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appendix b :: international organizations and groups |
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A |
advanced developing countries | |
another term for those less developed countries (LDCs) with particularly rapid industrial development; see newly industrializing economies (NIEs)
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advanced economies | |
a term used by the International Monetary FUND (IMF) for the top group in its hierarchy of advanced economies, countries in transition, and developing countries; it includes the following 28 advanced economies: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, UK, US; note - this group would presumably also cover the following seven smaller countries of Andorra, Bermuda, Faroe Islands, Holy See, Liechtenstein, Monaco, and San Marino that are included in the more comprehensive group of "developed countries"
|
African Development Bank Group (AfDB) | |
note - regional multilateral development finance institution temporarily located in Tunis, Tunisia; the Bank Group consists of the African Development Bank, the African Development Fund, and the Nigerian Trust Fund
|
African Union (AU) | |
note - replaces Organization of African Unity (OAU)
|
African Union/United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) | |
established - 31 July 2007
|
African, Caribbean, and Pacific Group of States (ACP Group) | |
established - 6 June 1975
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Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL) | |
note - acronym from Organismo para la Proscripcion de las Armas Nucleares en la America Latina y el Caribe (OPANAL)
|
Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) | |
established - November 1990
|
Andean Community of Nations (CAN) | |
note - formerly known as the Andean Group (AG) and the Andean Common Market (Ancom)
|
Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (ABEDA) | |
note - also known as Banque Arabe de Developpement Economique en Afrique (BADEA)
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Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD) | |
established - 16 May 1968
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Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) | |
established - 17 February 1989
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Arab Monetary Fund (AMF) | |
established - 27 April 1976; effective - 2 February 1977
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Arctic Council | |
established - 18 September 1996
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ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) | |
established - 25 July 1994
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Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) | |
established - 7 November 1989
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Asian Development Bank (ADB) | |
established - 19 December 1966
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Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) | |
established - 8 August 1967
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Australia Group (AG) | |
established - June 1985
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Australia-New Zealand-United States Security Treaty (ANZUS) | |
established - 1 September 1951; effective - 29 April 1952
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B |
Baltic Assembly (BA) | |
established - 12 May 1990
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Bank for International Settlements (BIS) | |
established - 20 January 1930; effective - 17 March 1930
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Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) | |
established - June 1997
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Benelux Union (Benelux) | |
note - acronym from Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg; was formerly known as Benelux Economic Union
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Big Seven | |
note - membership is the same as the Group of 7
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Black Sea Economic Cooperation Zone (BSEC) | |
established - 25 June 1992
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C |
Caribbean Community and Common Market (Caricom) | |
established - 4 July 1973; effective - 1 August 1973
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Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) | |
established - 18 October 1969; effective - 26 January 1970
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Central African Customs and Economic Union (UDEAC) | |
see Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC)
|
Central African States Development Bank (BDEAC) | |
note - acronym from Banque de Developpement des Etats de l'Afrique Centrale
|
Central American Bank for Economic Integration (BCIE) | |
note - acronym from Banco Centroamericano de Integracion Economico
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Central American Common Market (CACM) | |
established - 13 December 1960, collapsed in 1969, reinstated in 1991
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Central American Integration System (SICA) | |
established - 13 December 1991; operational 1 February 1993
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Central European Initiative (CEI) | |
note - evolved from the Quadrilateral Initiative and the Hexagonal Initiative
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centrally planned economies | |
a term applied mainly to the traditionally Communist states that looked to the former USSR for leadership; most are now evolving toward more democratic and market-oriented systems; also known formerly as the Second World or as the Communist countries; through the 1980s, this group included Albania, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, German Democratic Republic, Hungary, North Korea, Laos, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, USSR, Vietnam, Yugoslavia, but now is limited to Cuba and North Korea, and less so to China
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Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) | |
established - 7 October 2002
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Colombo Plan (CP) | |
established - May 1950 proposal was adopted; 1 July 1951 commenced full operations
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Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) | |
note - formerly known as Preferential Trade Area for Eastern and Southern Africa (PTA)
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Commonwealth (C) | |
note - also known as Commonwealth of Nations
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Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) | |
established - 8 December 1991; effective - 21 December 1991
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Communist countries | |
traditionally the Marxist-Leninist states with authoritarian governments and command economies based on the Soviet model; most of the original and the successor states are no longer Communist; see centrally planned economies
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Community of Democracies (CD) | |
established - 27 June 2000
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Comuinidade dos Paises de Lingua Portuguesa (CPLP) | |
established - 1996
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Conference of Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) | |
established - proposed 5 October 1992; established 14 September 1999
|
Coordinating Committee on Export Controls (COCOM) | |
established in 1949 to control the export of strategic products and technical data from member countries to proscribed destinations; members were: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, UK, US; abolished 31 March 1994; COCOM members established a new organization, the Wassenaar Arrangement, with expanded membership on 12 July 1996 that focuses on nonproliferation export controls as opposed to East-West control of advanced technology
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Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CEMA) | |
note - also known as CMEA or Comecon
|
Council of Arab Economic Unity (CAEU) | |
established - 3 June 1957; effective - 30 May 1964
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Council of Europe (CE) | |
established - 5 May 1949; effective - 3 August 1949
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Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) | |
established - 6 March 1992
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Council of the Entente (Entente) | |
established - 29 May 1959
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countries in transition | |
a term used by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the middle group in its hierarchy of advanced economies, countries in transition, and developing countries; IMF statistics include the following 28 countries in transition: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan; note - this group is identical to the group traditionally referred to as the "former USSR/Eastern Europe" except for the addition of Mongolia
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Customs Cooperation Council (CCC) | |
note - see World Customs Organization (WCO)
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D |
developed countries (DCs) | |
the top group in the hierarchy of developed countries (DCs), former USSR/Eastern Europe (former USSR/EE), and less developed countries (LDCs); includes the market-oriented economies of the mainly democratic nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Bermuda, Israel, South Africa, and the European ministates; also known as the First World, high-income countries, the North, industrial countries; generally have a per capita GDP in excess of $10,000 although four OECD countries and South Africa have figures well under $10,000 and two of the excluded OPEC countries have figures of more than $10,000; the 34 DCs are: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holy See, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US; note - similar to the new International Monetary Fund (IMF) term "advanced economies" that adds Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan but drops Malta, Mexico, South Africa, and Turkey
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developing countries | |
a term used by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the bottom group in its hierarchy of advanced economies, countries in transition, and developing countries; IMF statistics include the following 126 developing countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Cyprus, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, UAE, Uganda, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe; note - this category would presumably also cover the following 46 other countries that are traditionally included in the more comprehensive group of "less developed countries": American Samoa, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, Cook Islands, Cuba, Eritrea, Falkland Islands, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gaza Strip, Gibraltar, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, North Korea, Macau, Martinique, Mayotte, Montserrat, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Pitcairn Islands, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Tokelau, Tonga, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Virgin Islands, Wallis and Futuna, West Bank, Western Sahara
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Developing Eight (D-8) | |
established - 15 June 1997
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E |
East African Community (EAC) | |
note - originally established in 1967, it was disbanded in 1977
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East African Development Bank (EADB) | |
established - 6 June 1967; effective - 1 December 1967
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East Asia Summit (EAS) | |
established - 14 December 2005
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Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC) | |
note - was formerly the Central African Customs and Economic Union (UDEAC)
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Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) | |
note - an integral part of the European Union; also known as the European Economic and Monetary Union
|
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) | |
established - 26 June 1945; effective - 24 October 1945
|
Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL) | |
note - acronym from Communaute Economique des Pays des Grands Lacs
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Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) | |
established - 28 May 1975
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Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) | |
established - 27-29 January 1985
|
Eurasian Economic Community (EAEC or EurasEC) | |
note - merged with Central Asian Cooperation Organization (CACO) in 2005
|
Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) | |
note - began as the North Atlantic Cooperation Council (NACC); an extension of NATO
|
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) | |
established - 8-9 January 1990 (proposals made); 15 April 1991 (bank inaugurated)
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European Community (or European Communities, EC) | |
established 8 April 1965 to integrate the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), the European Economic Community (EEC or Common Market), and to establish a completely integrated common market and an eventual federation of Europe; merged into the European Union (EU) on 7 February 1992; member states at the time of merger were Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK
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European Free Trade Association (EFTA) | |
established - 4 January 1960; effective - 3 May 1960
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European Investment Bank (EIB) | |
established - 25 March 1957; effective - 1 January 1958
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European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) | |
note - acronym retained from the predecessor organization Conseil Europeenne pour la Recherche Nucleaire
|
European Space Agency (ESA) | |
established - 31 May 1975
|
European Union (EU) | |
note - see European Union entry at the end of the "country" listings
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F |
Financial Action Task Force (FATF) | |
established - by G-7 Summit in Paris in 1989
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First World | |
another term for countries with advanced, industrialized economies; this term is fading from use; see developed countries (DCs)
|
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) | |
established - 16 October 1945
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former Soviet Union (FSU) | |
former term often used to identify as a group the successor nations to the Soviet Union or USSR; this group of 15 countries consists of: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan
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former USSR/Eastern Europe (former USSR/EE) | |
the middle group in the hierarchy of developed countries (DCs), former USSR/Eastern Europe (former USSR/EE), and less developed countries (LDCs); these countries are in political and economic transition and may well be grouped differently in the near future; this group of 27 countries consists of: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Yugoslavia; this group is identical to the IMF group "countries in transition" except for the IMF's inclusion of Mongolia
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Four Dragons | |
the four small Asian less developed countries (LDCs) that have experienced unusually rapid economic growth; also known as the Four Tigers; this group consists of Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan; these countries are included in the IMF's "advanced economies" group
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Franc Zone (FZ) | |
note - also known as Conference des Ministres des Finances des Pays de la Zone Franc
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Front Line States (FLS) | |
established to achieve black majority rule in South Africa; has since gone out of existence; members included Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe
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G |
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) | |
see the World Trade Organization (WTO)
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General Confederation of Trade Unions (GCTU) | |
established - 16 April 1992
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Group of 10 (G-10) | |
note - also known as the Paris Club; includes the wealthiest members of the IMF who provide most of the money to be loaned and act as the informal steering committee; name persists despite increased membership
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Group of 11 (G-11) | |
note - also known as the Cartagena Group
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Group of 15 (G-15) | |
note - byproduct of the Nonaligned Movement; name persists despite increased membership
|
Group of 2 (G-2) | |
informal term that came into use about 1986; to facilitate bilateral economic cooperation between the two most powerful economic giants; members were Japan, US
|
Group of 20 (G-20) | |
established - created 1999; inaugurated 15-16 December 1999
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Group of 24 (G-24) | |
established - 1 August 1989
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Group of 3 (G-3) | |
established - September 1990
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Group of 5 (G-5) | |
established - 22 September 1985
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Group of 6 (G-6) | |
also known as Groupe des Six Sur le Desarmement (not to be confused with the Big Six) was established in 22 May 1984 with the aim of achieving nuclear disarmament; its members were Argentina, Greece, India, Mexico, Sweden, Tanzania
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Group of 7 (G-7) | |
note - membership is the same as the Big Seven
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Group of 77 (G-77) | |
established - 15 June1964; October 1967 first ministerial meeting
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Group of 8 (G-8) | |
established - October 1975
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Group of 9 (G-9) | |
established - NA
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Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) | |
note - also known as the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf
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H |
high income countries | |
another term for the industrialized countries with high per capita GDPs; see developed countries (DCs)
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I |
Indian Ocean Commission (InOC) | |
established - 21 December 1982
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industrial countries | |
another term for the developed countries; see developed countries (DCs)
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Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) | |
note - also known as Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID)
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Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) | |
note - formerly known as Inter-Governmental Authority on Drought and Development (IGADD)
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Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) | |
established - 1889
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International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) | |
established - 26 October 1956; effective - 29 July 1957
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International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) | |
note - also known as the World Bank
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International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) | |
established - 1919
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International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) | |
established - 7 December 1944; effective - 4 April 1947
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International Civilian Support Mission in Haiti (MICAH) | |
established 17 December 1999 to promote respect for human rights; members included Argentina, Benin, Canada, France, India, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo, Tunisia, US; closed 2001
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International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) | |
established - 17 February 1863
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International Court of Justice (ICJ) | |
note - also known as the World Court
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International Criminal Court (ICCt) | |
established - 11 April 2002
|
International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) | |
established - September 1923 set up as the International Criminal Police Commission; 13 June 1956 constitution modified and present name adopted
|
International Development Association (IDA) | |
established - 26 January 1960; effective - 24 September 1960
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International Energy Agency (IEA) | |
established - 15 November 1974
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International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS) | |
note - formerly known as League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (LORCS)
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International Finance Corporation (IFC) | |
established - 25 May 1955; effective - 24 July 1956
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International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) | |
established - November 1974
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International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) | |
note - name changed from International Hydrographic Bureau on 22 September 1970
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International Labor Organization (ILO) | |
established - 28 June 1919 set up as part of Treaty of Versailles; 11 April 1919 became operative; 14 December 1946 affiliated with the UN
|
International Maritime Organization (IMO) | |
note - name changed from Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO) on 22 May 1982
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International Mobile Satellite Organization (IMSO) | |
established - 15 April 1999
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International Monetary Fund (IMF) | |
established - 22 July 1944; effective - 27 December 1945
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International Olympic Committee (IOC) | |
established - 23 June 1894
|
International Organization for Migration (IOM) | |
note - 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) in November 1980; current name adopted 14 November 1989
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International Organization for Standardization (ISO) | |
established - February 1947
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International Organization of the French-speaking World (OIF) | |
note - name changed from Agency of Cultural and Technical Cooperation (ACCT) in 1997; also known as Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie
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International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (ICRM) | |
established - 1928
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International Telecommunication Union (ITU) | |
established - 17 May 1865 set up as the International Telegraph Union; 9 December 1932 adopted present name; effective - 1 January 1934; affiliated with the UN - 15 November 1947
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International Telecommunications Satellites Organization (ITSO) | |
established - August 1964
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International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) | |
note - its predecessors were the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) and the World Confederation of Labor (WCL)
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Islamic Development Bank (IDB) | |
established - 15 December 1973 by declaration of intent; effective - 12 August 1974
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L |
Latin American Economic System (LAES) | |
note - also known as Sistema Economico Latinoamericana (SELA)
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Latin American Integration Association (LAIA) | |
note - also known as Asociacion Latinoamericana de Integracion (ALADI)
|
League of Arab States (LAS) | |
note - also known as Arab League (AL)
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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 GDPs normally less than $1,000, and low literacy rates; also known as the undeveloped countries; the 42 LLDCs are: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Laos, Lesotho, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Yemen
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less developed countries (LDCs) | |
the bottom group in the hierarchy of developed countries (DCs), former USSR/Eastern Europe (former USSR/EE), and less developed countries (LDCs); mainly countries and dependent areas with low levels of output, living standards, and technology; per capita GDPs are generally below $5,000 and often less than $1,500; however, the group also includes a number of countries with high per capita incomes, areas of advanced technology, and rapid rates of growth; 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 172 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 Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, 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, Isle of Man, Jamaica, Jersey, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Macau, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, 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, Palau, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn Islands, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Reunion, Rwanda, Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, 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, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe; note - similar to the new International Monetary Fund (IMF) term "developing countries" which adds Malta, Mexico, South Africa, and Turkey but omits in its recently published statistics American Samoa, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, Cook Islands, Cuba, Eritrea, Falkland Islands, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gaza Strip, Gibraltar, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, North Korea, Macau, Martinique, Mayotte, Montserrat, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Pitcairn Islands, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Tokelau, Tonga, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Virgin Islands, Wallis and Futuna, West Bank, Western Sahara
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low-income countries | |
another term for those less developed countries with below-average per capita GDPs; see less developed countries (LDCs)
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M |
middle-income countries | |
another term for those less developed countries with above-average per capita GDPs; see less developed countries (LDCs)
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Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) | |
established - 12 April 1988
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N |
Near Abroad | |
Russian term for the 14 non-Russian successor states of the USSR, in which 25 million ethnic Russians live and in which Moscow has expressed a strong national security interest; the 14 countries are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan
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new independent states (NIS) | |
a term referring to all the countries of the FSU except the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania)
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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), and Brazil
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Nonaligned Movement (NAM) | |
established - 1-6 September 1961
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Nordic Council (NC) | |
established - 16 March 1952; effective - 12 February 1953
|
Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) | |
established - 4 December 1975; effective - 1 June 1976
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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)
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North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) | |
established - 17 December 1992
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North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) | |
established - 4 April 1949
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Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) | |
note - also known as OECD Nuclear Energy Agency
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Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) | |
note - also known as the London Suppliers Group or the London Group
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O |
Organization for Democracy and Economic Development (GUAM) | |
note-acronym standing for the member countries, Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Moldova; formerly known as GUUAM before Uzbekistan withdrew in 5 May 2005
|
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) | |
established - 14 December 1960; effective - 30 September 1961
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Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) | |
note - formerly the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) established 3 July 1975
|
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) | |
established - 29 April 1997
|
Organization of African Unity (OAU) | |
see African Union
|
Organization of American States (OAS) | |
established - 14 April 1890 as the International Union of American Republics; 30 April 1948 adopted present charter; effective - 13 December 1951
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Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) | |
established - 9 January 1968
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Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) | |
established - 18 June 1981; effective - 4 July 1981
|
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) | |
established - 14 September 1960
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Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) | |
established - 22-25 September 1969
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P |
Pacific Community (SPC) | |
local name of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community
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Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) | |
note - formerly known as South Pacific Forum (SPF)
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Paris Club | |
established - 1956
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Partnership for Peace (PFP) | |
established - 10-11 January 1994
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Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) | |
established - 29 July 1899
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PetroCaribe | |
established - 29 June 2005
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R |
Rio Group (RG) | |
note - formerly known as Grupo de los Ocho, established NA December 1986; composed of the Contadora Group and the Lima Group
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S |
Schengen Convention | |
established - signed June 1990; effective March 1995
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Second World | |
another term for the traditionally Marxist-Leninist states of the USSR and Eastern Europe, with authoritarian governments and command economies based on the Soviet model; the term is fading from use; see centrally planned economies
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Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) | |
established - 6 February 1947; effective 29 July 1948
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Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) | |
established - 15 June 2001
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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
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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)
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South American Community of Nations (CSN) | |
established - 9 December 2004
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South Asia Co-operative Environment Program (SACEP) | |
established - January 1983
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South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) | |
established - 8 December 1985
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South Pacific Forum (SPF) | |
note - see Pacific Island Forum
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South Pacific Regional Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement (Sparteca) | |
established - 1981
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Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI) | |
established - 6 December 1996
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Southern African Customs Union (SACU) | |
established - 11 December 1969
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Southern African Development Community (SADC) | |
note - evolved from the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC)
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Southern Cone Common Market (Mercosur) or Southern Common Market | |
note - also known as Mercado Comun del Cono Sur (Mercosur)
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T |
Third World | |
another term for the less developed countries; the term is obsolescent; see less developed countries (LDCs)
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U |
underdeveloped countries | |
refers to those less developed countries with the potential for above-average economic growth; see less developed countries (LDCs)
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undeveloped countries | |
refers to those extremely poor less developed countries (LDCs) with little prospect for economic growth; see least developed countries (LLDCs)
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Union Latina | |
established - 15 May 1954; became functional 1983
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Union of South American Nations (UNASUR - Spanish; UNASUL - Portuguese) | |
formerly South American Community of Nations which terminated on 16 April 2007
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United Nations (UN) | |
established - 26 June 1945; effective - 24 October 1945
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United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) | |
note - acronym retained from the predecessor organization, UN International Children's Emergency Fund
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United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) | |
established - 30 December 1964
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United Nations Development Program (UNDP) | |
established - 22 November 1965
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United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) | |
established - 31 May 1974
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United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) | |
established - 16 November 1945; effective - 4 November 1946
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United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) | |
established - 15 December 1972
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United Nations General Assembly | |
established - 26 June 1945; effective - 24 October 1945
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United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) | |
established - 3 December 1949; effective - 1 January 1951
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United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) | |
established - 17 November 1966; effective - 1 January 1967
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United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) | |
established - 11 December 1963 adoption of the resolution establishing the Institute; effective - 24 March 1965
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United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) | |
established - 25 August 2006
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United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) | |
established - 10 June 1999
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United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) | |
established - 19 March 1978
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United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) | |
established - 24 January 1949
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United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) | |
established - 29 April 1991
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United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) | |
established 31 July 2000; aim was to monitor the cessation of hostilities; mandate ended July 2008; members were Algeria, Austria, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, The Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, India, Iran, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Tanzania, Tunisia, Ukraine, US, Uruguay, Zambia
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United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) | |
established - 19 September 2003
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United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT) | |
established - 25 September 2007
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United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS) | |
established - March 2005
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United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) | |
was established 24 August 1993 to verify compliance with the cease-fire agreement, to monitor weapons exclusion zone, and to supervise CIS peacekeeiping force forAbkhazia; established by the UN Security Council; members were Albania, Austria, Bangladesh, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Jordan, South Korea, Lithuania, Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, UK, US, Uruguay, Yemen; mandate was completed in June 2009
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United Nations Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI) | |
established - 27 February 2004
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United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) | |
established - 30 November 1999
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United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) | |
established - 4 March 1964
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United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) | |
note - acronym retained from predecessor organization UN Fund for Population Activities
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United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) | |
established - 8 December 1949
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United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) | |
established - 1963
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United Nations Secretariat | |
established - 26 June 1945; effective - 24 October 1945
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United Nations Security Council (UNSC) | |
established - 26 June 1945; effective - 24 October 1945
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United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) | |
established - June 1948
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United Nations Trusteeship Council | |
established on 26 June 1945, effective on 24 October 1945, to supervise the administration of the 11 UN trust territories; members were China, France, Russia, UK, US; it formally suspended operations 1 November 1995 after the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Palau) became the Republic of Palau, a constitutional government in free association with the US; the Trusteeship Council was not dissolved
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United Nations University (UNU) | |
established - 3 December 1973
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Universal Postal Union (UPU) | |
established - 9 October 1874, affiliated with the UN 15 November 1947; effective - 1 July 1948
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W |
Warsaw Pact (WP) | |
established 14 May 1955 to promote mutual defense; members met 1 July 1991 to dissolve the alliance; member states at the time of dissolution were: Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the USSR; earlier members included German Democratic Republic (GDR) and Albania
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West African Development Bank (WADB) | |
note - also known as Banque Ouest-Africaine de Developpement (BOAD); is a financial institution of WAEMU
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West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) | |
note - also known as Union Economique et Monetaire Ouest Africaine (UEMOA)
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Western European Union (WEU) | |
established 23 October 1954; effective - 6 May 1955; aim to provide mutual defense and to move toward political unification; 10 members: Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK; 6 associate members: Czech Republic, Hungary, Iceland, Norway, Poland, Turkey; 7 associate partners: Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia; 5 observers: Austria, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Sweden; note - to cease existence completely by June 2011
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World Bank Group | |
includes International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Development Association (IDA), International Finance Corporation (IFC), and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA)
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World Confederation of Labor (WCL) | |
established 19 June 1920 as the International Federation of Christian Trade Unions (IFCTU), renamed 4 October 1968; aim was to promote the trade union movement; on 31 October 2006 it merged with the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) to form the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC); members were (105 national organizations) Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, French Guiana, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Niger, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine, US, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe
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World Customs Organization (WCO) | |
note - began as the Customs Cooperation Council (CCC)
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World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) | |
established - 3 October 1945
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World Food Program (WFP) | |
established - 24 November 1961
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World Health Organization (WHO) | |
established - 22 July 1946; effective - 7 April 1948
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World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) | |
established - 14 July 1967; effective - 26 April 1970
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World Meteorological Organization (WMO) | |
established - 11 October 1947; effective - 4 April 1951
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World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) | |
established - 2 January 1975
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World Trade Organization (WTO) | |
note - succeeded General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT)
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Z |
Zangger Committee (ZC) | |
established - early 1970s
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