38) Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, China, Fiji, France, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga, Tuvalu, UK, US, USSR, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Western Samoa;

associate members--(9) Cook Islands, Guam, Hong Kong, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Palau)

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)

established--9 August 1973 as Economic Commission for Western Asia (ECWA);

aim--to promote economic development as a regional commission for the UN's ECOSOC;

members--(12) Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, UAE, Yemen

------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 (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 six functional commissions (see Commission for Social Development, Commission on Human Rights, Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Commission on the Status of Women, Population Commission, and Statistical Commission);

members--(54) selected on a rotating basis from all regions

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)

established--29 April 1958;

aim--to promote economic development as a regional commission of the UN's ECOSOC;

members--(51) Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe;

associate members--(3) France, Namibia, 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)

established--28 March 1947;

aim--to promote economic development as a regional commission of the UN's ECOSOC;

members--(33) Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Canada, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, US, USSR, 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)

established--25 February 1948 as Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLA);

aim--to promote economic development as a regional commission of the UN's ECOSOC;

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, Jamaica, Mexico, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Spain, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, US, Uruguay, Venezuela;

associate members--(5) Aruba, British Virgin Islands, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Virgin Islands

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Economic Commission for Western Asia (ECWA)--see Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC)--acronym from Communaute Economique des Etats de l'Afrique Centrale;

established--18 October 1983;

aim--to promote regional economic cooperation and establish a Central 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)--acronym from Communaute Economique des Pays des Grands Lacs;

established--26 September 1976;

aim--to promote regional economic cooperation and integration;

members--(3) Burundi, Rwanda, Zaire

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

established--28 May 1975;

aim--to promote regional economic cooperation;

members--(16) Benin, Burkina, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo

------------------------------------------------------------------------ European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

established--15 April 1991;

aim--to facilitate the transition of seven centrally planned economies in Europe (Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, USSR, and Yugoslavia) to market economies by committing 60% of its loans to privatization;

members--(34) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, European Community (EC), Egypt, European Investment Bank (EIB), Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US; note-- includes all 12 members of the EC as individual countries and the EC itself as an institution

------------------------------------------------------------------------ European Community (EC)

established--8 April 1965, effective 1 July 1967;

aim--a fusing of the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), the European Coal and Steel Community (ESC), and the European Economic Community (EEC or Common Market); the EC plans to establish a completely integrated common market in 1992 and an eventual federation of Europe;

members--(12) 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--(7) Austria, Finland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland

------------------------------------------------------------------------ European Investment Bank (EIB)

established--25 March 1957, effective 1 January 1958;

aim--to promote economic development of the EC;

members--(12) Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK

------------------------------------------------------------------------ European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)--acronym retained from the predecessor organization Conseil Europeen pour la Recherche Nucleaire;

established--1 July 1953, effective 29 September 1954;

aim--to foster nuclear research for peaceful purposes only;

members--(14) Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK;

observers--(3) Poland (scheduled to become a member 1 July 1991), Turkey, Yugoslavia

------------------------------------------------------------------------ European Space Agency (ESA)

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

------------------------------------------------------------------------ First World--another term for countries with advanced, industrialized economies; see developed countries (DCs)

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

established--16 October 1945;

aim--UN specialized agency to raise living standards and increase availability of agricultural products;

members--(157) all UN members except Brunei, Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Liechtenstein, Singapore, South Africa, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, USSR; other members are Cook Islands, North Korea, South Korea, Switzerland, Tonga

------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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)

established--NA;

aim--monetary union among countries whose currencies are linked to the French franc;

members--(15) Benin, Burkina, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, France, Gabon, Ivory Coast, 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--NA;

aim--to achieve black majority rule in South Africa;

members--(7) Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe

------------------------------------------------------------------------ General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)

established--30 October 1947, effective 1 January 1948;

aim--to promote the expansion of international trade on a non- discriminatory basis;

members--(101) Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina, Burma, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guyana, Haiti, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, South Korea, Kuwait, Lesotho, Luxembourg, Macau, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UK, US, Uruguay, Venezuela, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Group of 2 (G-2)

established--informal term that came into use about 1986;

aim--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;

aim--the five major non-Communist economic powers;

members--(5) France, Germany, Japan, UK, US

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Group of 6 (G-6)--not to be confused with the Big Six;

established--22 May 1984;

aim--seeks to achieve nuclear disarmament;

members--(6) Argentina, Greece, India, Mexico, Sweden, Tanzania

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Group of 7 (G-7)--membership is the same as the Big Seven;

established--22 September 1985;

aim--the seven major non-Communist economic powers;

members--(7) Group of 5 (France, Germany, Japan, UK, US) plus Canada and Italy

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Group of 8 (G-8)

established--NA October 1975;

aim--the developed countries (DCs) that participated in the Conference on International Economic Cooperation (CIEC), held in several sessions between NA December 1975 and 3 June 1977;

members--(8) Australia, Canada, EC (as one member), Japan, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, US

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Group of 9 (G-9)

established--NA;

aim--informal group that meets occasionally on matters of mutual interest;

members--(9) Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Romania, Sweden, Yugoslavia

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Group of 10 (G-10), also known as the Paris Club;

established--NA October 1962;

aim--wealthiest members of the IMF who provide most of the money to be loaned and act as the informal steering committee; name persists in spite of the addition of Switzerland on NA April 1984;

members--(11) Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, US

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Group of 11 (G-11), also known as the Cartagena Group;

established--22 June 1984, in Cartagena, Colombia;

aim--forum for largest debtor nations in Latin America;

members--(11) Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Group of 19 (G-19)

established--NA October 1975;

aim--the less developed countries (LDCs) that participated in the Conference on International Economic Cooperation (CIEC) held in several sessions between NA December 1975 and 3 June 1977;

members--(19) Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Cameroon, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Group of 24 (G-24)

established--NA January 1972;

aim--to promote the interests of developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America within the IMF;

members--(24) Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Iran, Ivory Coast, Lebanon, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Syria, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, Yugoslavia, Zaire

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Group of 30 (G-30)

established--NA 1979;

aim--to discuss and propose solutions to the world's economic problems;

members--(30) informal group of 30 leading international bankers, economists, financial experts, and businessmen organized by Johannes Witteveen (former managing director of the IMF)

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Group of 33 (G-33)

established--NA 1987;

aim--to promote solutions to international economic problems;

members--(33) leading economists from 13 countries

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Group of 77 (G-77)

established--NA October 1967;

aim--to promote economic cooperation among developing countries; name persists in spite of increased membership;

members--(123 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, 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, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Uganda, UAE, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Western Samoa, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Palestine Liberation Organization

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), also known as the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf;

established--25-26 May 1981;

aim--to promote regional cooperation in economic, social, political, and military affairs;

members--(6) Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Habitat--see United Nations Center for Human Settlements (UNCHS)

------------------------------------------------------------------------ high-income countries--another term for the industrialized countries with high per capita GNPs/GDPs; see developed countries (DCs)

------------------------------------------------------------------------ industrial countries--another term for the developed countries; see developed countries (DCs)

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), also known as Banco Interamericano de Desarollo (BID);

established--8 April 1959; effective 30 December 1959;

aim--to promote economic and social development in Latin America;

members--(44) Argentina, Austria, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Finland, France, Germany, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, US, Uruguay, Venezuela, Yugoslavia

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Inter-Governmental Authority on Drought and Development (IGADD)

established--NA January 1986;

aim--to promote cooperation on drought-related matters;

members--(6) Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda

------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

established--26 October 1956, effective 29 July 1957;

aim--to promote peaceful uses of atomic energy;

members--(111) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burma, Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, UAE, UK, US, USSR, Uruguay, Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe

------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Bank for Economic Cooperation (IBEC)

established--22 October 1963;

aim--to promote economic cooperation and development;

members--(9) Bulgaria, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, USSR, Vietnam

------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), also known as the World Bank;

established--22 July 1944, effective 27 December 1945;

aim--UN specialized agency that initially promoted economic rebuilding after World War II and now provides economic development loans;

members--(152) all UN members except Albania, Angola, Brunei, Bulgaria, Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Liechtenstein, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, USSR; other members are Kiribati, South Korea, Tonga

------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)

established--NA 1919;

aim--to promote free trade, private enterprise, and represent business interests at national and international levels;

members--(60 national councils) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Burkina, Cameroon, Canada, Colombia, Cyprus, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Greece, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, UK, US, Uruguay, Venezuela, Yugoslavia, Zaire

------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

established--7 December 1944, effective 4 April 1947;

aim--UN specialized agency to promote international cooperation in civil aviation;

members--(161) all UN members except Albania, Belize, Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Dominica, Liechtenstein, Namibia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Western Samoa; other members are Cook Islands, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Monaco, Nauru, San Marino, Switzerland, Tonga

------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

established--NA 1863;

aim--to provide humanitarian aid in wartime;

members--(25 individuals) all Swiss nationals

------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU)

established--NA December 1949;

aim--to promote the trade union movement;

members--(142 national organizations in the following 95 areas) Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Bermuda, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Finland, France, The Gambia, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kiribati, South Korea, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Montserrat, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, NZ, Nicaragua, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UK, US, USSR, Vanuatu, Vatican City, Venezuela, Western Samoa

------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Court of Justice (ICJ), also known as the World Court;

established--26 June 1945, effective 24 October 1945;

aim--primary judicial organ of the UN;

members--(15 judges) elected by the General Assembly and Security Council to represent all principal legal systems

------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL)

established--13 June 1956;

aim--to promote international cooperation between criminal police authorities;

members--(151) Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Austria, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Burkina, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Mozambique, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UAE, UK, US, USSR, Uruguay, Venezuela, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe

------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Development Association (IDA)

established--26 January 1960, effective 24 September 1960;

aim--UN specialized agency and IBRD affiliate that provides economic loans for low income countries;

members--(136);

Part I--(22 more economically advanced countries) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, UAE, UK, US;

Part II--(114 less developed nations) Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentina, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Western Samoa, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe

------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Energy Agency (IEA)

established--15 November 1974;

aim--established by the OECD to promote cooperation on energy matters, especially emergency oil sharing and relations between oil consumers and oil producers;

members--(21) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US

------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Finance Corporation (IFC)

established--25 May 1955, effective 20 July 1956;

aim--UN specialized agency and IBRD affiliate that helps private enterprise sector in economic development;

members--(133) Afghanistan, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina, Burma, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, 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, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Western Samoa, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe

------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

established--NA November 1974;

aim--UN specialized agency that promotes agricultural development;

members--(144);

Category I--(21 industrialized aid contributors) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, US;

Category II--(12 petroleum-exporting aid contributors) Algeria, Gabon, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Venezuela;

Category III--(111 aid recipients) Afghanistan, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina, Burma, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Israel, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, North Korea, South Korea, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Uruguay, Vietnam, Western Samoa, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe

------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Investment Bank (IIB)

established--7 July 1970;

aim--to promote economic development;

members--(9) Bulgaria, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, USSR, Vietnam

------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Labor Organization (ILO)

established--11 April 1919 (affiliated with the UN 14 December 1946);

aim--UN specialized agency concerned with world labor issues;

members--(148) all UN members except Albania, Bhutan, Brunei, The Gambia, Liechtenstein, Maldives, Oman, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, South Africa, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Western Samoa; other members are San Marino, Switzerland

------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Maritime Organization (IMO)--name changed from Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO) on 22 May 1982;

established--17 March 1958;

aim--UN specialized agency concerned with world maritime affairs;

members--(132) Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, UAE, UK, US, USSR, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire;

associate member--(1) Hong Kong

------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Maritime Satellite Organization (INMARSAT)

established--3 September 1976, effective 26 July 1979;

aim--to provide worldwide communications for maritime and other applications;

members--(55) Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Kuwait, Liberia, Malaysia, Netherlands, NZ, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, UAE, UK, US, USSR

------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Monetary Fund (IMF)

established--22 July 1944, effective 27 December 1945;

aim--UN specialized agency concerned with world monetary stability and economic development;

members--(154) all UN members except Albania, Brunei, Bulgaria, Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Cuba, Liechtenstein, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, USSR; other members are Kiribati, South Korea, Tonga

------------------------------------------------------------------------

International Olympic Committee (IOC)

established--23 June 1894;

aim--to promote the Olympic ideals and administer the Olympic games:

1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France (8-23 February);

1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain (25 July-9 August);

1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway (12-27 February);

1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States (20 July-4 August):

1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan (date NA);

members--(165) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Austria, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina, Burma, Cameroon, Canada, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guam, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UAE, UK, US, USSR, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands, Western Samoa, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe

------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Organization for Migration (IOM)--established as Provisional Intergovernmental Committee for the Movement of Migrants from Europe; renamed Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration (ICEM) on 15 November 1952; renamed Intergovernmental Committee for Migration (ICM) on NA November 1980; current name adopted 14 November 1989;

established--5 December 1951;

aim--to facilitate orderly international emigration and immigration;

members--(35) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Italy, Kenya, South Korea, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Switzerland, Thailand, US, Uruguay, Venezuela;

observers--(22) Belize, Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde, Egypt, Finland, France, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Japan, Mexico, NZ, San Marino, Somalia, Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, UK, Vatican City, Yugoslavia, Zimbabwe

------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

established--NA February 1947;

aim--to promote the development of international standards;

members--(72 national standards organizations) Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Egypt, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, North Korea, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, NZ, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, UK, US, USSR, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yugoslavia;

correspondent members--(14) Bahrain, Barbados, Brunei, Guinea, Hong Kong, Iceland, Jordan, Kuwait, Malawi, Mauritius, Oman, Senegal, UAE, Uruguay

------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement

established--NA 1928;

aim--to promote worldwide humanitarian aid through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in wartime, and League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (LORCS) in peacetime;

members--(9) 2 representatives from ICRC, 2 from LORCS, and 5 from national societies elected by the international conference of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement

------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

established--9 December 1932, effective 1 January 1934, affiliated with the UN 15 November 1947;

aim--UN specialized agency concerned with world telecommunications;

members--(164) all UN members except Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Seychelles; other members are Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Monaco, Nauru, San Marino, Switzerland, Tonga, Vatican City

------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (INTELSAT)

established--20 August 1971, effective 12 February 1973;

aim--to develop and operate a global commercial telecommunications satellite system;

members--(118) Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Austria, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Honduras, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, South Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Islamic Development Bank (IDB)

established--15 December 1973;

aim--to promote Islamic economic aid and social development;

members--(43 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Brunei, Burkina, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Gabon, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UAE, Yemen, Palestine Liberation Organization

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Latin American Economic System (LAES), also known as Sistema Economico Latinoamericana (SELA);

established--17 October 1975;

aim--to promote economic and social development through regional cooperation;

members--(26) Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Latin American Integration Association (LAIA), also known as Asociacion Latinoamericana de Integracion (ALADI);

established--12 August 1980, effective 18 March 1981;

aim--to promote freer regional trade;

members--(11) Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela;

observers--(13) Andean Group, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Inter-American Development Bank, Organization of American States, Panama, Portugal, Spain, UN Development Program, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean

------------------------------------------------------------------------ League of Arab States (LAS)--see Arab League (AL)

------------------------------------------------------------------------ League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (LORCS)

established--5 May 1919;

aim--to provide humanitarian aid in peacetime;

members--(147) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Austria, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, The Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea- Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, 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, USSR, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, Western Samoa, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe;

associate members--(2) Equatorial Guinea, Gabon

------------------------------------------------------------------------ least developed countries (LLDCs)--that subgroup of the less developed countries (LDCs) initially identified by the UN General Assembly in 1971 as having no significant economic growth, per capita GNPs/GDPs normally less than $500, and low literacy rates; also known as the undeveloped countries;

the 41 LLDCs are--Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Burkina, Burma, Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Laos, Lesotho, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Western Samoa, Yemen

------------------------------------------------------------------------ less developed countries (LDCs)--the bottom group in the comprehensive but mutually exclusive hierarchy of developed countries (DCs), USSR/Eastern Europe (USSR/EE), and less developed countries (LDCs); mainly countries with low levels of output, living standards, and technology; per capita GNPs/GDPs are generally below $5,000 and often less than $1,000; includes the advanced developing countries, developing countries, Four Dragons (Four Tigers), least developed countries (LLDCs), low-income countries, middle-income countries, newly industrializing economies (NIEs), the South, Third World, underdeveloped countries, undeveloped countries;

the 173 LDCs are--Afghanistan, Algeria, American Samoa, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Burkina, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands, Fiji, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gabon, The Gambia, Gaza Strip, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guernsey, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jersey, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Macau, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Isle of Man, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Oman, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Palau), Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn Islands, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Reunion, Rwanda, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, UAE, Uganda, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands, Wallis and Futuna, West Bank, Western Sahara, Western Samoa, Yemen, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe

------------------------------------------------------------------------ low-income countries--another term for the less developed countries with below-average per capita GNPs/GDPs; see less developed countries (LDCs)

------------------------------------------------------------------------ middle-income countries--another term for the less developed countries with above-average per capita GNPs/GDPs; see less developed countries (LDCs)

------------------------------------------------------------------------ newly industrializing countries (NICs)--former term for the newly industrializing economies; see newly industrializing economies (NIEs)

------------------------------------------------------------------------ newly industrializing economies (NIEs)--that subgroup of the less developed countries (LDCs) that has experienced particularly rapid industrialization of their economies; formerly known as the newly industrializing countries (NICs); also known as advanced developing countries; usually includes the Four Dragons (Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan) plus Brazil and Mexico

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Nonaligned Movement (NAM)

established--1-6 September 1961;

aim--political and military cooperation apart from the traditional East or West blocs;

members--(102 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cuba, Cyprus, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, North Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Qatar, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Tanzania, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Uganda, UAE, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Palestine Liberation Organization;

observers--(9) Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, Costa Rica, Dominica, El Salvador, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Uruguay;

guests--(11) Australia, Austria, Dominican Republic, Finland, Greece, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Nordic Council (NC)

established--16 March 1952, effective 12 February 1953;

aim--to promote regional economic, cultural, and environmental cooperation;

members--(5) Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden; note--Denmark includes Faroe Islands and Greenland

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Nordic Investment Bank (NIB)

established--4 December 1975, effective 1 June 1976;

aim--to promote economic cooperation and development;

members--(5) Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden

------------------------------------------------------------------------ North--a popular term for the rich industrialized countries generally located in the northern portion of the Northern Hemisphere; the counterpart of the South; see developed countries (DCs)

------------------------------------------------------------------------ North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

established--17 September 1949;

aim--mutual defense and cooperation in other areas;

members--(16) Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, UK, US

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA)

established--NA 1958;

aim--associated with OECD, seeks to promote the peaceful uses of nuclear energy;

members--(23) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Organismo para la Proscripcion de las Armas Nucleares en la America Latina y el Caribe (OPANAL)--see Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL)

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)

established--14 December 1960, effective 30 September 1961;

aim--to promote economic cooperation and development;

members--(24) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US;

special member--(1) Yugoslavia

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Organization of African Unity (OAU)

established--25 May 1963;

aim--to promote unity and cooperation among African states;

members--(51) Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Organization of American States (OAS)

established--30 April 1948, effective 13 December 1951;

aim--to promote peace and security as well as economic and social development;

members--(35) Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba (excluded from formal participation since 1962), Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, US, Uruguay, Venezuela;

observers--(22) Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, EC, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Japan, Morocco, Netherlands, Pakistan, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Switzerland, Vatican City

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC)

established--9 January 1968;

aim--to promote cooperation in the petroleum industry;

members--(10) Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, UAE

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)

established--18 June 1981, effective 4 July 1981;

aim--to promote political, economic, and defense cooperation;

members--(7) Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines;

associate member--(1) British Virgin Islands

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

established--14 September 1960;

aim--to coordinate petroleum policies;

members--(13) Algeria, Ecuador, Gabon, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Venezuela

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC)

established--22-25 September 1969;

aim--to promote Islamic solidarity and cooperation in economic, social, cultural, and political affairs;

members--(44 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Brunei, Burkina, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Gabon, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, (Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UAE, Yemen, Palestine Liberation Organization; note--Afghanistan was suspended in January 1980, but in March 1989 the self-proclaimed Afghan Interim Government based in Pakistan was given membership;

observer--(1) Turkish-Cypriot administered area of Cyprus

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Paris Club--see Group of 10

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)

established--NA 1899;

aim--to facilitate the settlement of international disputes;

members--(75) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina, Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Japan, Laos, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Senegal, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, UK, US, USSR, Uruguay, Venezuela, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zimbabwe

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Population Commission

established--3 October 1946;

aim--ECOSOC organization dealing with population matters;

members--(27) selected on a rotating basis from all regions

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Rio Group (RG)

established--NA 1988;

aim--a consultation mechanism on regional Latin American issues;

members--(11) Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela; note--Panama was expelled in 1988

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Second World--another term for the traditionally Marxist-Leninist states with authoritarian governments and command economies based on the Soviet model; see centrally planned economies

------------------------------------------------------------------------ socialist countries--in general, countries in which the government owns and plans the use of the major factors of production; note--the term is sometimes used incorrectly as a synonym for Communist countries

------------------------------------------------------------------------ South--a popular term for the poorer, less industrialized countries generally located south of the developed countries; the counterpart of the North; see less developed countries (LDCs)

------------------------------------------------------------------------ South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)

established--8 December 1985;

aim--to promote economic, social, and cultural cooperation;

members--(7) Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka

------------------------------------------------------------------------ South Pacific Commission (SPC)

established--6 February 1947, effective 29 July 1948;

aim--to promote regional cooperation in economic and social matters;

members--(27) American Samoa, Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, France, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, NZ, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Palau), Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Islands, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, UK, US, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna, Western Samoa

------------------------------------------------------------------------ South Pacific Forum (SPF)

established--5 August 1971;

aim--to promote regional cooperation in political matters;

members--(15) Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, NZ, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Western Samoa;

observer--(1) Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Palau)

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Southern African Customs Union (SACU)

established--11 December 1969;

aim--to promote free trade and cooperation in customs matters;

members--(9) Bophuthatswana, Botswana, Ciskei, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Transkei, Venda

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC)

established--1 April 1980;

aim--to promote regional economic development and reduce dependence on South Africa;

members--(10) Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Statistical Commission

established--21 June 1946;

aim--ECOSOC organization dealing with development and standardization of national statistics;

members--(24) selected on a rotating basis from all regions

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Third World--another term for the less developed countries; see less developed countries (LDCs)

------------------------------------------------------------------------ underdeveloped countries--refers to those less developed countries with the potential for above-average economic growth; see less developed countries (LDCs)

------------------------------------------------------------------------ undeveloped countries--refers to those extremely poor less developed countries (LDCs) with little prospect for economic growth; see least developed countries (LLDCs)

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Union Douaniere et Economique de l'Afrique Centrale (UDEAC)--see Central African Customs and Economic Union (UDEAC)

------------------------------------------------------------------------ United Nations (UN)

established--26 June 1945, effective 24 October 1945;

aim--to maintain international peace and security as well as promote cooperation involving economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems;

members--(159) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina, Burma, Burundi, Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Ethiopia, 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, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, 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, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, UAE, UK, US, USSR, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Western Samoa, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe; note--all UN members are represented in the General Assembly;

observers--(4) Monaco, San Marino, Switzerland, Vatican City

------------------------------------------------------------------------ United Nations Angola Verification Mission (UNAVEM)

established--20 December 1988;

aim--established by the UN Security Council to verify the withdrawal of Cuban troops from Angola;

members--(10) Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Congo, Czechoslovakia, India, Jordan, Norway, Spain, Yugoslavia

------------------------------------------------------------------------ United Nations Center for Human Settlements (UNCHS or Habitat)

established--12 October 1978;

aim--to assist in solving human settlement problems;

members--(88) selected on a rotating basis from all regions

------------------------------------------------------------------------ United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)--acronym retained from the predecessor organization UN International Children's Emergency Fund;

established--11 December 1946;

aim--to help establish child health and welfare services;

members--(41) selected on a rotating basis from all regions

------------------------------------------------------------------------ United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

established--30 December 1964;

aim--to promote international trade;

members--(166) all UN members plus North Korea, South Korea, Monaco, San Marino, Switzerland, Tonga, Vatican City

------------------------------------------------------------------------ United Nations Development Program (UNDP)

established--22 November 1965;

aim--to provide technical assistance to stimulate economic and social development;

members--(48) selected on a rotating basis from all regions

------------------------------------------------------------------------ United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF)

established--31 May 1974;

aim--established by the UN Security Council to observe the 1973 Arab- Israeli ceasefire;

members--(4) Austria, Canada, Finland, Poland

------------------------------------------------------------------------ United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

established--16 November 1945, effective 4 November 1946;

aim--to promote cooperation in education, science, and culture;

members--(159) all UN members except Brunei, Liechtenstein, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, UK, US, Vanuatu; other members are Cook Islands, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Monaco, San Marino, Switzerland, Tonga;

associate members--(3) Aruba, British Virgin Islands, Netherlands Antilles

------------------------------------------------------------------------ United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)

established--15 December 1972;

aim--to promote international cooperation on all environmental matters;

members--(58) selected on a rotating basis from all regions

------------------------------------------------------------------------ United Nations Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP)

established--4 March 1964;

aim--established by the UN Security Council to serve as a peacekeeping force beween Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in Cyprus;

members--(8) Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Sweden, UK

------------------------------------------------------------------------ United Nations General Assembly

established--26 June 1945, effective 24 October 1945;

aim--primary deliberative organ in the UN;

members--(159) all UN members are represented in the General Assembly

------------------------------------------------------------------------ United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)

established--17 November 1966, effective 1 January 1967;

aim--UN specialized agency that promotes industrial development especially among the members;

members--(150) all UN members except Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, Chad, Djibouti, Iceland, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Western Samoa; other members are North Korea, South Korea, Switzerland, Tonga

------------------------------------------------------------------------ United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)

established--19 March 1978;

aim--established by the UN Security Council to confirm the withdrawal of Israeli forces, restore peace, and reestablish Lebanese authority in southern Lebanon;

members--(9) Fiji, Finland, France, Ghana, Ireland, Italy, Nepal, Norway, Sweden

------------------------------------------------------------------------ United Nations Iran-Iraq Military Observer Group (UNIIMOG)

established--9 August 1988;

aim--established by the UN Security Council to observe the 1988 Iran- Iraq ceasefire;

members--(26) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Ghana, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Malaysia, NZ, Nigeria, Norway, Peru, Poland, Senegal, Sweden, Turkey, Uruguay, Yugoslavia, Zambia

------------------------------------------------------------------------ United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP)

established--13 August 1948;

aim--established by the UN Security Council to observe the 1949 India- Pakistan ceasefire;

members--(8) Belgium, Chile, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Uruguay

------------------------------------------------------------------------ United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

established--3 December 1949, effective 1 January 1951;

aim--to try to ensure the humanitarian treatment of refugees and find permanent solutions to refugee problems;

members--(43) Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Lesotho, Madagascar, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UK, US, Vatican City, Venezuela, Yugoslavia, Zaire

------------------------------------------------------------------------ United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)--acronym retained from predecessor organization UN Fund for Population Activities;

established--NA July 1967;

aim--to promote assistance in dealing with population problems;

members--(48) selected on a rotating basis from all regions

------------------------------------------------------------------------ United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)

established--8 December 1949;

aim--to provide assistance to Palestinian refugees;

members--(10) Belgium, Egypt, France, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, UK, US

------------------------------------------------------------------------ United Nations Secretariat

established--26 June 1945, effective 24 October 1945;

aim--primary administrative organ of the UN;

members--Secretary General appointed for a five-year term by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council

------------------------------------------------------------------------ United Nations Security Council

established--26 June 1945, effective 24 October 1945;

aim--to maintain international peace and security;

permanent members--(5) China, France, UK, US, USSR;

nonpermanent members--(10) elected for two year terms by the UN General Assembly; Austria (1991-92), Belgium (1991-92), Cuba (1990-91), Ecuador (1991-92), India (1991-92), Ivory Coast (1990-91), Romania (1990-91), Yemen (1990-91), Zaire (1990-91), Zimbabwe (1991-92)

------------------------------------------------------------------------ United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO)

established--NA May 1948;

aim--initially established by the UN Security Council to supervise the 1948 Arab-Israeli ceasefire and subsequently extended to work in the Sinai, Lebanon, Jordan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan;

members--(16) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Sweden, US, USSR

------------------------------------------------------------------------ United Nations Trusteeship Council

established--26 June 1945, effective 24 October 1945;

aim--to supervise the administration of the UN trust territories; only one of the original 11 trusteeships remains--the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Palau);

members--(5) China, France, UK, US, USSR

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Universal Postal Union (UPU)

established--9 October 1874, affiliated with the UN 15 November 1947, effective 1 July 1948;

aim--UN specialized agency that promotes international postal cooperation;

members--(168) all UN members except Antigua and Barbuda, Namibia, South Africa; other members are Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Monaco, Nauru, Netherlands Antilles, San Marino, Switzerland, Tonga, Tuvalu, UK Overseas Territories, Vatican City

------------------------------------------------------------------------ USSR/Eastern Europe (USSR/EE)--the middle group in the comprehensive but mutually exclusive hierarchy of developed countries (DCs), USSR/Eastern Europe (USSR/EE), and less developed countries (LDCs); these countries are in political and economic transition; this group includes Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, USSR, Yugoslavia

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Warsaw Pact (WP)--was established 14 May 1955 to promote mutual defense; members met 1 July 1991 to dissolve the alliance; member states-- Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the USSR--are now in the process of ratifying this agreement

------------------------------------------------------------------------ West African Development Bank (WADB), also known as Banque Ouest- Africaine de Developpement (BOAD);

established--14 November 1973;

aim--to promote economic development and integration;

members--(7) Benin, Burkina, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo

------------------------------------------------------------------------ West African Economic Community (CEAO)--acronym from Communaute Economique de l'Afrique de l'Ouest;

established--3 June 1972;

aim--to promote regional economic development;

members--(7) Benin, Burkina, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal;

observers--(2) Guinea, Togo

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Western European Union (WEU)

established--23 October 1954, effective 6 May 1955;

aim--mutual defense and progressive political unification;

members--(9) Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK

------------------------------------------------------------------------ World Bank--see International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)

------------------------------------------------------------------------ World Confederation of Labor (WCL)

established--19 June 1920 as the International Federation of Christian Trade Unions (IFCTU), renamed 4 October 1968;

aim--to promote the trade union movement;

members--(93 national organizations) Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, French Guiana, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guadaloupe, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Martinique, Mauritius, Mexico, Montserrat, Namibia, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, UK, US, Uruguay, Vietnam, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe

------------------------------------------------------------------------ World Court--see International Court of Justice (ICJ)

------------------------------------------------------------------------ World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU)

established--NA 1945;

aim--to promote the trade union movement;

members--(74 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Argentina, Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Burkina, Cambodia, China, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, France, French Guiana, The Gambia, Germany, Guadaloupe, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, North Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Madagascar, Martinique, Mauritius, Mongolia, Namibia, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Romania, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Trinidad and Tobago, USSR, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Palestine Liberation Organization

------------------------------------------------------------------------ World Food Council (WFC)

established--17 December 1974;

aim--ECOSOC organization that studies world food problems and recommends solutions;

members--(36) selected on a rotating basis from all regions

------------------------------------------------------------------------ World Food Program (WFP)

established--24 November 1961;

aim--ECOSOC organization that provides food aid to assist in development or disaster relief;

members--(30) selected on a rotating basis from all regions

------------------------------------------------------------------------ World Health Organization (WHO)

established--22 July 1946, effective 7 April 1948;

aim--UN specialized agency concerned with health matters;

members--(165) all UN members except Belize, Liechtenstein; other members are Cook Islands, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Monaco, San Marino, Switzerland, Tonga

------------------------------------------------------------------------ World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

established--14 July 1967, effective 26 April 1970;

aim--UN specialized agency concerned with the protection of literary, artistic, and scientific works;

members--(124) Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Austria, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Benin, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina, Burundi, Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, North Korea, South Korea, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, UAE, UK, US, USSR, Uruguay, Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe

------------------------------------------------------------------------ World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

established--11 October 1947, effective 4 April 1951;

aim--specialized UN agency concerned with meteorological cooperation;

members--(159) all UN members except Bhutan, Equatorial Guinea, Grenada, Liechtenstein, Namibia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Western Samoa; South Africa is included although WMO membership is suspended; other members are British Caribbean Territories, French Polynesia, Hong Kong, North Korea, South Korea, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, Switzerland

------------------------------------------------------------------------ World Tourism Organization (WTO)

established--2 January 1975;

aim--promote tourism as a means of contributing to economic development, international understanding, and peace;

members--(104) Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guinea, Haiti, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UAE, US, USSR, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe;

associate members--(4) Aruba, Macau, Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico;

permanent observer--(1) Vatican City

========================================================================


Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar
Previous Menu Home Page What's New Search Country Specific