International Organizations
International Organisations
UN had its origin in August, 1944 at Dumbarton Oaks Conference
where the representatives of USA, UK, USSR and China met to form an association
for the maintenance of international peace and security. Finally, on June 26,
1945, the charter of the United Nations was signed in a conference called at
“San Fransisco”, which included the representatives of 51 states. The charter
then came into force on 24 Octobar, 1945; thus 24 October has been celebrated
as the UN day.
Headquarters, Flag, Languages: United Nation’s Headquarter is
situated in Manhattan Island of New York and the European office at Geneva.The
Flag of the UNO was adopted in Octobar 1947. The flag includes white UN emblem
(two bent olive branches, open at the top and between them is the world map) on
a light blue background. the flag was adopted by the UNO in Octobar, 1947.
Official Language of UNO are French, Chinese, English, Russian, Arabic and
Spanish. While the working languages are only French and English.
Aims
and Objectives of UNO: The main objectives of UNO are:
·
To
maintain international peace and security.
·
To
develop spirit of co-operation and friendly relations among the nations.
·
To
promote respect for human rights, dignity and freedom.
·
To
solve international problems of social, economic, agricultural and humanitarian
character.
·
To
employ international machinery for the promotion of economic and social
advancement of all people.
Organs of the UN:
There
are six main organs of UN:1.
General Assembly : It is the main body of UN and consists of the
representatives of all the states. Each state may send 5 representatives in the
general assembly but has only 1 vote. It meets regularly once a year, special
and emergency sessions can also be sumoned at the request of security council.
Decision of an important matters are taken by the 2/3rd majority,
while in simple matters, only simple majority is enough. The
assembly may discuss any matter within the scope of charter except those
already referred to the Security Council. The assembly generally discusses ways
of preserving peace, economic development and social progress, well being of
people, peaceful use of atomic energy, human right etc. It elects its own
President & Vice-President every year.
Functional of General Assembly:
i.
The
membership of new states is done by the general assembly on the recommendation
of Security Council.
ii.
The
Judges of the International Court of Justice are elected by general assembly.
iii.
It
elects the non-permanent members of security council, members of Economic and
Social Council, and certain members of Trusteeship Council.
iv.
It
passes entire budget of UNO.
2.
Security
Council : It
is the executive body of UN which is responsible for maintaining international
peace in the world. Its session can be summoned at 24 hour notice and if
functions almost continuously. the council consists of 15 members–5 permanent
(USA, UK; Russia, France and China) and 10 non- ermanent members which are
elected for a term of 2 years by the General Assembly. the distribution of the
numbers of non-permanent members are (1) Five members from Asian and African
countries (2) two from latin American countries (3) two from western Europes
and other (which implies commonwealth countries) (4) and one from east European
countries. Each member of the Security Council has one vote. The approval of
all permanent members is necessary. If any permanent member casts a “Veto” to
show its disagreement, then no decision can be taken. The number of affirmative
votes needed for a decision are atleast nine which includes the vote of 5
permanent members. In the event of a threat to peace or occurence of war
between two or more countries, the security council has the power to take
appropriate measures to restore peace and security.
3.
Economic
and Social Council : The
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is the welfare council which coordiantes
the economic and social activities of the United Nations and its specialised
agencies and other organisations. This council meets at least thrice a year. It
is composed of 54 members. General Assembly elects one-third members of ECOSOC
every year for a period of 3 years. ECOSOC takes decision by a majority of
those members present and voting. ECOSOC seeks to build a world of greater
prosperity, stability and justice.
4.
The
Trusteeship Council : The Prime responsibility of this council is to supervise the
administration of those territories which were placed under the International
Trusteeship System. This council of UNO is also known as ‘Protector of
Dependent People’ who are not yet able to Govern themselves. It consists of
member of states administering trust territories and permanent members of the
security council nto administering territories. Under the charter, the member
states have to accept certain obligations to promote their development and to
protect their interest and security so long as the trustee territories are not
able to govern themselves.
At present, USA is the only administering trust territory. So, the Trusteeship
Council consists of only permanent members. This council meets at least once in
a year.
5.
Secretariat
: All day today
functions of the UN are performed by the Secretariat. the Secretariat is headed
by the Secretary-General who is the chief Administrative Officer, and he is
appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of Security Council
for a five-year term, which is renewable. It is his duty to implement all
resolutions passed by the Security Council or the General Assembly. He makes
the annual report of General Assembly and also bring to the notice of security
council about any matter threatening the maintenance of international peace and
Security.
Secretary General : Ban Ki Moom
·
International
Monetary Fund (IMF) : HQ – Washington, D.C. The IMF came into existence in December
1945, as one among the Bretton Wood twins when the first 29 countries signed
its Articles of Agreement. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an
international organisation that oversees the global financial system by
observing exchange rates and balance of payments. An unwritten rule establishes
that the IMF’s managing director must be non-Italian European and that the
president of the World Bank must be from the United States. IMF describes
itself as “an organisation of 185 countries, Montenegro being the 185th as of
January 18th, 2007.
·
World
Bank Group : HQ–Washington,
D.C. The World Bank Group is a group of five international organisations
responsible for providing finance and advice to countries for the purposes of
economic development and eliminating poverty. The Bank came into formal
existence on 27 December, 1945 following international ratification of the
Bretton Woods agreements, it approved its first loan to France for postwar
reconstruction. The World Bank Group consists of:
i.
The
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), established in 1945, which
provides debt financing on the basis of sovereign guarantees;
ii.
The
International Finance Corporation (IFC), established in 1956, which provides various forms of
financing without sovereign guarantees, primarily to the private sector;
iii.
The
International Development Association (IDA), established in 1960, which
provides concessional financing (interest-free loans or grants), usually with
sovereign guarantees;
iv.
The
Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), established in 1988, which
provides insurance against certain types of risk, including political risk,
primarily to the private sector; and
v.
The
International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), established in 1966, which
works with governments to reduce investment risk.
Food
and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) : HQ–Rome, Italy.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is a specialized agency of the
United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO was
founded on 16 October 1945, in Quebec City, Canada. In 1951 its hadquarters
were moved from Washington, D.C., United States, to Rome, Italy. As of 17
November 2007, it had 191 members (plus one member organisation, the European
Community and one associate member, the Faroe Islands).
International
Labour Organisation (ILO) : HQ-Geneva, Switzerland. The International Labour
Organisation (ILO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that deals
with labour issues. Founded in 1919, it was formed through the negotiations of
the Treaty of Versailles, and was initially an agency of the League of Nations.
The ILO hosts the International Labour Conference in Geneva every year in June.
The organisation received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1969. Its secretariat is
known as the International Labour Office. Its a tripartite intergovernmental
body of governments, employers and workers.
United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) : HQ-Paris, France. UNESCO
(United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) is a
specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. Its stated
purpose is to contribute to peace and security by promoting international
collaboration through education, science, and culture in order to further
universal respect for justice, the rule of law, and the human rights and
fundamental freedoms proclaimed in the UN Charter. As of October 2007, UNESCO
had 193 member states and 6 associate members.
International
Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) : HQ–Montreal, Canada. The International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO), an agency of the United Nations set up in 1944, codifies
the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the
planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and
orderly growth. The ICAO defines the protocols for air accident investigation,
followed by transport safety authorities in countries signatory to the
Convention on International Civil Aviation, commonly known as the Chicago
Convention.
World
Health Organisation (WHO) : HQ-Geneva, Switzerland. The World Health Organisation (WHO) is a
specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordianting authority
on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, the agency
inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health
Organization, which had been an agency of the League of Nations. WHO complies
the widely followed International Classification of Diseases (ICD).
International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) : HQ-Vienna, Austria. The International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) was established as an autonomous organisation on July 29, 1957. It seeks
to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for
military purposes. United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower envisioned, in
his “Atoms for Peace” speech before the UN General Assembly in 1953, the
creation of this international body to control and develop the use of atomic
energy.
International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) : HQ–Paris, France. The International Telecommunication Union
(ITU) is an international organisation established to standardise and regulate
international radio and telecommunications. It was founded as the International
Telegraph Union in Paris in May 17, 1865, and is today the World’s oldest
international organisation. Its main tasks include standardization, allocation
of the radio spectrum, and organising interconnection arrangements between
different countries to allow international phone calls.
Universal
Postal Union (UPU) : HQ–Berne,
Switzerland The Universal Postal Union (UPU) is an international organisation
that coordiantes postal policies between member nations, and hence the
worldwide postal system. Each member country agrees to the same set of terms
for conducting international postal duties. It is the second oldest,
international organisation (after the ITU). It was created in 1874, under the
name “General Postal Union”, as a result of the Treaty of Berne signed on 9
October 1874. In 1878, the name was changed to “Universal Postal Union”.
International
Maritime Organisation (IMO) : HQ–London, U.K The International Maritime Organisation
(IMO), formerly known as the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization
(IMCO), was established in 1948, through the United Nations to coordinate
international maritime safety and related practices. However the IMO did not
enter into full force until 1958. The IMO promotes cooperation among government
and the shipping industry to improve maritime safety and to prevent marine
pollution.
World
Meteorological Organisation (WMO) : HQ–Geneva, Switzerland. The World Meteorological Organisation
(WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It is the UN system’s authoritative
voice on the state and behaviour of the Earth’s atmosphere, its interaction
with the oceans, and the climate produces or the resulting distribution of
water resources. It originated from the International Meteorological
Organisation (IMO), which was founded in 1873. Established in 1950, WMO became
the specialized agency of the United Nations for meteorology (weather and
climate), operational hydrology and related geophysical sciences. The WMO
helped create the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It is also
directly responsible for the creation of the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW).
Interpol
(International Criminal Police Organisation) : HQ–Lyon, France
Established as International Criminal Police Commission in 1923 to assist
international criminal police co-operation. Its work focuses primarily on
public safety, terrorism, organised crime etc. It is the world’s third largest
international organisation after UN and FIFA.
International
Court of Justice (ICJ) : HQ-The Hague, The Netherlands The International Court of Justice
(known colloquially as the World Court or ICJ) is the primary judicial organ of
the United Nations. Established in 1945 by the Charter of the United Nations,
the Court began work in 1946 as the successor to the Permanent Court of
International Justice. The ICJ is composed of 15 judges elected to nine year
terms by the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council from a list of
persons, nominated by the national groups in the Permanent Court of
Arbitration. All 192 UN members are automatically parties to the Court’s
statute. Article 94 establishes the duty of all UN members to comply with
decisions of the Court involving them. If parties do not comply, the issue may
be taken before the Security Council for enforcement action. It conducts its
business in English and French.
International
Criminal Court (ICC) : HQ–The
Hague, The Netherlands. It is a court created under the Rome Statute of 2002 as
an independent, permanent court that tries persons accused of the most serious
crimes of international concern, namely genocide, crimes against humanity and
war crimes. The ICC is based on a treaty, joined by 104 countries. The ICC s a
court of last resort. It will not act if a case is investigated or prosecuted
by a national judicial system unless the national proceedings are not genuine.
In addition, the ICC only tries those accused of the gravest crimes.
Organisation
for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) : HQ–The Hague, The
Netherlands. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is
an international agency. Its mission is to promote membership of the Chemical
Weapons Convention treaty which entered into force in 1997 and mandated the
elimination of “the scourge of chemical weapons forever and to verify the
destruction of the declared chemical weapons stockpiles within stipulated
deadlines”.
United
Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) : HQ–New York City, USA The United Nations Children’s Fund
(UNICEF) was created on December 11, 1946. In 1953, its name was shortened from
United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund. UNICEF provides
long-term humanitarian and developmental assistance to children and mothers in
developing countries. UNICEF was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1965.
United
Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) : HQ–Vienna, Austria. United Nations Office on Drugs and
Crime (UNODC) is a United Nations agency which was founded in 1997 as the
Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention with the intent to fight drugs and
crime on an international level. This intent is fulfilled through three primary
functions: research, lobbying state government to adopt various crime and drug
based laws and treaties and assistance of said governments on the ground level.
In October 2002, the United Nations Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) was merged
into the UNODC.
United
Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) : HQ–Geneva, Switzerland.
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was established
in 1963 as a permanent intergovernmental body, UNCTAD is the principal organ of
the United Nations General Assembly dealing with trade, investment and
development issues. UNCTAD has 191 member States.
United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) : HQ–Gigiri, Nairobi, Kenya.
It was founded as a result of the United Nations Conference on the Human
Environment in 1973. The World Meteorological Organisation and the UNEP
established the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1988. UNEP
is also one of several implementing agencies for the Global Environment
Facility (GEF). The year 2007 has been declared as International Year of the
Dolphin by the United Nations and UNEP.
United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP) : HQ–New York City, USA.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations’ global
development network, is the largest multilateral source of development
assistance in the world. The UNDP is an executive board within the United
Nations Economic and Social Council. The UNDP Administrator is the third
highest ranking member of the United Nations after the United Nations
Secretary-General and Deputy Secretary-General. UNDP publishes an annual Human
Development Report to measure and analyze developmental progress.
United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) : HQ–Geneva, Switzerland.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) (established December
14, 1950) protects and supports refugees at the request of a government or the
United Nations and assists in their return or resettlement. It succeeded the
earlier International Refugee Organisation and the even earlier United Nations
Relief and Rehabilitation Administration. UNHCR was awarded the Nobel Peace
Prize in 1954 and 1981. UNHCR presently has major missions in Lebanon, South
Sudan, Chad/Darfur, Iraq, Afghanistan as well as Kenya to assist and provide
services to IDPs and refugees.
United
Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) :HQ–Nairobi, Kenya. The United
Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) is the United Nations agency
for human settlements. It was established in 1978. It is mandated by the United
Nations General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable
towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all.
United
Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) : HQ–Vienna, Austria. The United
Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDCO), is a specialized agency
in the United Nations system. UNIDO was established as a UN programme in 1966
and became a specialized agency of the United Nations in 1985.
United
Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) : HQ–New York, USA.
The United Nations Fund for Population Activities was started in 1969 and
renamed the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in 1987. The United Nations
Population Fund is the world’s largest international source of funding for
population and reproductive health programs.
World
Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) : HQ–Geneva, Switzerland.
The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) is one of the specialized
agencies of the United Nations. WIPO was created in 1967 with the stated
purpose of encouraging creative activity and promoting the protection of
intellectual property throughout the world. WIPO currently has 184 member
states and administers 23 international treaties. Vatican City and almost all
UN members are member of the WIPO. The predecessor to WIPIO was the BIRPI
(French acronym for United International Bureau for the Protection of
Intellectual Property), which had been set up in 1893 to administer the Berne
Convention for the Protection of Library and Artistic Works and the Paris
Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property. WIPO was formally created
by the Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organisation (signed
at Stockholm on July 14, 1967 and as amended on September 28, 1979).
World
Trade Organisation (WTO) : HQ–Geneva, Switzerland.
The World Trade Organisation (WTO) is an international organisation that
establishes rules for international trade through consensus among its member
states. It also resolves disputes between the members, which are all
signatories to its set of trade agreements. Uruguay Round of General Agreement
on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), negotiations culminating in the Marrakesh Agreement
that established the WTO. There are 151 member states in the organisation, the
latest to join being Tonga on July 27, 2007. Since its inception in 1995, the
WTO has been a major focus for protests by civil society groups in many
countries.
International
Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement : HQ–Geneva, Switzerland.
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an international
humanitarian movement founded in 1863, whose stated mission is to protect human
life and health, to ensure respect for the human being, and to prevent and
alleviate human suffering, without any discrimination based on nationality,
race, religious beliefs, class or political opinions. It adopted a new symbol a
hollowed out red crystal on a white background in addition to the present
symbols of red cross (1863) and red cresent (1876). Red star of David was used
by Israel till now. Awarded the Nobel Peace prize in three times –1917, 1944
and 1963.
World
Social Forum (WSF)
The World Social (WSF) is an annual meeting held by members of the
anti-globalisation movement to coordiante world campaigns, share and refine
organizing strategies, and inform each other about movements from around the
world and their issues. It tends to meet in January when its “great capitalist
rival”, the World Economic Forum is meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
World
Economic Forum (WEF)
The World Economic Forum
(WEF) is a Geneva-based foundation whose annual meeting of top business
leaders, national political leaders (presidents, prime ministers and others), and
selected intellectuals and journalists is usually held in Davos, Switzerland.
There are also regional meetings throughout the year. It was founded in 1971 by
Klaws M. Schwab, a business professor in Switzerland.
Global
Water Partnership (GWP)
It is a network created
by stakeholders including Sweden, The UNDP, World Bank and committee of
Economic development of Australia. It has been established to ensure optimum
use of scrace water resources in an integrated manner to benefit the world
community.
Asian
Development Bank (ADB) : HQ–Manila, Philippines.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank established in
1966 to promote economic and social development in Asian and Pacific countries
through loans and technical assistance. It is a multilateral development
financial institution owned by 66 members, 47 from the region and 19 from other
parts of the globe. ADB’s vision is a region free of poverty. Its mission is to
help its developing member countries reduce poverty and improve the quality of
life of their citizens. The highest policy-making body of the bank is the Board
of Governors composed of one representative from each member state. The Board
of Governors also elect the bank’s President who is the chairperson of the
Board of Directors and manages ADB. Traditionally, and because Japan is one of
the largest shareholders of the bank, the President has always been Japanese.
African
Development Bank (ADBP): HQ–Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire.
Established officially in 1964 as a result of Monorovian Conference of 1961,
under the auspices of the Economic Commission for Africa, the ADBP began
operation in 1966 with. With the statute of a regional multilateral development
bank, the African Development Bank engaged in promoting the economic development
and social progress of its Regional Member Countries (RMCs) in Africa. The
African Development Bank Group has two other entities: the African Development
Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF).
UN
Democracy Fund (UNDEF)
The UN Democracy Fund
will be a voluntary fund housed in the UN Fund for International Partnerships
(UNFIP), but with its own Executive Head who will report to an Advisory Board
of Member States on substantive matters. In order to ensure transparency and
accountability, a dedicated support office will arrange for monitoring,
evaluation and auditing of the program. The idea for the Fund was first
articulated by President Bush in a speech before the UN General Assembly last
fall and has been embraced by the 141 nations that attended the third
ministerial meeting of the Community of Democracies in Santiago, Chile in April
2005.
UN Secretaries General
|
Year
|
Name
|
Nation
|
|
1946
|
Trygve Lie
|
Norway
|
|
1953
|
Dag Hammarskjold
|
Sweden
|
|
1961
|
U Thant
|
Burma
|
|
1972
|
Kurt Waldheim
|
Austria
|
|
1982
|
Javier Peres De Cuellar
|
Peru
|
|
1992
|
Dr. Boutros Boutros Ghali
|
Egypt
|
|
1997
|
Kofi Annan
|
Ghana
|
|
2007
|
Ban Ki Moom
|
S. Korea
|
·
Association
of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) : HQ–Jakarta, Indonesia.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a geopolitial and
economic organisation of 10 countries, located in Southeast Asia. ASEAN was
established on 8 August, 1967 in Bangkok by the five original Member Countries
namely–Indonesia, Malaysia, Phillippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Brunei
Darussalam joined on 8 January 1984, Vietnam on 28 July 1995, Lao PDR and
Myanmar on 23 July 1997, and Cambodia on 30 April 1999.
ASEAN Plus Three (APT)
APT is a forum that functions as a coordinator of cooperation
between Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the three East Asian nations
of China, Japan, and South Korea. The first leaders’ meeting was held in 1997
and the group’s significance and importance was stregthened by the Asian
Financial Crisis. The grouping was institutionalised by 1999.
ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF)
ASEAN Regional Forum is an informal multilateral dialogue of 25
members that seeks to address security issues in the Asia-Pacific region. ARF
met for the first time in 1994. The current participants in the ARF are as
follows: ASEAN, Australia, Canada, People’s Republic of China, European, Union,
India, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Mongolia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua
New Guinea, Russia, East Timor, and the Unites States. Bangladesh was added to
ARF as the 26th member, starting from July 28, 2006.
·
European
Union (EU)
The European Union (EU) is a supranational and intergovernmental union of 27
democratic member states in Europe. It was established under that name by the
Treaty on European Union (Maastricht Treaty) signed on February 7, 1992 in
Maastricht, Netherlands. The Union has a single market consisting of a customs
union, a currency called the euro (adopted by 13 member states), a Common
Agricultural Policy, a common trade policy and a Common Fisheries Policy. The
Schengen Agreement abolished passport control and customs checks for most
member states within EU’s internal borders, creating, to some extent, a single
area of free movement for EU citizens to live, travel, work and invest. A
Common Foreign and Security Policy, and the Police and Judicial Co-operation in
criminal matters have been initiated. Important EU institutions and bodies
include the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, the
European Council, the European Central Bank, the European Court of Justice, and
the European Parliament which is directly elected by EU citizens once every
five years.
Location of European Union
Institutions
|
Brussels
|
seat of the European Commission and
the
Council of Ministers.
|
|
Strasbourg
|
Seat of the European Parliament.
|
|
Luxembourg
|
Seat of the European Court of
Justice,
the European Court of Auditors, the
Secretariat of the European Parliament and the
European Investment Bank.
|
|
Frankfurt
|
Seat of the European Central Bank.
|
Council of European Union
a.
Main
EU decision making body.
b.
Also
known as Council of Ministers.
c.
Represents
interests of individual member states.
d.
Each
member states represented by its own ministers.
e.
Presidency
rotates between member states on six-monthly basis.
European Commission
a.
Proposes
legislation to Council and Parliament.
b.
Manages
implementation of EU legislation.
c.
Commissioners
appointed on five-yearly basis by Council in agreement with member states.
d.
Appointments
confirmed by parliament to which commission is answerable.
European Parliament
a.
Votes
on and oversees implementation of EU budget.
b.
Considers
Commission proposals on legislation.
c.
Works
with Council on legislative decisions.
d.
Caribbean
Community (CARICOM) : HQ–Georgetown, Guyana.
The Caribbean Community and Common market or CARICOM was established by the
Treaty of Chaguaramas which came into effect on August 1, 1973. The first four
signatories were Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. CARICOM
replaced the 1965–1972 Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA). Currently
CARICOM has 15 full members, five associate members and seven observers. From
March 2004, Haiti’s participation in CARICOM was suspended by its interim Prime
Minister. But in early June 2006, Haiti was readmitted as a full member of the
CARICOM.
e.
Economic
Community of West African States (ECOWAS) : HQ–Abuja, Nigeria.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional group
initially of sixteen countries, founded on May 28, 1975 when sixteen West
African countries signed the Treaty of Lagos. Its mission is to promote
economic integration.
f.
Economic
and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC) : HQ-Bangui, Central African
Republic.
The Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC) is an
organisation of states of Central Africa established to promote economic
integration among countries that share a common currency, the CFA franc. CEMAC
is the successor of the Customs and Economic Union of Central Africa (UDEAC),
which it completely superseded in June 1999 (through an agreement from 1994).
Its six members states are Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the
Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. Equatorial Guinea joined in
January 1984.
g.
Southern
African Customs Union (SACU) : HQ–Windhoek, Namibia.
SACU is the oldest customs union in the world. It was established in 1910 as a
Customs Union Agreement between the then Union of South Africa and the High
Commission Territories of Bechuanaland, Basutoland and Swaziland. With the
advent of independence for these territories, the agreement was updated and on
December 11, 1969 it was re-launched as the SACU was the signing of an
agreement between the Republic of South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho and
Swaziland. The updated union officially entered into force on March 1, 1970.
After Namibia’s independence in 1990, it joined SACU as its fifth member.
h.
Cooperation
Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) : HQ–Riyadh.
The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, formerly named and
still commonly called Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is a regional organisation
involving the six Arab Gulf states with many economic and social objectives in
mind. Created on May 25, 1981, the Council is comprised of Bahrain, Kuwait,
Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Not all of the
countries neighboring the Persian Gulf are members of the council.
Specifically, Iran and Iraq are not members. Yemen is currently (as of 2007) in
negotiotions for GCC membership, and hopes to join by 2016. On the economic
front, the GCC aims to create a common market by 2007 and to adopt a single
currency, the Khaleeji, in 2010.
i.
South
Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) : HQ–Kathmandu, Nepal.
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is the largest
regional organisation in the world by population, covering approximately 1.5
billion people. SAARC is an economic and political organisation of eight
countries in Southern Asia. The organisation was established on December 8,
1985 by India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives and Bhutan.
Afghanistan became a member (eighth) on April 3, 2007. It declared 2006–2015 as
the’SAARC decade of poverty alleviation’. It was agreed in principle to the
desire of China and Japan to become SAARC obsevers. The Islamic Republic of
Iran is the only country in Southern Asia that is not a part of SAARC. In April
2006, the United States of America and South Korea made formal requests to be
granted observer status. The European Union has also indicated interest in
being given observer status, and made a formal request for the same to the
SAARC Council of Ministers meeting in July 2006. On August 2nd, 2006 Foreign
ministers of SAARC countries agreed in principle to grant observer status to
the US, South Korea and the European Union.
j.
Group
of 77 (G-77) : HQ–New
York, USA
The Group of 77 at the United Nations is a loose coalition of developing
nations, designed to promote its members’ collectives, economic and interest to
create an enhanced joint negotiating capacity in the United Nations. There were
77 founding members of the organisation, but the organisation has since
expanded to 130 member countries. It is modelled on the Group of 7, which now contains
8 countries. The group was founded on June 15, 1964 by the “Joint Declaration
of the Seventy Seven Countries” issued at the United Nations Conference on
Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
k.
Intergovernmental
Group of Twenty Four (G-24) : HQ–Washington D.C., USA
The Intergovernmental Group of Twenty-Four on International Monetary Affairs
and Development (G-24) was established in 1971. Its main objective is to
concert the position of developing countries on monetary and development of
finance issues. It consists of countries from three regions of Africa, Latin
America and the Caribbean and Asia.
l.
North
American Free Trade Area (NAFTA)
The Noth American Free Trade Area is the trade bloc created by the North
American free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and its two supplements, the North
American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC) and the North American
Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAALC) whose members are Canada, Mexico and the
United States. It came into effect on 1 January 1994. It is the world’s largest
free trade area.
m.
Developing
8 (D-8) : HQ-Istanbul, Turkey.
The Developing 8 (D-8)
is a group of developing countries that have formed an economic development
alliance. It consists of Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria,
Pakistan and Turkey.
n.
Bay
of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral Technical and Economic Co-operation
(BIMSTEC)
The organisation was formed in Bangkok, Thailand, on 6 June 1997. Initially,
its name was BIST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand Economic
Cooperation). At that time, Myanmar was an observer, but later joined the
organisation as a full member at a special ministerial meeting, held in Bangkok
on 22 December 1997. Consequently, the name of the organisation was changed to
BIMST-EC. Nepal was granted observer status by the second ministerial meeting
in Dhaka, Bangladesh in December 1998. Later, full membership has been granted
to Nepal and Bhutan in 2003. During the first summit in Bangkok on 31 July
2004, the organisation’s name was changed to its current name.
o.
Organisation
for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) : HQ–Chateau de la Muette in
Paris, France.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OCED) is an
international organisation of those developed countries that accept the principles
of representative democracy and a free market economy. It originated in 1948 as
the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC) to help administer
the Marshal Plan for the reconstruction of Europe after World War II. Later its
membership was extended to non-European states, and in 1961 it was reformed
into the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. There are
currently thirty full members; of these, 24 are described as high-income
countries by the World Bank.
p.
Organisation
of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) : HQ–Vienna, Austria.
The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is a permanent,
intergovernmental Organisation, created at the Baghdad Conference on September
10-14, 1960, by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. The five
Founding Members were later joined by nine other Members Indonesia’s membership
currently under review as Indonesia is no longer considered by OPEC as a net
oil exporter. Former Members are Gabon (full member from 1975 to 1995) and
Ecuador (full member from 1963 to 1993). However Ecuador has expressed interest
in rejoining. OPEC’s official language is English, although the official
language of a majority of OPEC member-states is Arabic, as seven current
members are Arab states. Only one member nation (Nigeria) has English as an
official language. From 1976-2006 OPEC gained on new member nations. In
November 2006, the Angolan Government announced its intention to apply for
membership and subsequently joined on 1st January 2007. Sudan has also
expressed intent for joining. Russia, though a net exporter of oil, has failed
to gain membership into the grouping.
q.
Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC) : HQ–Singapore.
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is an economic forum for a group
of Pacific Rim countries to discuss matters on regional economy, cooperation,
trade and investment. The current membership of APEC consists of 21 members,
which includes most countries with a coasting on the Pacific Ocean. the last
countries to have joined APEC, during its sixth leader’s summit in Kualalumpur,
November 1998 were Peru, Russia and Vietnam.
r.
Organisation
of the Islamic Conference (OIC) : HQ–Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
OIC is an inter-governmental organisation with a Permanent Delegation to the
United Nations. It groups 57 mostly Islamic nations in the Middle East, North,
West and Southern AFrica, Central Asia, Europe, Southeast Asia, the Indian
subcontinent and South America.
s.
African
Union (AU) : HQ-Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia.
The African Union (AU) is an organisation consisting of fifty-three African
States. Established in 2001, the AU was formed as a successor to the
amalgamated African Economic Community (AEC) and the Organisation of African
Unity (OAU). The African Union was launched in Durban on July 9, 2002, by its
first president, South African Thabo Mbeki, at the first session of the
Assembly of the African Union. Eventually, the AU aims to have a single
currency and a signle integrated defence force, as well as other institutions
of state, including a cabinet for the AU Head of State. The AU covers the
entire continent except for Morocco, which opposes the membership of Western
Sahara/Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. However, Morocco has a special status
within the AU and benefits from the services available to all AU states from
the institutions of the AU.
t.
League
of Arab States: HQ-Cairo,
Egypt.
The League of Arab States, or Arab League, is a voluntary association of
countries whose peoples are mainly Arabic speaking. It aims to strengthen ties
among member states, coordiante their policies and direct them towards the
common good. The idea of the Arab League was mooted in 1942 by the British, who
wanted to rally Arab countries against the Axis powers. However, idea did not
take off until seven states formed the Arab League on March 22, 1945. It has 22
members, including Palestine, which the league regards as an independent state.
In January 2003, Eritrea joined the Arab League as an observer.
u.
North
Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) : HQ–Brussels, Belgium.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) also called the North Atlantic
Alliance, the Atlantic Alliance, the Western Alliance, is a military alliance
established by the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty on 4 April 1949. The organisation
establishes a system of collective security whereby its member states agree to
mutual defense in response to an attack by any external party. The Treaty of
Brussels, signed on 17 March 1948 by Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg,
France and the United Kingdom is considered the precursor to the NATO
agreement. The 2006 NATO summit was held in Riga, Latvia, which had joined the
Atlantic Alliance two years earlier. It is the first NATO summit in a former
COMECON country. Membership went on expanding with the accession of seven more
European countries to NATO–Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and also Slovenia,
Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Romania thereby taking the membership to 26. These 7
countries joined NATO on 29 march 2004.
v.
Commonwealth
of Independent States (CIS) : HQ–Minsk, Belarus.
The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is the international organization,
or alliance, consisting of 11 former Soviet Republics: Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine,
and Uzbekistan and one associate member. Turkmenistan discontinued permanent
membership as of August 26, 2005 and is now an associate member. The CIS is not
a confederation. On December 21, 1991, the leaders of 11 of the 15 constituent
republics of the Soviet Union met in Almata, Kazakhstan, and signed the
charter, thus de facto ratifying the initial CIS treaty and launching the
organisation.
w.
ANZUS
The Australia, New
Zealand, United States Security Treaty (ANZUS or ANZUS Treaty) is the military
alliance which binds Australia and the United States, and separately Australia
and New Zealand to cooperate on defence matters in the Pacific Ocean area,
though today the treaty is understood to relate to attacks in any area. The
treaty was concluded at San Francisco on
1 September 1951, and entered into force on 29 april 1952. The treaty bound the
signatories to recognize that an armed attack in the Pacific area on any of
them would endanger the peace and safety of the others.
x.
Mercosur
: HQ–Montevideo,
Uruguay.
Mercosur or Mercosul is a Regional Trade Agreement (RTA) between Brazil,
Argentina, Uruguay, Venezuela and Paraguay, founded in 1991 by the Treaty of
Asuncion, which was later amended and updated by the 1994 Treaty of Ouro Preto.
It is known as the Common Market of the South. Its purpose is to promote free
trade and the fluid movement of goods, peoples, and currency. Bolivia, Chile,
Colombia, Ecuador and Peru currently have associate member status.
y.
Shanghia
Cooperation Organisation (SCO) : HQ–Beijing, China.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is an intergovernmental
organisation which was founded on June 14, 2001 by leaders of the China,
Russia, Kazakhastan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Except for
Uzbekistan, the other countries had been members of the Shanghai Five; after
the inclusion of uzbekistan in 2001, the members renamed the organisation.
z.
Benelux
Benelux is an economic
union in Western Europe comprising three neighbouring monarchies. Belgium, the
Netherlands and Luxembourg. The treaty establishing the Benelux Customs Union
was signed in 1944 by the governments in exile of the three countries in
London, and entered into force in 1947. It ceased to exist in 1960, when it was
replaced by the Benelux Economic Union. A Benelux Parliament (originally
referred to as Interparliamentary Consultative Council) was created in 1955.
The treaty establishing the Benelux Economic Union was signed in 1958 and came
into force in 1960 to promote the free movement of workers, capital, services,
and goods in the region. In 1965, the treaty establishing a Benelux Court of
Justice was signed and it entered into force in 1975 with seat at Brussels.
aa.
Indian
Ocean Rim-Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) : HQ–Mauritius.
The IOR-ARC, initially known as the Indian Ocean Rim Initiative, is an
international organization with 18 member states. It was first established in
Mauritius on March 1995 and formally launched on 6-7 March 1997. Countries with
the status of dialogue partners are China, Egypt, France, Japan and United
Kingdom.
