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+. 31 Toman, i.6 m; 282 km navigable to craft drawing 1. He determined for his mother's sake, asmuch as for that of his brothers, that a change must be made. This was my message; here was she for whom it was intended; and this was the place which I was tohave sought alone.The usual servant question is a very serious one in Teheran, and is one of the chief troubles that Europeanshave to contend with."Sure, almost human," Docchi finished for him.)Population growth rate: 2.4%, other 7.)HIV/AIDS - deaths: NANationality: noun: Bhutanese (singular and plural) adjective: BhutaneseEthnic groups: Bhote 50%, ethnic Nepalese 35% (includes Lhotsampas--one of several Nepalese ethnicgroups), indigenous or migrant tribes 15%Religions: Lamaistic Buddhist 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25%Languages: Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects, Nepalese speak variousNepalese dialectsLiteracy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 42.)Birth rate: 11.<br><br> Chapman, 1911.)Sex ratio: at birth: 1. It canplant and wield a leverage that can overturn every evil argument.05%, BazarsadynJARGALSAIKHAN (MRP) 13.)Mauritius 0 bbl/day (2001 est.9%, APGA 1. "Had enthusiasts bid eighty to ninety dollars for a pair of seats that theymight hear Plangon, or to dissect Lady Susan Townley's costume and estimate the number and cost of herjewels?" reproachfully queried one journal after a more than usually talkative First Night.7%)Languages: JapaneseLiteracy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% (1970 est.: The Former Yugoslav Republic of MacedoniaFZ: Franc ZoneG-2: Group of 2The 2004 CIA World Factbook, Louis Vuitton Outlet by 3200G-3: Group of 3G-5: Group of 5G-6: Group of 6G-7: Group of 7G-8: Group of 8G-9: Group of 9G-10: Group of 10G-15: Group of 15G-24: Group of 24G-77: Group of 77GATT: General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade; now WTrOGCC: Gulf Cooperation CouncilGDP: gross domestic productGDR: German Democratic Republic (East Germany); used for information dated before 3 October 1990 orCY91GNP: gross national productGRT: gross register tonGSM: global system for mobile cellular communicationsGUUAM: acronym for member states - Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, MoldovaGWP: gross world productHabitat: United Nations Center for Human SettlementsHazardous Wastes: Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes andTheir DisposalHF: high-frequencyHIV/AIDS: human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndromeIADB: Inter-American Development BankIAEA: International Atomic Energy AgencyThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3201IANA: Internet Assigned Numbers AuthorityIBEC: International Bank for Economic CooperationIBRD: International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank)ICAO: International Civil Aviation OrganizationICC: International Chamber of Commerce or Inuit Circumpolar ConferenceICCt: International Criminal CourtICFTU: International Confederation of Free Trade UnionsICJ: International Court of Justice (World Court)ICRC: International Committee of the Red CrossICRM: International Red Cross and Red Crescent MovementICSID: International Center for Secretariat of Investment DisputesICTR: International Criminal Tribunal for RwandaICTY: International Criminal Tribunal for the former YugoslaviaIDA: International Development AssociationIDB: Islamic Development BankIEA: International Energy AgencyIFAD: International Fund for Agricultural DevelopmentIFC: International Finance CorporationIFCTU: International Federation of Christian Trade UnionsIFRCS: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent SocietiesIGAD: Inter-Governmental Authority on DevelopmentIGADD: Inter-Governmental Authority on Drought and DevelopmentIHO: International Hydrographic OrganizationIIB: International Investment BankILO: International Labor OrganizationIMF: International Monetary FundThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3202IMO: International Maritime OrganizationInmarsat: International Maritime Satellite OrganizationInOC: Indian Ocean CommissionINSTRAW: International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of WomenIntelsat: International Telecommunications Satellite OrganizationInterpol: International Criminal Police OrganizationIntersputnik: International Organization of Space CommunicationsIOC: International Olympic CommitteeIOM: International Organization for MigrationISO: International Organization for StandardizationISP: Internet Service ProviderITU: International Telecommunication UnionkHz: kilohertzkm: kilometerkW: kilowattkWh: kilowatt-hourLAES: Latin American Economic SystemLAIA: Latin American Integration AssociationLAS: League of Arab StatesLaw of the Sea: United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOS), also know as UNCLOSLDC: less developed countryLLDC: least developed countryLondon Convention: see Marine DumpingLOS: see Law of the Seam: meterMarecs: Maritime European Communications SatelliteThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3203Marine Dumping: Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping Wastes and Other MatterMarine Life Conservation: Convention on Fishing and Conservation of Living Resources of the High SeasMARPOL: see Ship PollutionMedarabtel: Middle East Telecommunications Project of the International Telecommunications UnionMercosur: Southern Cone Common MarketMHz: megahertzMICAH: International Civilian Support Mission in HaitiMIGA: Multilateral Investment Geographic AgencyMINURSO: United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western SaharaMONUC: United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the CongoNA: not availableNAFTA: North American Free Trade AgreementNAM: Nonaligned MovementNATO: North Atlantic Treaty OrganizationNC: Nordic CouncilNEA: Nuclear Energy AgencyNEGL: negligibleNGA: National Geospatial-Intelligence AgencyNIB: Nordic Investment BankNIC: newly industrializing countryNIE: newly industrializing economyNIS: new independent statesNM: nautical mileNMT: Nordic Mobile TelephoneNSG: Nuclear Suppliers GroupNuclear Test Ban: Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapons Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space, and UnderWaterThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3204NZ: New ZealandOAPEC: Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting CountriesOAS: Organization of American StatesODA: official development assistanceODF: Official Development FinanceOECD: Organization for Economic Cooperation and DevelopmentOECS: Organization of Eastern Caribbean StatesOIC: Organization of the Islamic ConferenceOOF: other official flowsOPANAL: Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the CaribbeanOPCW: Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical WeaponsOPEC: Organization of Petroleum Exporting CountriesOSCE: Organization for Security and Cooperation in EuropeOzone Layer Protection: Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone LayerPCA: Permanent Court of ArbitrationPDRY: People's Democratic Republic of Yemen [Yemen (Aden) or South Yemen]; used for informationdated before 22 May 1990 or CY91PFP: Partnership for PeacePIF: Pacific Islands ForumPPP: purchasing power parityRamsar: see WetlandsRG: Rio GroupSAARC: South Asian Association for Regional CooperationSACU: Southern African Customs UnionSADC: Southern African Development CommunitySAFE: South African Far East CableSCO: Shanghai Cooperative OrganizationThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3205SFRY: Socialist Federal Republic of YugoslaviaSHF: super-high-frequencyShip Pollution: Protocol of 1978 Relating to the International Convention for the Prevention of PollutionFrom Ships, 1973 (MARPOL)Sparteca: South Pacific Regional Trade and Economic Cooperation AgreementSPC: South Pacific CommissionSPF: South Pacific Forumsq km: square kilometersq mi: square mileTAT: Trans-Atlantic TelephoneTropical Timber 83: International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1983Tropical Timber 94: International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1994UAE: United Arab EmiratesUDEAC: Central African Customs and Economic UnionUHF: ultra-high-frequencyUK: United KingdomUN: United NationsUNAMSIL: United Nations Mission in Sierra LeoneUNCLOS: United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, also known as LOSUNCTAD: United Nations Conference on Trade and DevelopmentUNDCP: United Nations Drug Control ProgramUNDOF: United Nations Disengagement Observer ForceUNDP: United Nations Development ProgramUNEP: United Nations Environment ProgramUNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural OrganizationUNFICYP: United Nations Peace-keeping Force in CyprusUNFPA: United Nations Population FundThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3206UNHCR: United Nations High Commissioner for RefugeesUNHCRHR: United Nations High Commissioner for Human RightsUNICEF: United Nations Children's FundUNICEP: United Nations International Comparison ProgramUNICRI: United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research InstituteUNIDIR: United Nations Institute for Disarmament ResearchUNIDO: United Nations Industrial Development OrganizationUNIFIL: United Nations Interim Force in LebanonUNIKOM: United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observation MissionUNITAR: United Nations Institute for Training and ResearchUNMEE: United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and EritreaUNMIBH: United Nations Mission in Bosnia and HerzegovinaUNMIK: United Nations Interim Administration Mission in KosovoUNMIL: United Nations Mission in LiberiaUNMISET: United Nations Mission of Support in East TimorUNMOGIP: United Nations Military Observer Group in India and PakistanUNMOP: United Nations Mission of Observers in PrevlakaUNMOT: United Nations Mission of Observers in TajikistanUNMOVIC: United Nations Monitoring, Verification, and Inspection CommissionUNOMIG: United Nations Observer Mission in GeorgiaUNOPS: United Nations Office of Project ServicesUNRISD: United Nations Research Institute for Social DevelopmentUNRWA: United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near EastUNSC: United Nations Security CouncilUNSSC: United Nations System Staff CollegeUNTAET: United Nations Transitional Administration in East TimorThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3207UNTSO: United Nations Truce Supervision OrganizationUNU: United Nations UniversityUPU: Universal Postal UnionUS: United StatesUSSR: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (Soviet Union); used for information dated before 25 December1991USSR/EE: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics/Eastern EuropeUV: ultra violetVHF: very-high-frequencyVSAT: very small aperture terminalWADB: West African Development BankWAEMU: West African Economic and Monetary UnionWCL: World Confederation of LaborWCO: World Customs OrganizationWetlands: Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially As Waterfowl HabitatWEU: Western European UnionWFC: World Food CouncilWFP: World Food ProgramWFTU: World Federation of Trade UnionsWhaling: International Convention for the Regulation of WhalingWHO: World Health OrganizationWIPO: World Intellectual Property OrganizationWMO: World Meteorological OrganizationWP: Warsaw PactWTO: see WToO for World Tourism Organization or WTrO for World Trade OrganizationWToO: World Tourism OrganizationWTrO: World Trade OrganizationThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3208YAR: Yemen Arab Republic [Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen]; used for information dated before 22 May1990 or CY91ZC: Zangger CommitteeThis page was last updated on 9 December, 2004=====================================================================Appendix B - International Organizations and Groupsadvanced developing countries: another term for those less developed countries (LDCs) with particularlyrapid industrial development; see newly industrializing economies (NIEs)advanced economies: a term used by the International Monetary FUND (IMF) for the top group in itshierarchy of advanced economies, countries in transition, and developing countries; it includes the following28 advanced economies: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, Netherlands, NZ, Norway,Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, UK, US; note - this group would presumably alsocover 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, Caribbean, and Pacific Group of States (ACP Group): established - 6 June 1975aim - to manage their preferential economic and aid relationship with the EUmembers - (77) Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Botswana, BurkinaFaso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic ofthe Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic,Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau,Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Marshall Islands,Mauritania, Mauritius, Federated States of Micronesia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Niger, Nigeria, Niue,Palau, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa,Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu,Zambia, ZimbabweAfrican Development Bank (AfDB): note - its predecessor was Organization of African Unity (OAU)established - 9 September 1999aim - to promote economic and social developmentregional members - (53) Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde,Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Coted'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea,Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco,Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone,Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwenonregional members - (24) Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France,Germany, India, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Kuwait, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Spain,The 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3209Sweden, Switzerland, UK, USAfrican Union (AU): note - replaces Organization of African Unity (OAU)established - 8 July 2001aim - to achieve greater unity among African States; to defend states' integrity and independence; to acceleratepolitical, social, and economic integration; to encourage international cooperation; to promote democraticprinciples and institutionsmembers - (52) Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, CentralAfrican Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire,Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho,Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria,Rwanda, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone,Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, ZimbabweAgency for the French-Speaking Community (ACCT): note - formerly Agency for Cultural and TechnicalCooperation established - 20 March 1970; name changed 1996aim - to promote cultural and technical cooperation among French- speaking countriesmembers - (51) Albania, Belgium, Benin, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada,Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of theCongo, Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Dominica, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, France, French Community of Belgium,Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Laos, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Former Yugoslav Republic ofMacedonia, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Moldova, Monaco, Morocco, New Brunswick(Canada), Niger, Quebec (Canada), Romania, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal,Seychelles, Switzerland, Togo, Tunisia, Vanuatu, Vietnamobservers - (5) Czech Republic, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, SloveniaAgency 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)established - 14 February 1967 under the Treaty of Tlatelolco; effective - 25 April 1969 on the 11thratification of the treatyaim - to encourage the peaceful uses of atomic energy and prohibit nuclear weaponsmembers - (33) Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile,Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala,Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, SaintLucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, VenezuelaAndean Community of Nations (CAN): note - formerly known as the Andean Group (AG), the AndeanParliament, and most recently as the Andean Common Market (Ancom)established - 26 May 1969; present name established 1 October 1992; effective - 16 October 1969aim - to promote harmonious development through economic integrationThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3210members - (5) Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, VenezuelaArab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (ABEDA): note - also known as Banque Arabe deDeveloppement Economique en Afrique (BADEA)established - 18 February 1974; effective - 16 September 1974aim - to promote economic developmentmembers - (17 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait,Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, UAE, PalestineLiberation Organization; note - these are all the members of the Arab League excluding Comoros, Djibouti,Somalia, YemenArab Cooperation Council (ACC): established - 16 February 1989aim - to promote economic cooperation and integration, possibly leading to an Arab Common Marketmembers - (4) Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Yemen; note - the ACC has remained inactive since the Gulf crisisArab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD): established - 16 May 1968aim - to promote economic and social developmentmembers - (20 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq (suspended1993), Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia(suspended 1993), Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, UAE, Yemen, Palestine Liberation OrganizationArab Maghreb Union (AMU): established - 17 February 1989aim - to promote cooperation and integration among the Arab states of northern Africamembers - (5) Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, TunisiaArab Monetary Fund (AMF): established - 27 April 1976; effective - 2 February 1977aim - to promote Arab cooperation, development, and integration in monetary and economic affairsmembers - (21 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq,Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria,Tunisia, UAE, Yemen, Palestine Liberation OrganizationAsia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC): established - 7 November 1989aim - to promote trade and investment in the Pacific basinmembers - (21) Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea,Malaysia, Mexico, NZ, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, US,Vietnamobservers - (3) Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Pacific Economic Cooperation Council, PacificIslands ForumThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3211Asian Development Bank (AsDB): established - 19 December 1966aim - to promote regional economic cooperationregional members - (44) Afghanistan, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, Cambodia, China,Cook Islands, East Timor, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, South Korea,Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Nauru,Nepal, NZ, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka,Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnamnonregional members - (18) Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy,Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, USAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN): established - 8 August 1967aim - to encourage regional economic, social, and cultural cooperation among the countries of Southeast Asiamembers - (10) Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand,Vietnamdialogue partners - (11) Australia, Canada, China, EU, India, Japan, South Korea, NZ, Russia, US, UNDPASEAN Regional Forum (ARF): established - NA 1994aim - to foster constructive dialogue and consultation on political and security issues of common interest andconcernmembers - (23) Australia, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Canada, China, EU, India, Indonesia, Japan, NorthKorea, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, NZ, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Russia, Singapore,Thailand, US, VietnamAustralia Group: established - NA June 1985aim - to consult on and coordinate export controls related to chemical and biological weaponsmembers - (34) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,European Commission, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, SouthKorea, Luxembourg, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden,Switzerland, Turkey, UK, USAustralia-New Zealand-United States Security Treaty (ANZUS): established - 1 September 1951; effective -29 April 1952aim - to implement a trilateral mutual security agreement, although the US suspended security obligations toNZ on 11 August 1986; Australia and the US continue to hold annual meetingsmembers - (3) Australia, NZ, USBank for International Settlements (BIS): established - 20 January 1930; effective - 17 March 1930aim - to promote cooperation among central banks in international financial settlementsThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3212members - (55) Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria,Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, European Central Bank, Finland, France,Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea,Latvia, Lithuania, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, NZ,Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia and Montenegro, Singapore,Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, UK, US; note - Serbia andMontenegro have separate central banks; their links with BIS are currently under reviewBenelux Economic Union (Benelux): note - acronym from Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourgestablished - 3 February 1958; effective - 1 November 1960aim - to develop closer economic cooperation and integrationmembers - (3) Belgium, Luxembourg, NetherlandsBig Seven: note - membership is the same as the Group of 7established - NA 1975aim - to discuss and coordinate major economic policiesmembers - (7) Big Six (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK) plus the USBig Six: note - not to be confused with the Group of 6established - NA 1967 aim - to foster economic cooperationmembers - (6) Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UKBlack Sea Economic Cooperation Zone (BSEC): established - 25 June 1992aim - to enhance regional stability through economic cooperationmembers - (11) Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Russia,Turkey, Ukraineobservers - (9) Austria, Egypt, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, TunisiaCaribbean Community and Common Market (Caricom): established - 4 July 1973; effective - 1 August 1973aim - to promote economic integration and development, especially among the less developed countriesmembers - (15) Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti,Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname,Trinidad and Tobagoassociate members - (4) Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islandsobservers - (8) Aruba, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico, VenezuelaCaribbean Development Bank (CDB): established - 18 October 1969; effective - 26 January 1970The 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3213aim - to promote economic development and cooperationregional members - (20) Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, British VirginIslands, Cayman Islands, Colombia, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Mexico, Montserrat, Saint Kittsand Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands,Venezuelanonregional members - (5) Canada, China, Germany, Italy, UKCentral African Customs and Economic Union (UDEAC): see Monetary and Economic Community ofCentral Africa (CEMAC)Central African States Development Bank (BDEAC): note - acronym from Banque de Developpement desEtats de l'Afrique Centraleestablished - 3 December 1975aim - to provide loans for economic developmentmembers - (11) African Development Bank (AfDB), Cameroon, Central African States Bank (BEAC), CentralAfrican Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, France, Gabon, Germany, KuwaitCentral American Bank for Economic Integration (BCIE): note - acronym from Banco Centroamericano deIntegracion Economicoestablished - 13 December 1960 signature of Articles of Agreement; 31 May 1961 began operationsaim - to promote economic integration and development members - (5) Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala,Honduras, Nicaraguanonregional members - (4) Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, TaiwanCentral American Common Market (CACM): established - 13 December 1960, collapsed in 1969, reinstatedin 1991aim - to promote establishment of a Central American Common Marketmembers - (5) Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua; note - Panama, although not amember, pursues full regional cooperationCentral European Initiative (CEI): note - evolved from the Quadrilateral Initiative and the HexagonalInitiativeestablished - 11 November 1989 as the Quadrilateral Initiative, 27 July 1991 became the Hexagonal Initiative,NA July 1992 its present name was adoptedaim - to form an economic and political cooperation group for the region between the Adriatic and the BalticSeasmembers - (17) Albania, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic,Hungary, Italy, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Serbia andMontenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, UkraineThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3214centrally planned economies : a term applied mainly to the traditionally Communist states that looked to theformer 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 groupincluded Albania, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, GDR, Hungary, North Korea, Laos,Mongolia, Poland, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, USSR, VietnamColombo Plan (CP): established - NA May 1950 proposal was adopted; 1 July 1951 commenced fulloperationsaim - to promote economic and social development in Asia and the Pacificmembers - (25) Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, Cambodia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Iran,Japan, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, NZ, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea,Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, US, VietnamCommonwealth (C): note - also known as Commonwealth of Nationsestablished - 31 December 1931aim - to foster multinational cooperation and assistance, as a voluntary association that evolved from theBritish Empiremembers - (53) Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Botswana,Brunei, Cameroon, Canada, Cyprus, Dominica, Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, India, Jamaica,Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, NZ,Nigeria, Pakistan (suspended), Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and theGrenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka,Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, UK, Vanuatu, Zambia; note - on 7December 2003 Zimbabwe withdrew its membership from the CommonwealthCommonwealth of Independent States (CIS): established - 8 December 1991; effective - 21 December 1991aim - to coordinate intercommonwealth relations and to provide a mechanism for the orderly dissolution of theUSSRmembers - (12) Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia,Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, UzbekistanCommunist countries: traditionally the Marxist-Leninist states with authoritarian governments and commandeconomies based on the Soviet model; most of the original and the successor states are no longer Communist;see centrally planned economiesCoordinating Committee on Export Controls (COCOM): established in Louis Vuitton Voice 1949 to control the export of strategicproducts 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 neworganization, the Wassenaar Arrangement, with expanded membership on 12 July 1996 that focuses onnonproliferation export controls as opposed to East- West control of advanced technologyCouncil for Mutual Economic Assistance (CEMA): note - also known as CMEA or Comeconestablished 25 January 1949 to promote the development of socialist economies and abolished 1 JanuaryThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 32151991; members included Afghanistan (observer), Albania (had not participated since 1961 break with USSR),Angola (observer), Bulgaria, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Ethiopia (observer), GDR, Hungary, Laos (observer),Mongolia, Mozambique (observer), Nicaragua (observer), Poland, Romania, USSR, Vietnam, Yemen(observer), Yugoslavia (associate)Council of Arab Economic Unity (CAEU): established - 3 June 1957; effective - 30 May 1964aim - to promote economic integration among Arab nationsmembers - (11 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania,Somalia, Sudan, Syria, UAE, Yemen, Palestine Liberation OrganizationCouncil of Europe (CE): established - 5 May 1949; effective - 3 August 1949aim - to promote increased unity and quality of life in Europemembers - (45) Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria,Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary,Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic ofMacedonia, Malta, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbiaand Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, UKobservers - (6) Canada, Holy See, Israel, Japan, Mexico, USCouncil of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS): established - 6 March 1992aim - to promote cooperation among the Baltic Sea states in the areas of aid to new democratic institutions,economic development, humanitarian aid, energy and the environment, cultural programs and education, andtransportation and communicationmembers - (12) Denmark, Estonia, EC, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland,Russia, SwedenCouncil of the Entente (Entente): established - 29 May 1959aim - to promote economic, social, and political coordinationmembers - (5) Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Niger, Togocountries in transition: a term used by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the middle group in itshierarchy of advanced economies, countries in transition, and developing countries; IMF statistics include thefollowing 28 countries in transition: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina,Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania,The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia andMontenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan; note - this group is identicalto the group traditionally referred to as the "former USSR/Eastern Europe" except for the addition ofMongoliaCustoms Cooperation Council (CCC): note - see World Customs Organization (WCO)developed countries (DCs): the top group in the hierarchy of developed countries (DCs), formerUSSR/Eastern Europe (former USSR/EE), and less developed countries (LDCs); includes the market-orientedThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3216economies 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 $10,000although four OECD countries and South Africa have figures well under $10,000 and two of the excludedOPEC 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, SanMarino, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US; note - similar to the new InternationalMonetary Fund (IMF) term "advanced economies" that adds Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, andTaiwan but drops Malta, Mexico, South Africa, and Turkeydeveloping countries: a term used by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the bottom group in itshierarchy of advanced economies, countries in transition, and developing countries; IMF statistics include thefollowing 126 developing countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba,The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, BurkinaFaso, 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 andPrincipe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, SriLanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey,UAE, Uganda, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe; note - this categorywould presumably also cover the following 46 other countries that are traditionally included in the morecomprehensive 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,Jersey, North Korea, Macau, Isle of Man, Martinique, Mayotte, Montserrat, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue,Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Pitcairn Islands, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Saint Helena, SaintPierre and Miquelon, Tokelau, Tonga, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Virgin Islands, Wallis and Futuna,West Bank, Western SaharaEast African Development Bank (EADB): established - 6 June 1967; effective - 1 December 1967aim - to promote economic developmentmembers - (3) Kenya, Tanzania, UgandaEconomic and Social Council (ECOSOC): established - 26 June 1945; effective - 24 October 1945aim - to coordinate the economic and social work of the UN; includes five regional commissions (EconomicCommission for Africa, Economic Commission for Europe, Economic Commission for Latin America and theCaribbean, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Economic and Social Commission forWestern Asia) and nine functional commissions (Commission for Social Development, Commission onHuman Rights, Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Commission on the Status of Women, Commission onPopulation and Development, Statistical Commission, Commission on Science and Technology forDevelopment, Commission on Sustainable Development, and Commission on Crime Prevention and CriminalJustice)The 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3217members - (54) selected on a rotating basis from all regionsEconomic Community of the Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL): note - acronym from CommunauteEconomique des Pays des Grands Lacsestablished - 20 September 1976aim - to promote regional economic cooperation and integrationmembers - (3) Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, RwandaEconomic Community of West African States (ECOWAS): established - 28 May 1975aim - to promote regional economic cooperationmembers - (16) Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau,Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, TogoEconomic Cooperation Organization (ECO): established - 27-29 January 1985aim - to promote regional cooperation in trade, transportation, communications, tourism, cultural affairs, andeconomic developmentmembers - (10) Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey,Turkmenistan, Uzbekistanassociate member - (1) "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus"Economic and Monetary Union (EMU): note - an integral part of the European Union; also known as theEuropean Economic and Monetary Unionproposed - 1-2 December 1969 at summit conference of heads of government; signed - 7 February 1992 -Maastricht Treatyaim - to promote a single market by creating a single currency, the euro; timetable - 2 May 1998: Europeanexchange rates fixed for 1 January 1999; 1 January 1999: all banks and stock exchanges begin using euros; 1January 2002: the euro goes into circulation; 1 July 2002 local currencies no longer acceptedmembers - (12) Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,Netherlands, Portugal, Spain; note - Denmark, Sweden, and UK decided not to joinEuro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC): note - began as the North Atlantic Cooperation Council (NACC);an extension of NATOestablished - 8 November 1991; effective - 20 December 1991aim - to discuss cooperation on mutual political and security issuesmembers - (46) Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, CzechRepublic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy,Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,The 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3218Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, UK, US, UzbekistanEuropean Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD): established - 8-9 January 1990 (proposalsmade); 15 April 1991 (bank inaugurated)aim - to facilitate the transition of seven centrally planned economies in Europe (Bulgaria, formerCzechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, former USSR, and former Yugoslavia) to market economies bycommitting 60% of its loans to privatizationmembers - (62) Albania, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina,Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, EU, European Investment Bank (EIB),Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan,Kazakhstan, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former YugoslavRepublic of Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Poland,Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, UK, US, UzbekistanEuropean Community (or European Communities, EC): was established 8 April 1965 to integrate theEuropean Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), the European Coal and Steel Community (ESC), theEuropean Economic Community (EEC or Common Market), and to establish a completely integratedcommon market and an eventual federation of Europe; merged into the European Union (EU) on 7 February1992; member states at the time of merger were Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy,Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UKEuropean Free Trade Association (EFTA): established - 4 January 1960; effective - 3 May 1960aim - to promote expansion of free trademembers - (4) Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, SwitzerlandEuropean Investment Bank (EIB): established - 25 March 1957; effective - 1 January 1958aim - to promote economic development of the EU and its predecessors, the EEC and the ECmembers - (15) Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, UKEuropean Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN): note - acronym retained from the predecessororganization Conseil Europeenne pour la Recherche Nucleaireestablished - 1 July 1953; effective - 29 September 1954aim - to foster nuclear research for peaceful purposes onlymembers - (20) Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UKobservers - (7) European Commission, Israel, Japan, Russia, Turkey, United Nations Educational, Scientific,and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), USEuropean Space Agency (ESA): established - 31 May 1975The 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3219aim - to promote peaceful cooperation in space research and technologymembers - (15) Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway,Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UKcooperating states - (2) Canada, HungaryEuropean Union (EU): note - evolved from the European Community (EC)established - 7 February 1992; effective - 1 November 1993aim - to coordinate policy among the 15 members in three fields: economics, building on the EuropeanEconomic Community's (EEC) efforts to establish a common market and eventually a common currency to becalled the 'euro', which superseded the EU's accounting unit, the ECU; defense, within the concept of aCommon Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP); and justice and home affairs, including immigration, drugs,terrorism, and improved living and working conditionsmembers - (15) Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, UKnew member states - (10) Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland,Slovakia, Slovenia; note - states will be admitted into the Union 1 May 2004membership applicants - (3) Bulgaria, Romania, TurkeyFirst 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 1945aim - to raise living standards and increase availability of agricultural products; a UN specialized agencymembers - (184) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia,Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin,Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi,Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia,Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Coted'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic,Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, EC, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon,The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti,Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan,Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon,Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar,Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova,Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger,Nigeria, Niue, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines,Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and theGrenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro,Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka,Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga,Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan,Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, ZimbabweThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3220former Soviet Union (FSU): former term often used to identify as a group the successor nations to the SovietUnion or USSR; this group of 15 countries consists of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia,Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistanformer 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); thesecountries are in political and economic transition and may well be grouped differently in the near future; thisgroup of 27 countries consists of Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria,Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, The FormerYugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan,Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Yugoslavia; this group is identical to the IMF group "countries intransition" except for the IMF's inclusion of MongoliaFour Dragons: the four small Asian less developed countries (LDCs) that have experienced unusually rapideconomic 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" groupFranc Zone (FZ): note - also known as Conference des Ministres des Finances des Pays de la Zone Francestablished - NA 1964aim - to form a monetary union among countries whose currencies are linked to the French francmembers - (14) Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo,Cote d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo; note - France's threeoverseas territories, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, and Wallis and Futuna, use the Comptoires Francaisdu Pacifique francs (XPF)Front Line States (FLS): established to achieve black majority rule in South Africa; has since gone out ofexistence; members included Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, ZimbabweGeneral Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT): see the World Trade Organization (WTrO)Group of 2 (G-2): informal term that came into use about 1986; to facilitate bilateral economic cooperationbetween the two most powerful economic giants; members were Japan, USGroup of 3 (G-3): established - NA September 1990aim - mechanism for policy coordinationmembers - (3) Colombia, Mexico, VenezuelaGroup of 5 (G-5): established - 22 September 1985aim - to coordinate the economic policies of five major noncommunist economic powersmembers - (5) France, Germany, Japan, UK, USGroup of 6 (G-6): note - also known as Groupe des Six Sur le Desarmement; not to be confused with the BigSixestablished - 22 May 1984The 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3221aim - to achieve nuclear disarmamentmembers - (6) Argentina, Greece, India, Mexico, Sweden, TanzaniaGroup of 7 (G-7): note - membership is the same as the Big Sevenestablished - 22 September 1985aim - to facilitate economic cooperation among the seven major noncommunist economic powersmembers - (7) Group of 5 (France, Germany, Japan, UK, US) plus Canada and ItalyGroup of 8 (G-8): established - NA October 1975aim - to facilitate economic cooperation among the developed countries (DCs) that participated in theConference on International Economic Cooperation (CIEC), held in several sessions between NA December1975 and 3 June 1977members - (8) Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, UK, USGroup of 9 (G-9): established - NAaim - to discuss matters of mutual interest on an informal basismembers - (9) Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro,SwedenGroup of 10 (G-10): note - also known as the Paris Club; includes the wealthiest members of the IMF whichprovide most of the money to be loaned and act as the informal steering committee; name persists in spite ofthe addition of Switzerland on NA April 1984established - NA October 1962aim - to coordinate credit policymembers - (11) Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, USnonstate participants - (4) BIS, EC, IMF, OECDGroup of 11 (G-11): note - also known as the Cartagena Group;established in 21-22 June 1984, in Cartagena, Colombia;aim was to provide a forum for largest debtor nations in Latin America;members were Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru,Uruguay, VenezuelaGroup of 15 (G-15): note - byproduct of the Nonaligned Movementestablished - NA September 1989The 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3222aim - to promote economic cooperation among developing nations; to act as the main political organ for theNonaligned Movementmembers - (17) Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico,Nigeria, Peru, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Venezuela, ZimbabweGroup of 24 (G-24): established - 1 August 1989aim - to promote the interests of developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America within the IMFmembers - (24) Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire,Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Iran, Lebanon, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru,Philippines, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Syria, Trinidad and Tobago, VenezuelaGroup of 77 (G-77): established - 15 June1964; NA October 1967 first ministerial meetingaim - to promote economic cooperation among developing countries; name persists in spite of increasedmembershipmembers - (133 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Antigua andBarbuda, Argentina, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosniaand Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, CapeVerde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of theCongo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Djibouti, Dominica, DominicanRepublic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia,Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq,Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, North Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi,Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Federated States of Micronesia,Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palau,Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis,Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbiaand Montenegro, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka,Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia,Turkmenistan, Uganda, UAE, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe, PalestineLiberation OrganizationGulf Cooperation Council (GCC): note - also known as the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of theGulfestablished - 25 May 1981aim - to promote regional cooperation in economic, social, political, and military affairsmembers - (6) Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAEGUUAM: note - acronym standing for the member countries, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Azerbaijan,Moldovaestablished - 7 June 2001aim - commits the countries to cooperation and assistance in social and economic development, thestrengthening and broadening of trade and economic relations, and the development and effective use ofThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3223transport and communications, highways, and related infrastructure crossing the boundaries of the memberstatesmembers - (5) Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, Uzbekistanhigh-income countries: another term for the industrialized countries with high per capita GDPs; see developedcountries (DCs)Indian Ocean Commission (InOC): established - 21 December 1982aim - to organize and promote regional cooperation in all sectors, especially economicmembers - (5) Comoros, France (for Reunion), Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychellesindustrial countries: another term for the developed countries; see developed countries (DCs)Inter-American Development Bank (IADB): note - also known as Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID)established - 8 April 1959; effective - 30 December 1959aim - to promote economic and social development in Latin Americamembers - (46) Argentina, Austria, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile,Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Finland, France,Germany, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands,Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland,Trinidad and Tobago, UK, US, Uruguay, VenezuelaInter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD): note - formerly known as Inter-GovernmentalAuthority on Drought and Development (IGADD)established - 15-16 January 1986 as the Inter-Governmental Authority on Drought and Development;revitalized - 21 March 1996 as the Inter- Governmental Authority on Developmentaim - to promote a social, economic, and scientific community among its membersmembers - (7) Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, UgandaInternational Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA): established - 26 October 1956; effective - 29 July 1957aim - to promote peaceful uses of atomic energymembers - (137) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan,Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, BurkinaFaso, Burma, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chile, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic ofthe Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, DominicanRepublic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany,Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland,Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon,Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia,Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru,The 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3224Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro,Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden,Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US,Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, ZimbabweInternational Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD): note - also known as the World Bankestablished - 22 July 1944; effective - 27 December 1945aim - to provide economic development loans; a UN specialized agencymembers - (184) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia,Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize,Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma,Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China,Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire,Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador,Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia,Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras,Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan,Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya,Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia,Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia,Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria,Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal,Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Seychelles,Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka,Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga,Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan,Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, ZimbabweInternational Chamber of Commerce (ICC): established - NA 1919aim - to promote free trade and private enterprise and to represent business interests at national andinternational levelsmembers - (85 national committees) Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium,Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Caribbean, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba,Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece,Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, South Korea,Kuwait, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ,Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia,Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden,Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, UK, US, Uruguay,VenezuelaInternational Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO): established - 7 December 1944; effective - 4 April 1947aim - to promote international cooperation in civil aviation; a UN specialized agencymembers - (188) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia,The 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3225Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize,Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma,Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China,Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica,Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador,Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia,Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras,Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan,Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia,Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi,Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States ofMicronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ,Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Palau, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru,Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, SaintVincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia andMontenegro, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, SouthAfrica, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania,Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK,US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, ZimbabweInternational Civilian Support Mission in Haiti (MICAH): established - 17 December 1999aim - to promote respect for human rightsmembers - (11) Argentina, Benin, Canada, France, India, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo, Tunisia, USInternational Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC): established - 17 February 1863aim - to provide humanitarian aid in wartimemembers - (25 individuals) all Swiss nationalsInternational Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU): established - NA December 1949aim - to promote the trade union movementmembers - (231 affiliated organizations in the following 153 countries plus the Palestine LiberationOrganization) Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, TheBahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria,Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia,Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia,Curacao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador,Eritrea, Estonia, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Finland, France, French Polynesia, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia,Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Holy See, Honduras, HongKong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, SouthKorea, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta,Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal,Netherlands, New Caledonia, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea,Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Helena, SaintKitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe,Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, SriLanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad andThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3226Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, UK, US, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe,Palestine Liberation OrganizationInternational Court of Justice (ICJ): note - also known as the World Courtestablished - 3 February 1946 superseded Permanent Court of International Justiceaim - primary judicial organ of the UNmembers - (15 judges) elected by the UN General Assembly and Security Council to represent all principallegal systemsInternational Criminal Court (ICCt): established - 11 April 2002aim - to hold all individuals and countries accountable to international laws of conduct; to specifyinternational standards of conduct; to provide an important mechanism for implementing these standards; toensure that perpetrators are brought to justicemembers (countries that have ratified the treaty) - (92) Afghanistan, Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda,Argentina, Australia, Austria, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana,Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Central African Republic, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus,Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, East Timor, Ecuador, Estonia, Fiji,Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Honduras, Hungary,Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, South Korea, Latvia, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, TheFormer Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Malawi, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mongolia,Namibia, Nauru, Netherlands, NZ, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal,Romania, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, SierraLeone, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Trinidad andTobago, Uganda, UK, Uruguay, Venezuela, Zambiasignatory states (countries that have signed, but not ratified, the treaty) - (51) Algeria, Angola, Armenia, TheBahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Chile, Comoros,Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Eritrea, Guinea-Bissau,Guyana, Haiti, Iran, Israel, Jamaica, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Madagascar, Mexico, Moldova,Monaco, Morocco, Mozambique, Oman, Philippines, Russia, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles,Solomon Islands, Sudan, Syria, Thailand, Ukraine, UAE, US, Uzbekistan, Yemen, ZimbabweInternational Criminal Police Organization (Interpol): established - NA September 1923 set up as theInternational Criminal Police Commission; 13 June 1956 constitution modified and present name adoptedaim - to promote international cooperation among police authorities in fighting crimemembers - (181) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia,Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium,Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma,Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China,Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire,Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor,Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, TheGambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti,Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan,Kazakhstan, Kenya, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya,The 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3227Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi,Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco,Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, NZ,Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru,Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, SaintVincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro,Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan,Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago,Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen,Zambia, Zimbabwesubbureaus - (14) American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Gibraltar,Guam, Hong Kong, Macau, Montserrat, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos Islands,Virgin IslandsInternational Development Association (IDA): established - 26 January 1960; effective - 24 September 1960aim - to provide economic loans for low-income countries; UN specialized agency and IBRD affiliatemembers - (165) Part I - (27 developed countries) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, EU,Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Netherlands, NZ, Norway,Portugal, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UAE, UK, US Part II - (138 less developedcountries) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Barbados,Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi,Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros,Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, CzechRepublic, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, EquatorialGuinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea,Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan,Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, The FormerYugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands,Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique,Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru,Philippines, Poland, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa,Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia,Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand,Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Yemen,Zambia, ZimbabweInternational Energy Agency (IEA): established - 15 November 1974aim - to promote cooperation on energy matters, especially emergency oil sharing and relations between oilconsumers and oil producers; established by the OECDmembers - (26) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Portugal, Spain,Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, USInternational Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS): note - formerly known as Leagueof Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (LORCS)established - 5 May 1919The 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3228aim - to organize, coordinate, and direct international relief actions; to promote humanitarian activities; torepresent and encourage the development of National Societies; to bring help to victims of armed conflicts,refugees, and displaced people; to reduce the vulnerability of people through development programsmembers - (185 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola,Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain,Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil,Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, CentralAfrican Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic ofthe Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti,Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea,Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada,Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq,Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait,Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, TheFormer Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mauritania,Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique,Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua NewGuinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts andNevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, SaudiArabia, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, SolomonIslands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria,Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan,Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia,Zimbabwe, the Palestine Liberation Organizationobservers - (2) Israel, TuvaluInternational Finance Corporation (IFC): established - 25 May 1955; effective - 24 July 1956aim - to support private enterprise in international economic development; a UN specialized agency and IBRDaffiliatemembers - (175) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia,Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize,Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi,Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia,Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia,Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador,Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany,Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland,India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, SouthKorea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, TheFormer Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands,Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique,Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, PapuaNew Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis,Saint Lucia, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore,Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden,Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey,Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam,Yemen, Zambia, ZimbabweThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3229International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD): established - NA November 1974aim - to promote agricultural development; a UN specialized agencymembers - (163) Category I - (23 industrialized aid contributors) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada,Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, NZ,Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, US Category II - (12 petroleum-exporting aidcontributors) Algeria, Gabon, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE,Venezuela Category III - (128 aid recipients) Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina,Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina,Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central AfricanRepublic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of theCongo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Djibouti, Dominica, DominicanRepublic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, The Gambia,Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Israel,Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, North Korea, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho,Liberia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali,Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal,Nicaragua, Niger, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Romania,Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome andPrincipe, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa,Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad andTobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Uruguay, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, ZimbabweInternational Hydrographic Organization (IHO): note - name changed from International HydrographicBureau on 22 September 1970established - NA June 1919; effective - NA June 1921aim - to train hydrographic surveyors and nautical cartographers to achieve standardization in nautical chartsand electronic chart displays; to provide advice on nautical cartography and hydrography; to develop thesciences in the field of hydrography and techniques used for descriptive oceanographymembers - (74) Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Burma, Canada, Chile,China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Croatia, Cuba,Cyprus, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,Guatemala, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait,Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Mozambique, Netherlands, NZ, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan,Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Singapore, Slovenia,South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden, Syria, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia,Turkey, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Venezuelamembership pending - (3) Bulgaria, Mauritania, QatarInternational Labor Organization (ILO): established - 28 June 1919 set up as part of Treaty of Versailles; 11April 1919 became operative; 14 December 1946 affiliated with the UNaim - to deal with world labor issues; a UN specialized agencymembers - (177) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia,Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize,Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi,The 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3230Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia,Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia,Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador,Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia,Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras,Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan,Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya,Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali,Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal,Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea,Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, SaintLucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbiaand Montenegro, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, SouthAfrica, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania,Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US,Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, ZimbabweInternational Maritime Organization (IMO): note - name changed from Intergovernmental MaritimeConsultative Organization (IMCO) on 22 May 1982established - 6 March 1948 set up as the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization; effective -17 March 1958aim - to deal with international maritime affairs; a UN specialized agencymembers - (163) Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan,The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina,Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Colombia,Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia,Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, ElSalvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia,Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary,Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya,Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, TheFormer Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Marshall Islands,Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal,Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru,Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent andthe Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro,Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, SriLanka, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad andTobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam,Yemen associate members - (3) Faroe Islands, Hong Kong, MacauInternational Monetary Fund (IMF): established - 22 July 1944; effective - 27 December 1945aim - to promote world monetary stability and economic development; a UN specialized agencymembers - (184) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia,Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize,Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma,Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China,The 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3231Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire,Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador,Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia,Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras,Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan,Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya,Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia,Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia,Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria,Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal,Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Seychelles,Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka,Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga,Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan,Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, ZimbabweInternational Olympic Committee (IOC): established - 23 June 1894aim - to promote the Olympic ideals and administer the Olympic games: 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens,Greece; 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy; 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China; 2010 WinterOlympics in British Colombia, CanadaNational Olympic Committees - (201 and the Palestine Liberation Organization) Afghanistan, Albania,Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola (suspended), Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba,Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize,Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei,Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands,Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo,Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic,Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, EquatorialGuinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana,Greece, Grenada, Guam, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary,Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya,Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya,Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi,Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova,Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, NZ,Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru,Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, SaintLucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal,Serbia and Montenegro, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia,South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan,Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine,UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands, Yemen, Zambia,Zimbabwe, Palestine Liberation OrganizationInternational Organization for Migration (IOM): note - established as Provisional IntergovernmentalCommittee for the Movement of Migrants from Europe; renamed Intergovernmental Committee for EuropeanMigration (ICEM) on 15 November 1952; renamed Intergovernmental Committee for Migration (ICM) inNovember 1980; current name adopted 14 November 1989The 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3232established - 5 December 1951aim - to facilitate orderly international emigration and immigrationmembers - (102) Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh,Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia,Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, CzechRepublic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Finland, France, The Gambia,Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iran, Ireland,Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liberia, Lithuania,Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mexico, Moldova, Morocco, Netherlands, NZ,Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania,Rwanda, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan,Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, Uganda, Ukraine, UK, US, Uruguay,Venezuela, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabweobservers - (29) Afghanistan, Belarus, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burundi, China, Cuba,Estonia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Holy See, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Libya, The Former Yugoslav Republic ofMacedonia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Russia, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe,Somalia, Spain, Turkey, Turkmenistan, VietnamInternational Organization for Standardization (ISO): established - NA February 1947aim - to promote the development of international standards with a view to facilitating international exchangeof goods and services and to developing cooperation in the sphere of intellectual, scientific, technological andeconomic activitymembers - (97 national standards organizations) Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan,Bangladesh, Barbados, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria,Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic,Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India,Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, North Korea, SouthKorea, Kuwait, Libya, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta,Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, NZ, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama,Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia and Montenegro, Singapore, Slovakia,Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad andTobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zimbabwecorrespondent members - (36) Albania, Angola, Bolivia, Brunei, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of theCongo, El Salvador, Estonia, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Macau,Madagascar, Malawi, Moldova, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay,Peru, Qatar, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sudan, Swaziland, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Yemen,Zambiasubscriber members - (14 plus the Palestinian Liberation Organization) Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi,Cambodia, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Eritrea, Fiji, Grenada, Guyana, Honduras, Lesotho, Mali, Niger,Palestinian Liberation OrganizationInternational Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (ICRM): established - NA 1928aim - to promote worldwide humanitarian aid through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)in wartime, and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS; formerly LeagueThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3233of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies or LORCS) in peacetimeNational Societies - (185 countries); note - same as membership for International Federation of Red Cross andRed Crescent Societies (IFRCS)International Telecommunication Union (ITU): established - 17 May 1865 set up as the InternationalTelegraph Union; 9 December 1932 adopted present nameeffective - 1 January 1934; affiliated with the UN - 15 November 1947aim - to deal with world telecommunications issues; a UN specialized agencymembers - (189) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia,Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize,Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma,Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China,Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire,Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt,El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia,Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Holy See,Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan,Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon,Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic ofMacedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius,Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia,Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua NewGuinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, SaintVincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia andMontenegro, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, SouthAfrica, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania,Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine,UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, ZimbabweIslamic Development Bank (IDB): established - 15 December 1973 by declaration of intent; effective - 12August 1974aim - to promote Islamic economic aid and social developmentmembers - (54 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Azerbaijan,Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros, Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti,Egypt, Gabon, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait,Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Oman,Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Tajikistan, Togo,Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, UAE, Uzbekistan, Yemen, Palestine Liberation OrganizationLatin American Economic System (LAES): note - also known as Sistema Economico Latinoamericana(SELA)established - 17 October 1975aim - to promote economic and social development through regional cooperationThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3234members - (28) Argentina, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica,Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica,Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, VenezuelaLatin American Integration Association (LAIA): note - also known as Asociacion Latinoamericana deIntegracion (ALADI)established - 12 August 1980; effective - 18 March 1981aim - to promote freer regional trademembers - (12) Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru,Uruguay, Venezuelaobservers - (23) China, Commission of the European Communities, Corporacion Andina de Fomento, CostaRica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Inter-American Development Bank, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, Italy, Latin America Economic System, Nicaragua,Organization of American States, Panama, Pan-American Health Organization, Portugal, Romania, Russia,Spain, Switzerland, United Nations Development Program, United Nations Economic Commission for LatinAmerica and the CaribbeanLeague of Arab States (LAS): note - also known as Arab League (AL)established - 22 March 1945aim - to promote economic, social, political, and military cooperationmembers - (21 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq,Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria,Tunisia, UAE, Yemen, Palestine Liberation Organizationleast developed countries (LLDCs): that subgroup of the less developed countries (LDCs) initially identifiedby the UN General Assembly in 1971 as having no significant economic growth, per capita GDPs normallyless 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, CentralAfrican 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, Yemenless developed countries (LDCs): the bottom group in the hierarchy of developed countries (DCs), formerUSSR/Eastern Europe (former USSR/EE), and less developed countries (LDCs); mainly countries anddependent areas with low levels of output, living standards, and technology; per capita GDPs are generallybelow $5,000 and often less than $1,500; however, the group also includes a number of countries with highper capita incomes, areas of advanced technology, and rapid rates of growth; includes the advanceddeveloping countries, developing countries, Four Dragons (Four Tigers), least developed countries (LLDCs),low-income countries, middle-income countries, newly industrializing economies (NIEs), the South, ThirdWorld, underdeveloped countries, undeveloped countries; the 172 LDCs are: Afghanistan, Algeria, AmericanSamoa, 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 ofThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3235the 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, Jamaica, Jersey, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon,Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Macau, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Isle of Man, MarshallIslands, 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, Saint Kittsand Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome andPrincipe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka,Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad andTobago, 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 tothe new International Monetary Fund (IMF) term "developing countries" which adds Malta, Mexico, SouthAfrica, and Turkey but omits in its recently published statistics American Samoa, Anguilla, British VirginIslands, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, Cook Islands, Cuba, Eritrea, FalklandIslands, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gaza Strip, Gibraltar, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam,Guernsey, Jersey, North Korea, Macau, Isle of Man, Martinique, Mayotte, Montserrat, Nauru, NewCaledonia, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Pitcairn Islands, Puerto Rico, Reunion,Saint Helena, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Tokelau, Tonga, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Virgin Islands,Wallis and Futuna, West Bank, Western Saharalow-income countries: another term for those less developed countries with below-average per capita GDPs;see less developed countries (LDCs)middle-income countries: another term for those less developed countries with above-average per capitaGDPs; see less developed countries (LDCs)Monetary and Economic Community of Central Africa (CEMAC): note - was formerly the Central AfricanCustoms and Economic Union (UDEAC)established - 8 December 1964; effective - 1 January 1966aim - to promote the establishment of a Central African Common Marketmembers - (6) Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, GabonNear Abroad: Russian term for the 14 non-Russian successor states of the USSR, in which 25 million ethnicRussians live and in which Moscow has expressed a strong national security interest; the 14 countries areArmenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova,Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistannew independent states (NIS): a term referring to all those countries of the FSU except the Baltic countries(Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania)newly industrializing countries (NICs): former term for the newly industrializing economies; see newlyindustrializing economies (NIEs)newly industrializing economies (NIEs): that subgroup of the less developed countries (LDCs) that hasexperienced particularly rapid industrialization of their economies; formerly known as the newlyThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3236industrializing countries (NICs); also known as advanced developing countries; usually includes the FourDragons (Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan), and BrazilNonaligned Movement (NAM): established - 1-6 September 1961aim - to establish political and military cooperation apart from the traditional East or West blocsmembers - (114 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, The Bahamas,Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brunei, Burkina Faso,Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia,Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Djibouti,Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana,Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica,Jordan, Kenya, North Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi,Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal,Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda,Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Seychelles, SierraLeone, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand,Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uganda, UAE, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela,Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Palestine Liberation Organizationobservers - (13) Armenia, Belarus, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Dominica, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,Mexico, Paraguay, Ukraine, Uruguayguests - (28) Australia, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Finland, France, Germany,Greece, Holy See, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Poland, Portugal,Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, USNordic Council (NC): established - 16 March 1952; effective - 12 February 1953aim - to promote regional economic, cultural, and environmental cooperationmembers - (5) Denmark (including Faroe Islands and Greenland), Finland (including Aland Islands), Iceland,Norway, Swedenobservers - (3) the Sami (Lapp) local parliaments of Finland, Norway, and SwedenNordic Investment Bank (NIB): established - 4 December 1975; effective - 1 June 1976aim - to promote economic cooperation and developmentmembers - (5) Denmark (including Faroe Islands and Greenland), Finland (including Aland Islands), Iceland,Norway, SwedenNorth: a popular term for the rich industrialized countries generally located in the northern portion of theNorthern Hemisphere; the counterpart of the South; see developed countries (DCs)North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA): established - 17 December 1992aim - to eliminate trade barriers, promote fair competition, increase investment opportunities, provideprotection of intellectual property rights, create procedures to settle disputesThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3237members - (3) Canada, Mexico, USNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO): established - 4 April 1949aim - to promote mutual defense and cooperationmembers - (26) Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece,Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania,Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, UK, USNuclear Energy Agency (NEA): note - also known as OECD Nuclear Energy Agencyestablished - 1 February 1958aim - to promote the peaceful uses of nuclear energy; associated with OECDmembers - (28) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway,Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, USNuclear Suppliers Group (NSG): note - also known as the London Suppliers Group or the London Groupestablished - NA 1974; effective - NA 1975aim - to establish guidelines for exports of nuclear materials, processing equipment for uranium enrichment,and technical information to countries of proliferation concern and regions of conflict and instabilitymembers - (40) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus, CzechRepublic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, SouthKorea, Latvia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia,Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, UK, USobserver - (1) European Commission (a policy-planning body for the EU)Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD): established - 14 December 1960;effective - 30 September 1961aim - to promote economic cooperation and developmentmembers - (30) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, NZ,Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, USspecial member - (1) EUOrganization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE): note - formerly the Conference on Security andCooperation in Europe (CSCE) established 3 July 1975established - 1 January 1995aim - to foster the implementation of human rights, fundamental freedoms, democracy, and the rule of law; toThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3238act as an instrument of early warning, conflict prevention, and crisis management; and to serve as aframework for conventional arms control and confidence building measuresmembers - (55) Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina,Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany,Greece, Holy See, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania,Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway,Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, UK, US, Uzbekistanpartners for cooperation - (10) Afghanistan, Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Morocco,Thailand, TunisiaOrganization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW): established - 29 April 1997aim - to enforce the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use ofChemical Weapons and on Their Destruction; to provide a forum for consultation and cooperation among thesignatories of the Conventionmembers (countries that have ratified the Convention) - (160) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra,Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin,Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon,Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus,Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia,Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea,Guyana, Holy See, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan,Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lesotho, Libya, Liechtenstein,Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali,Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia,Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman,Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania,Russia, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, SaudiArabia, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, SriLanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga,Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay,Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwesignatory states (countries that have signed, but not ratified, the Convention) - (22) The Bahamas, Bhutan,Burma, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republicof the Congo, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guinea- Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, Israel, Liberia,Madagascar, Marshall Islands, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Sierra Leone; note - states have signed but notratified the conventionOrganization of African Unity (OAU): see African UnionOrganization of American States (OAS): established - 14 April 1890 as the International Union of AmericanRepublics; 30 April 1948 adopted present charter; effective - 13 December 1951aim - to promote regional peace and security as well as economic and social developmentmembers - (35) Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada,Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba (excluded from formal participation since 1962), Dominica, DominicanThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3239Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua,Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname,Trinidad and Tobago, US, Uruguay, Venezuelaobservers - (56) Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria,Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, EU, Finland, France, Georgia,Germany, Ghana, Greece, Holy See, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea,Latvia, Lebanon, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania,Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand,Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, UK, YemenOrganization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC): established - 9 January 1968aim - to promote cooperation in the petroleum industrymembers - (11) Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, UAEOrganization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS): established - 18 June 1981; effective - 4 July 1981aim - to promote political, economic, and defense cooperationmembers - (7) Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia,Saint Vincent and the Grenadinesassociate members - (2) Anguilla, British Virgin IslandsOrganization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC): established - 14 September 1960aim - to coordinate petroleum policiesmembers - (11) Algeria, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, VenezuelaOrganization of the Islamic Conference (OIC): established - 22-25 September 1969aim - to promote Islamic solidarity in economic, social, cultural, and political affairsmembers - (56 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Azerbaijan,Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros, Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti,Egypt, Gabon, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan,Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger,Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Suriname, Syria,Tajikistan, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, UAE, Uzbekistan, Yemen, Palestine LiberationOrganizationobservers - (10) Bosnia and Herzegovina, Central African Republic, ECA, LAS, Moro National LiberationFront, NAM, OAU, Thailand, Turkish Muslim Community of Kibris, UNPacific Community: note - formerly known as the South Pacific Commission (SPC) established - 6 February1947; effective - 29 July 1948aim - to promote regional cooperation in economic and social mattersThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3240members - (27) American Samoa, Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, France, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati,Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, NZ, Niue, Northern MarianaIslands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, UK,US, Vanuatu, Wallis and FutunaPacific Islands Forum (PIF): note - formerly known as South Pacific Forum (SPF)established - 5 August 1971aim - to promote regional cooperation in political mattersmembers - (16) Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia,Nauru, NZ, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatuobservers - (2) East Timor, New CaledoniaParis Club: established - 1956aim - to provide a forum for debtor countries to negotiate rescheduling of debt service payments or loansextended by governments or official agencies of participating countries; to help restore normal trade andproject finance to debtor countriesmembers - (19) Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy,Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, USPartnership for Peace (PFP): established - 10-11 January 1994aim - to expand and intensify political and military cooperation throughout Europe, increase stability,diminish threats to peace, and build relationships by promoting the spirit of practical cooperation andcommitment to democratic principles that underpin NATO; program under the auspices of NATOmembers - (20) Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Croatia, Finland, Georgia, Ireland,Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Russia, Sweden,Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, UzbekistanPermanent Court of Arbitration (PCA): established - 29 July 1899aim - to facilitate the settlement of international disputesmembers - (101) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, BurkinaFaso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, CostaRica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador,Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras,Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan,Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan,Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro,Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden,Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, UK, US, Uruguay, Venezuela, Zambia, ZimbabweRio Group (RG): note - formerly known as Grupo de los Ocho, established NA December 1986; composed ofthe Contadora Group and the Lima GroupThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3241established - NA 1988aim - to consult on regional Latin American issuesmembers - (19) Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, ElSalvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, VenezuelaSecond 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 fromuse; see centrally planned economiesShanghai Cooperative Organization (SCO): established - 15 June 2001aim - to combat terrorism, extremism, and separatism; to safeguard regional security through mutual trust,disarmament, and cooperative security; and to increase cooperation in political, trade, economic, scientific andtechnological, cultural, and educational fieldsmembers - (6) China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistansocialist countries: in general, countries in which the government owns and plans the use of the major factorsof production; note - the term is sometimes used incorrectly as a synonym for Communist countriesSouth: a popular term for the poorer, less industrialized countries generally located south of the developedcountries; the counterpart of the North; see less developed countries (LDCs)South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC): established - 8 December 1985aim - to promote economic, social, and cultural cooperationmembers - (7) Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri LankaSouth Pacific Forum (SPF): note - see Pacific Island ForumSouth Pacific Regional Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement (Sparteca): established - NA 1981aim - to redress unequal trade relationships of Australia and New Zealand with small island economies in thePacific regionmembers - (16) Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia,Nauru, NZ, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, VanuatuSouthern African Customs Union (SACU): established - 11 December 1969aim - to promote free trade and cooperation in customs mattersmembers - (5) Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, SwazilandSouthern African Development Community (SADC): note - evolved from the Southern African DevelopmentCoordination Conference (SADCC)established - 17 August 1992The 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3242aim - to promote regional economic development and integrationmembers - (14) Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius,Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, ZimbabweSouthern Cone Common Market (Mercosur) or Southern Common Market: note - also known as MercadoComun del Cono Sur (Mercosur)established - 26 March 1991aim - to increase regional economic cooperationmembers - (4) Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguayassociate members - (2) Bolivia, ChileThird World: another term for the less developed countries; the term is obsolescent; see less developedcountries (LDCs)underdeveloped countries: refers to those less developed countries with the potential for above-averageeconomic growth; see less developed countries (LDCs)undeveloped countries: refers to those extremely poor less developed countries (LDCs) with little prospect foreconomic growth; see least developed countries (LLDCs)United Nations (UN): established - 26 June 1945; effective - 24 October 1945aim - to maintain international peace and security and to promote cooperation involving economic, social,cultural, and humanitarian problemsconstituent organizations - the UN is composed of six principal organs and numerous subordinate agenciesand bodies as follows:1) Secretariat2) General Assembly: Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UN AIDS), International Research andTraining Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW), Office of the United Nations HighCommissioner for Human Rights, United Nations Center for Human Settlements (UN-Habitat), UnitedNations Children's Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD),United Nations Development Program (UNDP), United Nations Drug Control Program (UNDCP), UnitedNations Environment Program (UNEP), United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR),United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United Nations Institute for DisarmamentResearch (UNIDIR), United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), United NationsInterregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA),United Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS), United Nations Relief and Works Agency for PalestineRefugees in the Near East (UNRWA), United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD),United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC), and United Nations University (UNU), World Food Program(WFP)3) Security Council: International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), InternationalCriminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), United Nations Compensation Commission, United NationsDisengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), United Nations Interim Administration Mission in KosovoThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3243(UNMIK), United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL),United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor (UNMISET), United Nations Military Observer Group inIndia and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara(MINURSO), United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), United Nations Mission in SierraLeone (UNAMSIL), United Nations Monitoring and Verification Commission (UNMOVIC), United NationsObserver Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG), United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republicof the Congo (MONUC), United Nations Peace-Keeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), and United NationsTruce Supervision Organization (UNTSO)4) Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC): Commission for Social Development, Commission on CrimePrevention and Criminal Justice, Commission on Human Rights, Commission on Narcotics Drugs,Commission on Population and Development, Commission on Science and Technology for Development,Commission on Sustainable Development, Commission on the Status of Women, Economic and SocialCommission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia(ESCWA), Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Economic Commission for Europe (ECE), EconomicCommission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Food and Agriculture Organization of theUnited Nations (FAO), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), International Bank for Reconstructionand Development (IBRD), International Center for Secretariat of Investment Disputes (ICSID), InternationalCivil Aviation Organization (ICAO), International Development Association (IDA), International FinanceCorporation (IFC), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), International LaborOrganization (ILO), International Maritime Organization (IMO), International Monetary Fund (IMF),International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Multilateral Investment Geographic Agency (MIGA),Statistical Commission, United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO),United Nations Forum on Forests, United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), UniversalPostal Union (UPU), World Health Organization (WHO), World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO),World Meteorological Organization (WMO), World Tourism Organization (WToO), and World TradeOrganization (WTrO)5) Trusteeship Council (inactive; no trusteeships at this time)6) International Court of Justice (ICJ)UN members - (191) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina,Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium,Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso,Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China,Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire,Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor,Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, TheGambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea- Bissau, Guyana, Haiti,Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan,Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon,Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic ofMacedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius,Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia,Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, PapuaNew Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts andNevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, SaudiArabia, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, SolomonIslands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria,Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu,Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia,The 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3244Zimbabwe; note - all UN members are represented in the General Assemblyobservers - (1 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Holy See, Palestine Liberation OrganizationUnited Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF): note - acronym retained from the predecessor organization, UNInternational Children's Emergency Fundestablished - 11 December 1946aim - to help establish child health and welfare servicesmembers - (37) selected on a rotating basis from all regionsUnited Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD): established - 30 December 1964aim - to promote international trademembers - (192) all UN members plus Holy SeeUnited Nations Development Program (UNDP): established - 22 November 1965aim - to provide technical assistance to stimulate economic and social developmentmembers (executive board) - (36) selected on a rotating basis from all regionsUnited Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF): established - 31 May 1974aim - to observe the 1973 Arab-Israeli cease-fire; established by the UN Security Councilmembers - (6) Austria, Canada, Japan, Poland, Slovakia, SwedenUnited Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO): established - 16 November1945; effective - 4 November 1946aim - to promote cooperation in education, science, and culturemembers - (190) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia,Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize,Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi,Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia,Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Coted'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, EastTimor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France,Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau,Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan,Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon,Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar,Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated Statesof Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands,NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea,Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, SaintLucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal,The 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3245Serbia and Montenegro, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, SouthAfrica, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania,Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine,UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabweassociate members - (6) Aruba, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Macau, Netherlands Antilles, TokelauUnited Nations Environment Program (UNEP): established - 15 December 1972aim - to promote international cooperation on all environmental mattersmembers - (58) selected on a rotating basis from all regionsUnited Nations General Assembly: established - 26 June 1945; effective - 24 October 1945aim - to function as the primary deliberative organ of the UNmembers - (191) all UN members are represented in the General AssemblyUnited Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): established - 3 December 1949; effective - 1January 1951aim - to ensure the humanitarian treatment of refugees and find permanent solutions to refugee problemsmembers (executive committee) - (64) Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil,Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Cyprus, Denmark,Ecuador, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guinea, Holy See, Hungary, India, Iran, Ireland, Israel,Italy, Japan, Kenya, South Korea, Lebanon, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia,Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro,Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda,UK, US, Venezuela, YemenUnited Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO): established - 17 November 1966; effective -1 January 1967aim - UN specialized agency that promotes industrial development especially among the membersmembers - (171) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, TheBahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia andHerzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde,Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Tory Burch Outlet - Tory Burch Outlet the Congo,Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti,Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea,Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala,Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy,Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon,Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar,Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia,Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman,Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia,Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint jordans for sale Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, SaudiArabia, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, SouthThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3246Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania,Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK,Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, ZimbabweUnited Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR): established - 11 December 1963 adoption ofthe resolution establishing the Institute; effective - 24 March 1965aim - to help the UN become more effective through training and researchmembers (Board of Trustees) - (21) Austria, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Ghana, Japan,Kuwait, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, South Africa, Sweden,Switzerland, UK, US; note - the UN Secretary General can appoint up to 30 membersUnited Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK): established - 10 June 1999aim - to promote the establishment of substantial autonomy and self- government in Kosovo; to perform basiccivilian administrative functions; to support the reconstruction of key infrastructure and humanitarian anddisaster reliefmembers - (48) Argentina, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, Cote d'Ivoire, CzechRepublic, Denmark, Egypt, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Italy,Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Malawi, Malaysia, Nepal, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines,Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Senegal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, UkraineUK, US, Zambia, ZimbabweUnited Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL): established - 19 March 1978aim - to confirm the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and assist in reestablishing Lebanese authority in southernLebanon; established by the UN Security Councilmembers - (7) France, Ghana, India, Ireland, Italy, Poland, UkraineUnited Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission (UNIKOM): established in 9 April 1991; to observe andmonitor the demilitarized zone established between Iraq and Kuwait; established by the UN Security Council;members were Argentina, Austria, Bangladesh, China, Denmark, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana,Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, Romania,Russia, Senegal, Singapore, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, UK, US, Uruguay, Venezuela; mandate ended 6October 2003United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP): established - 24 January 1949aim - to observe the 1949 India-Pakistan cease-fire; established by the UN Security Councilmembers - (9) Belgium, Chile, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Italy, South Korea, Sweden, UruguayUnited Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO): established - 29 April 1991aim - to supervise the cease-fire and conduct a referendum in Western Sahara; established by the UN SecurityCouncilmembers - (25) Argentina, Austria, Bangladesh, China, Croatia, Egypt, El Salvador, France, Ghana, Greece,Guinea, Honduras, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, South Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nigeria, Pakistan,The 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3247Poland, Russia, Sri Lanka, UruguayUnited Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH): established - 21 December 1995; to establishan International Police Task Force (IPTF) to implement the Dayton Peace Agreement in Bosnia andHerzegovina; members Argentina, Austria, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Czech Republic,Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia,Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Lithuania, Malaysia, Nepal, Nigeria, Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Poland,Portugal, Romania, Russia, Senegal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, UK,US, Vanuatu; was terminated 31 December 2002United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE): established - 31 July 2000aim - to monitor the cessation of hostilitiesmembers - (42) Algeria, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, China,Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, The Gambia, Ghana, Greece, India, Italy, Jordan, Kenya,Malaysia, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, SouthAfrica, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Tunisia, Ukraine, UK, US, Uruguay, ZambiaUnited Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL): established - 19 September 2003aim - to support the cease-fire agreement and peace process; protect UN facilities and people; supporthumanitarian activities;and assist in national security reformmembers - (43) Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Croatia, Denmark, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Finland,France, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea- Bissau, Indonesia, Ireland, Jordan, Kenya, South Korea, Malawi, Mali,Moldova, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines,Poland, Romania, Senegal, South Africa, Sweden, Togo, Turkey, UK, US, Zambia, ZimbabweUnited Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL): established - 22 October 1999aim - to cooperate with the Government of Sierra Leone and the other parties to the Peace Agreement in theimplementation of the agreement; to monitor the military and security situation in Sierra Leone; to monitorthe disarmament and demobilization of combatants and members of the Civil Defense Forces (CFD); to assistin monitoring respect for international humanitarian lawmembers - (31) Bangladesh, Bolivia, Canada, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, The Gambia,Germany, Ghana, Guinea, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Mali, Nepal, NZ, Nigeria,Pakistan, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Tanzania, Thailand, Ukraine, UK, Uruguay, ZambiaUnited Nations Mission of Observers in Prevlaka (UNMOP): established 1 February 1996; to monitor thedemilitarization of the Prevlaka peninsula in southern Croatia; members were Argentina, Bangladesh,Belgium, Brazil, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, Ghana, Indonesia, Ireland, Jordan, Kenya, Nepal,NZ, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, Switzerland, Ukraine; was terminated 15 December 2002United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor (UNMISET): established - 17 May 2002aim - to provide assistance to structures critical to political stability; to provide law enforcement and publicsecurity and to assist in the development of law enforcement agencies; to contribute to external securitymembers - (28) Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Croatia, Denmark, Fiji, Ireland, Japan, Jordan,Kenya, South Korea, Malaysia, Mozambique, Nepal, NZ, Pakistan, Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Serbia andThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3248Montenegro, Singapore, Slovakia, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, UruguayUnited Nations Monitoring, Verification, and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC): note - formerly known asUnited Nations Special Commission for the Elimination of Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction (UNSCOM)established - NA December 1999aim - to identify, account for, and eliminate Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and the capacity to producethemcommissioners - (15) Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria,Russia, Senegal, Ukraine, UK, USUnited Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG): established - 24 August 1993aim - to verify compliance with the cease-fire agreement, to monitor weapons exclusion zone, and tosupervise CIS peacekeeping force for Abkhazia; established by the UN Security Councilmembers - (23) Albania, Austria, Bangladesh, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece,Hungary, Indonesia, Jordan, South Korea, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine,UK, US, UruguayUnited Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC): established - 30November 1999aim - to establish contacts with the signatories to the cease-fire agreement and to plan for the observation ofthe cease-fire and disengagement of forcesmembers - (49) Algeria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burkina Faso,Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, France, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Ireland,Jordan, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Norway,Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Romania, Russia, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, South Africa, Spain, SriLanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Ukraine, UK, Uruguay, ZambiaUnited Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP): established - 4 March 1964aim - to serve as a peacekeeping force between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in Cyprus; establishedby the UN Security Councilmembers - (9) Argentina, Austria, Canada, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, South Korea, Slovakia, UKUnited Nations Population Fund (UNFPA): note - acronym retained from predecessor organization UN Fundfor Population Activitiesestablished - NA July 1967aim - to assist both developed and developing countries to deal with their population problemsmembers (executive board ) - (36) selected on a rotating basis from all regionsUnited Nations Preventive Deployment Force (UNPREDEP): established 31 March 1995; to monitor borderactivity in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; members were Argentina, Bangladesh, Belgium,The 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3249Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, Ghana, Indonesia, Ireland, Jordan, Kenya, Nepal,NZ, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, US;mandate ended 25 March 1999United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA): established - 8December 1949aim - to provide assistance to Palestinian refugeesmembers (advisory commission) - (10) Belgium, Egypt, France, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, UK,USUnited Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD): established - NA 1963aim - to conduct research into the problems of economic development during different phases of economicgrowthmembers - no country members, but a Board of Directors consisting of a chairman appointed by the UNsecretary general and 11 individual membersUnited Nations Secretariat: established - 26 June 1945; effective - 24 October 1945aim - to serve as the primary administrative organ of the UN; a Secretary General is appointed for a five-yearterm by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Councilmembers - the UN Secretary General and staffUnited Nations Security Council (UNSC): established - 26 June 1945; effective - 24 October 1945aim - to maintain international peace and securitypermanent members - (5) China, France, Russia, UK, USnonpermanent members - (10) elected for two-year terms by the UN General Assembly; Algeria (2004-05),Angola (2003-04), Benin (2004-05), Brazil (2004-05), Chile (2003-04), Germany (2003-04), Pakistan (2003-04), Philippines (2004-05), Romania (2004-05), Spain (2003-04)United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET): established 25 October 1999 toprovide security throughout the territory of East Timor; to establish an effective administration; to ensure thecoordination and delivery of humanitarian assistance; to support capacity-building for self-government; 28members including Australia, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Denmark, Egypt, Fiji, Ireland, Jordan, SouthKorea, Malaysia, Mozambique, Nepal, NZ, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Singapore,Slovakia, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, UK, US, UruguayUnited Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO): established - NA June 1948aim - to supervise the 1948 Arab-Israeli cease-fire; currently supports timely deployment of reinforcements toother peacekeeping operations in the region as needed; initially established by the UN Security Councilmembers - (23) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland,France, Ireland, Italy, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, USThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3250United Nations Trusteeship Council: established on 26 June 1945, effective on 24 October 1945, to supervisethe administration of the 11 UN trust territories; members were China, France, Russia, UK, US; it formallysuspended operations 1 November 1995 after the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Palau) became theRepublic of Palau, a constitutional government in free association with the US; the Trusteeship Council wasnot dissolvedUnited Nations University (UNU): established - 3 December 1973aim - to conduct research in development, welfare, and human survival and to train scholarsmembers - (24 members of UNU Council and the Rector are appointed by the Secretary General of the UnitedNations and the Director General of UNESCO)Universal Postal Union (UPU): established - 9 October 1874, affiliated with the UN 15 November 1947;effective - 1 July 1948aim - to promote international postal cooperation; a UN specialized agencymembers - (188) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia,Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize,Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma,Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China,Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire,Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor,Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, TheGambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti,Holy See, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan,Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon,Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic ofMacedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova,Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger,Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland,Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and theGrenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro,Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, SriLanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo,Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US,Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, ZimbabweWarsaw Pact (WP): established 14 May 1955 to promote mutual defense; members met 1 July 1991 todissolve the alliance; member states at the time of dissolution were Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary,Poland, Romania, and the USSR; earlier members included GDR and AlbaniaWest African Development Bank (WADB): note - also known as Banque Ouest-Africaine de Developpement(BOAD); is a financial institution of WAEMUestablished - 14 November 1973aim - to promote regional economic development and integrationregional members - (9) Central Bank of West African States, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire,Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, TogoThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3251international/nonregional members - (5) African Development Bank, Belgium, European Investment Bank,France, GermanyWest African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU): note - also known as Union Economique etMonetaire Ouest Africaine (UEMOA)established - 1 August 1994aim - to increase competitiveness of members' economic markets; to create a common marketmembers - (8) Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, TogoWestern European Union (WEU): established - 23 October 1954; effective - 6 May 1955aim - to provide mutual defense and to move toward political unificationmembers - (10) Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UKassociate members - (6) Czech Republic, Hungary, Iceland, Norway, Poland, Turkeyassociate partners - (7) Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Sloveniaobservers - (5) Austria, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, SwedenWorld Bank Group: includes International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), InternationalDevelopment Association (IDA), and International Finance Corporation (IFC)World Confederation of Labor (WCL): established - 19 June 1920 as the International Federation of ChristianTrade Unions (IFCTU), renamed 4 October 1968aim - to promote the trade union movementmembers - (102 national organizations) Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Austria, Bangladesh,Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Central AfricanRepublic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica,Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, 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, Liechtenstein,Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Malawi,Malta, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, 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 andMontenegro, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Switzerland,Taiwan, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine, US, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia,ZimbabweWorld Customs Organization (WCO): note - began as the Customs Cooperation Council (CCC)established - 15 December 1950aim - to promote international cooperation in customs mattersThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3252members - (162) Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, TheBahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana,Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, CentralAfrican Republic, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of theCongo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, East Timor, Ecuador,Egypt, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana,Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq,Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia,Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, The Former Yugoslav Republic ofMacedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova,Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger,Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland,Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro,Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland,Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey,Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia,ZimbabweWorld Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU): established - 3 October 1945aim - to promote the trade union movementmembers - (125 and the Palestine Liberation Organization) Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Antigua andBarbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Benin,Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, Colombia,Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, CzechRepublic, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France,French Guiana, The Gambia, Ghana, Greece, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti,Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, North Korea, Kuwait,Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Martinique,Mauritius, Mexico, Mozambique, Nepal, New Caledonia, NZ, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama,Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Romania, Russia, Saint Lucia,Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Slovakia,Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand,Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan,Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe, Palestine Liberation OrganizationWorld Food Program (WFP): established - 24 November 1961aim - to provide food aid in support of economic development or disaster relief; an ECOSOC organizationmembers - (36) selected on a rotating basis from all regionsWorld Health Organization (WHO): established - 22 July 1946; effective - 7 April 1948aim - to deal with health matters worldwide; a UN specialized agencymembers - (192) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia,Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize,Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma,Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China,Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica,The 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3253Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic,East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France,Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau,Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan,Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon,Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar,Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated Statesof Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands,NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea,Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, SaintLucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal,Serbia and Montenegro, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia,South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan,Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda,Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabweassociate members - (2) Puerto Rico, Tokelauobservers - (2) Holy See, LiechtensteinWorld Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO): established - 14 July 1967; effective - 26 April 1970aim - to furnish protection for literary, artistic, and scientific works; a UN specialized agencymembers - (179) Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia,Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan,Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi,Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia,Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus,Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, EquatorialGuinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana,Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland,India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, North Korea,South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania,Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta,Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal,Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea,Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, SaintLucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal,Serbia and Montenegro, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa,Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo,Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay,Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, ZimbabweWorld Meteorological Organization (WMO): established - 11 October 1947; effective - 4 April 1951aim - to sponsor meteorological cooperation; a UN specialized agencymembers - (187) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia,Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize,Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, British Caribbean Territories, Brunei,Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central AfricanThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3254Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of theCongo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti,Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France,French Polynesia, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel,Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan,Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, The Former YugoslavRepublic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius,Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia,Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norway,Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania,Russia, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro,Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, SriLanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo,Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay,Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, ZimbabweWorld Tourism Organization (WToO): established - 2 January 1975aim - to promote tourism as a means of contributing to economic development, international understanding,and peacemembers - (142) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan,Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, BurkinaFaso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China,Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia,Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, EquatorialGuinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala,Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan,Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya,Lithuania, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali,Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia,Nepal, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland,Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal,Serbia and Montenegro, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan,Swaziland, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine,Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabweassociate members - (7) Aruba, Flanders, Hong Kong, Macau, Madeira Islands, Netherlands Antilles, PuertoRicoobservers - (2) Holy See, Palestine Liberation OrganizationWorld Trade Organization (WTrO): note - succeeded General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT)established - 15 April 1994; effective - 1 January 1995aim - to provide a forum to resolve trade conflicts between members and to carry on negotiations with thegoal of further lowering and/or eliminating tariffs and other trade barriersmembers - (146) Albania, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahrain,Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso,The 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3255Burma, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, DemocraticRepublic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, CzechRepublic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, EU,Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea,Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel,Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lesotho, Liechtenstein,Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau,The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi,Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco,Mozambique, Namibia, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama,Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts andNevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia,Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan,Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay,Venezuela, Zambia, Zimbabweobservers - (30) Algeria, Andorra, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Belarus, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina,Cambodia, Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Holy See, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Nepal, Russia,Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Serbia and Montenegro, Seychelles, Sudan, Tajikistan, Tonga,Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Yemen; note - must start accession negotiations within five years ofbecoming observersZangger Committee (ZC): established - early 1970saim - to establish guidelines for the export control provisions of the Nonproliferation of Nuclear WeaponsTreaty (NPT)members - (35) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark,Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, Netherlands,Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,Turkey Ukraine, UK, USThis page was last updated on 9 December, 2004=====================================================================Appendix C - Selected International Environmental AgreementsAir Pollutionsee Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air PollutionAir Pollution-Nitrogen Oxidessee Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution Concerning the Control ofEmissions of Nitrogen Oxides or Their Transboundary FluxesAir Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutantssee Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution on Persistent OrganicPollutantsAir Pollution-Sulfur 85The 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3256see Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution on the Reduction of SulfurEmissions or Their Transboundary Fluxes by at least 30%Air Pollution-Sulfur 94see Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution on Further Reduction ofSulfur EmissionsAir Pollution-Volatile Organic Compoundssee Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution Concerning the Control ofEmissions of Volatile Organic Compounds or Their Transboundary FluxesAntarctic-Environmental Protocolsee Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic TreatyAntarctic Treatyopened for signature - 1 December 1959entered into force - 23 June 1961objective - to ensure that Antarctica is used for peaceful purposes only (such as international cooperation inscientific research); to defer the question of territorial claims asserted by some nations and not recognized byothers; to provide an international forum for management of the region; applies to land and ice shelves southof 60 degrees South latitudeparties - (45) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba,Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, India,Italy, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Poland,Romania, Russia, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, UK, US, Uruguay,VenezuelaBasel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposalnote - abbreviated as Hazardous Wastesopened for signature - 22 March 1989 entered into force - 5 May 1992objective - to reduce transboundary movements of wastes subject to the Convention to a minimum consistentwith the environmentally sound and efficient management of such wastes; to minimize the amount andtoxicity of wastes generated and ensure their environmentally sound management as closely as possible to thesource of generation; and to assist LDCs in environmentally sound management of the hazardous and otherwastes they generateparties - (159) Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria,Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia,Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon,Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Coted'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic,Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Ethiopia, EU, Finland, France, The Gambia,The 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3257Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India,Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea,Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The FormerYugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands,Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco,Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan,Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda,Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbiaand Montenegro, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden,Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda,Ukraine, UAE, UK, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambiacountries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (3) Afghanistan, Haiti, USBiodiversitysee Convention on Biological DiversityConvention for the Conservation of Antarctic Sealsnote - abbreviated as Antarctic Sealsopened for signature - 1 June 1972 entered into force - 11 March 1978objective - to promote and achieve the protection, scientific study, and rational use of Antarctic seals, and tomaintain a satisfactory balance within the ecological system of Antarcticaparties - (16) Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway,Poland, Russia, South Africa, UK, UScountries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (1) NZConvention on Biological Diversitynote - abbreviated as Biodiversityopened for signature - 5 June 1992entered into force - 29 December 1993objective - to develop national strategies for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversityparties - (188) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia,Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan,Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia,Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros,Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia,Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, ElSalvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, EU, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia,Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras,Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya,Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya,The 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3258Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi,Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States ofMicronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ,Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay,Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia,Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbiaand Montenegro, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa,Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand,Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK,Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwecountries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (1) USClimate Changesee United Nations Framework Convention on Climate ChangeClimate Change-Kyoto Protocolsee Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate ChangeConvention on Fishing and Conservation of Living Resources of the High Seasnote - abbreviated as Marine Life Conservationopened for signature - 29 April 1958entered into force - 20 March 1966objective - to solve through international cooperation the problems involved in the conservation of livingresources of the high seas, considering that because of the development of modern technology some of theseresources are in danger of being overexploitedparties - (37) Australia, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Colombia, Denmark,Dominican Republic, Fiji, Finland, France, Haiti, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia,Mauritius, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Portugal, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Sierra Leone, SolomonIslands, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, UK, US,Venezuelacountries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (21) Afghanistan, Argentina, Bolivia, Canada, Costa Rica,Cuba, Ghana, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Lebanon, Liberia, Nepal, NZ, Pakistan, Panama, SriLanka, Tunisia, UruguayConvention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollutionnote - abbreviated as Air Pollutionopened for signature - 13 November 1979entered into force - 16 March 1983 objective - to protect the human environment against air pollution and togradually reduce and prevent air pollution, including long-range transboundary air pollutionThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3259parties - (49) Armenia, Azerbaijan, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada,Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, EU, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece,Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, TheFormer Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal,Romania, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine,UK, UScountries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (2) Holy See, San MarinoConvention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resourcesnote - abbreviated as Antarctic-Marine Living Resourcesopened for signature - 5 May 1980entered into force - 7 April 1982objective - to safeguard the environment and protect the integrity of the ecosystem of the seas surroundingAntarctica, and to conserve Antarctic marine living resourcesparties - (31) Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, EU, Finland, France, Germany,Greece, India, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Namibia, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Peru, Poland, Russia, SouthAfrica, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, UK, US, Uruguay, VanuatuConvention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES)note - abbreviated as Endangered Speciesopened for signature - 3 March 1973entered into force - 1 July 1975objective - to protect certain endangered species from overexploitation by means of a system of import/exportpermitsparties - (165) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan,The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil,Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic,Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, CostaRica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, DominicanRepublic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France,Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau,Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan,Kazakhstan, Kenya, South Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania,Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta,Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal,Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru,Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, SaintVincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro,Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan,Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia,Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen,The 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3260Zambia, ZimbabweConvention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping Wastes and Other Matter (LondonConvention)note - abbreviated as Marine Dumpingopened for signature - 29 December 1972entered into force - 30 August 1975objective - to control pollution of the sea by dumping and to encourage regional agreements supplementary tothe Conventionparties - (80 + Hong Kong) Afghanistan, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, Barbados,Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Democratic Republic of the Congo,Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Finland, France,Gabon, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong (associate member), Hungary, Iceland,Iran, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea, Libya, Luxembourg, Malta,Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Nauru, Netherlands, NZ, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua NewGuinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Serbiaand Montenegro, Seychelles, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Suriname, Sweden,Switzerland, Tonga, Tunisia, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, VanuatuConvention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental ModificationTechniquesnote - abbreviated as Environmental Modificationopened for signature - 10 December 1976entered into force - 5 October 1978 objective - to prohibit the military or other hostile use of environmentalmodification techniques in order to further world peace and trust among nationsparties - (66) Afghanistan, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belarus,Belgium, Benin, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic,Denmark, Dominica, Egypt, Finland, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy,Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Malawi, Mauritius, Mongolia, Netherlands, NZ, Niger,Norway, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Romania, Russia, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and theGrenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland,Tajikistan, Tunisia, Ukraine, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemencountries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (17) Bolivia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia,Holy See, Iceland, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Liberia, Luxembourg, Morocco, Nicaragua, Portugal, Sierra Leone,Syria, Turkey, UgandaConvention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar)note - abbreviated as Wetlandsopened for signature - 2 February 1971The 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3261entered into force - 21 December 1975objective - to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizingthe fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural, scientific, and recreationalvalueparties - (125) Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain,Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria,Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Canada, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of theCongo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador,Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece,Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea- Bissau, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy,Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, South Korea, Latvia, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, TheFormer Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mauritania,Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger,Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania,Russia, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka,Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey,Uganda, Ukraine, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, ZambiaDesertificationsee United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Droughtand/or Desertification, Particularly in AfricaEndangered Speciessee Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES)Environmental Modificationsee Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental ModificationTechniquesHazardous Wastessee Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their DisposalInternational Convention for the Regulation of Whalingnote - abbreviated as Whalingopened for signature - 2 December 1946entered into force - 10 November 1948objective - to protect all species of whales from overhunting; to establish a system of international regulationfor the whale fisheries to ensure proper conservation and development of whale stocks; and to safeguard forfuture generations the great natural resources represented by whale stocksparties - (42) Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Denmark,Dominica, Finland, France, Germany, Grenada, Guinea, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, South Korea,The 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3262Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Oman, Panama, Peru, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis,Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sweden,Switzerland, UK, USInternational Tropical Timber Agreement, 1983note - abbreviated as Tropical Timber 83opened for signature - 18 November 1983entered into force - 1 April 1985; this agreement expired when the International Tropical Timber Agreement,1994, went into forceobjective - to provide an effective framework for cooperation between tropical timber producers andconsumers and to encourage the development of national policies aimed at sustainable utilization andconservation of tropical forests and their genetic resourcesparties - (54) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Burma, Cameroon, Canada, China, Colombia,Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, EU, Fiji,Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guyana, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan,South Korea, Liberia, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Panama, Papua New Guinea,Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, UK,US, VenezuelaInternational Tropical Timber Agreement, 1994note - abbreviated as Tropical Timber 94opened for signature - 26 January 1994entered into force - 1 January 1997objective - to ensure that by the year 2000 exports of tropical timber originate from sustainably managedsources; to establish a fund to assist tropical timber producers in obtaining the resources necessary to reachthis objectiveparties - (58) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, CentralAfrican Republic, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Coted'Ivoire, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, EU, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guyana,Honduras, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Liberia, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Nepal,Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Spain, Suriname,Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, US, Uruguay, Vanuatu, VenezuelaKyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Changenote - abbreviated as Climate Change-Kyoto Protocolopened for signature - 16 March 1998, but not yet in forceobjective - to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions by enhancing the national programs of developedcountries aimed at this goal and by establishing percentage reduction targets for the developed countriesThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3263parties - (122) Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bangladesh,Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia,Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic,Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, EU, Fiji, Finland,France, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Honduras,Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kiribati, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos,Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta,Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco,Namibia, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niue, Norway, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea,Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Senegal, Seychelles, Slovakia,Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand,Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, UK, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu,Vietnamcountries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (13) Australia, Croatia, Egypt, Indonesia, Israel, Kazakhstan,Liechtenstein, Monaco, Niger, Russia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, US, ZambiaLaw of the Seasee United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOS)Marine Dumpingsee Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping Wastes and Other Matter (LondonConvention)Marine Life Conservationsee Convention on Fishing and Conservation of Living Resources of the High SeasMontreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layernote - abbreviated as Ozone Layer Protectionopened for signature - 16 September 1987entered into force - 1 January 1989 objective - to protect the ozone layer by controlling emissions ofsubstances that deplete itparties - (183) Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria,Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosniaand Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon,Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, DemocraticRepublic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, CzechRepublic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia,Ethiopia, EU, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada,Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy,Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos,Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former YugoslavRepublic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania,Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique,Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau,The 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3264Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda,Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, SaudiArabia, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, SolomonIslands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria,Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu,Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia,ZimbabweNuclear Test Bansee Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapons Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space, and Under WaterOzone Layer Protectionsee Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone LayerProtocol of 1978 Relating to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships, 1973(MARPOL)note - abbreviated as Ship Pollutionopened for signature - 17 February 1978entered into force - 2 October 1983objective - to preserve the marine environment through the complete elimination of pollution by oil and otherharmful substances and the minimization of accidental discharge of such substancesparties - (119) Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, The Bahamas, Barbados,Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burma, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China,Colombia, Comoros, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica,Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia,Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia,Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, North Korea, South Korea, Latvia, Lebanon,Liberia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico,Monaco, Morocco, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru,Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and theGrenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore,Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Togo, Tonga,Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Tuvalu, Ukraine, UK, US, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, VietnamProtocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treatynote - abbreviated as Antarctic-Environmental Protocolopened for signature - 4 October 1991entered into force - 14 January 1998objective - to provide for comprehensive protection of the Antarctic environment and dependent andassociated ecosystems; applies to the area covered by the Antarctic TreatyThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3265parties - (30) Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Ecuador, Finland,France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Peru, Poland, Russia,South Africa, Spain, Sweden, UK, US, Ukraine, UruguayProtocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution Concerning the Control ofEmissions of Nitrogen Oxides or Their Transboundary Fluxesnote - abbreviated as Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxidesopened for signature - 31 October 1988entered into force - 14 February 1991objective - to provide for the control or reduction of nitrogen oxides and their transboundary fluxesparties - (28) Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, EU, Finland,France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Russia,Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, UK, UScountries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (1) PolandProtocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution Concerning the Control ofEmissions of Volatile Organic Compounds or Their Transboundary Fluxesnote - abbreviated as Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compoundsopened for signature - 18 November 1991entered into force - 29 September 1997objective - to provide for the control and reduction of emissions of volatile organic compounds in order toreduce their transboundary fluxes so as to protect human health and the environment from adverse effectsparties - (21) Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany,Hungary, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden,Switzerland, UKcountries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (6) Canada, EU, Greece, Portugal, Ukraine, USProtocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution on Further Reduction of SulfurEmissionsnote - abbreviated as Air Pollution-Sulfur 94opened for signature - 14 June 1994entered into force - 5 August 1998objective - to provide for a further reduction in sulfur emissions or transboundary fluxesparties - (23) Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, EU, Finland, France, Germany,Greece, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,The 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3266Switzerland, UKcountries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (5) Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Russia, UkraineProtocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution on Persistent OrganicPollutantsnote - abbreviated as Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutantsopened for signature - 24 June 1998, but not yet in forceobjective - to provide for the control and reduction of emissions of persistent organic pollutants in order toreduce their transboundary fluxes so as to protect human health and the environment from adverse effectsparties - (8) Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerlandcountries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (28) Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, CzechRepublic, EU, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein,Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Ukraine, UK, USProtocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution on the Reduction of SulfurEmissions or Their Transboundary Fluxes by at Least 30%note - abbreviated as Air Pollution-Sulfur 85opened for signature - 8 July 1985entered into force - 2 September 1987objective - to provide for a 30% reduction in sulfur emissions or transboundary fluxes by 1993parties - (22) Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland,France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Slovakia,Sweden, Switzerland, UkraineShip Pollutionsee Protocol of 1978 Relating to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships,1973 (MARPOL)Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapon Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space, and Under Waternote - abbreviated as Nuclear Test Banopened for signature - 5 August 1963entered into force - 10 October 1963objective - to obtain an agreement on general and complete disarmament under strict international control inaccordance with the objectives of the United Nations; to put an end to the armaments race and eliminateincentives for the production and testing of all kinds of weapons, including nuclear weaponsThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3267parties - (113) Afghanistan, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, The Bahamas,Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burma,Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica,Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador,Fiji, Finland, Gabon, The Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India,Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, South Korea, Kuwait, Laos,Lebanon, Liberia, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico,Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru,Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Samoa, San Marino, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro,Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname,Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey,Uganda, UK, US, Venezuela, Zambiacountries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (17) Algeria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chile,Ethiopia, Haiti, Libya, Mali, Pakistan, Paraguay, Portugal, Somalia, Tanzania, Uruguay, Vietnam, YemenTropical Timber 83see International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1983Tropical Timber 94see International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1994United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOS)note - abbreviated as Law of the Seaopened for signature - 10 December 1982entered into force - 16 November 1994objective - to set up a comprehensive new legal regime for the sea and oceans; to include rules concerningenvironmental standards as well as enforcement provisions dealing with pollution of the marine environmentparties - (145) Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, TheBahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina,Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burma, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Comoros,Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, CzechRepublic, Djibouti, Dominica, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, EU, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia,Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras,Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea,Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar,Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States ofMicronesia, Monaco, Mongolia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Nigeria,Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar,Romania, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tomeand Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia,Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Tanzania,Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, UK, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vietnam,Yemen, Zambia, ZimbabweThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3268countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (29) Afghanistan, Belarus, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Burundi,Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Republic of the Congo, Denmark, DominicanRepublic, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Iran, North Korea, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Malawi, Morocco,Niger, Niue, Rwanda, Swaziland, Switzerland, Thailand, UAEUnited Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Droughtand/or Desertification, Particularly in Africanote - abbreviated as Desertificationopened for signature - 14 October 1994entered into force - 26 December 1996objective - to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought through national action programs thatincorporate long-term strategies supported by international cooperation and partnership arrangementsparties - (178) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia,Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia,Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde,Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo,Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic,Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea,Ethiopia, EU, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada,Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran,Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan,Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali,Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco,Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria,Niue, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland,Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore,Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden,Switzerland, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey,Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen,Zambia, ZimbabweUnited Nations Framework Convention on Climate Changenote - abbreviated as Climate Changeopened for signature - 9 May 1992entered into force - 21 March 1994objective - to achieve stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a low enough levelto prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate systemparties - (186) Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria,Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia,Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon,Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, DemocraticThe 2004 CIA World Factbook, by 3269Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba,Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador,Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, EU, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia,Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary,Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati,North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Liechtenstein,Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia,Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia,Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua,Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru,Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, SaintVincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia andMontenegro, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain,Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo,Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay,Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwecountries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (2) Afghanistan, LiberiaWetlandssee Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially As Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar)Whalingsee International Convention for the Regulation of WhalingThis page was last updated on 9 December, 2004=====================================================================Appendix D - Cross-Reference List of Country Data CodesFIPS 10-4: Countries, Dependencies, Areas of Special Sovereignty, and Their Principal AdministrativeDivisions (FIPS PUB 10-4) is maintained by the Office of the Geographer and Global Issues (Department ofState) and published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (Department of Commerce).</br>
+ <ul>
+   <li>54033b4c</li>
+   <li>c20f0722</li>
+   <li>9d614ec1-2458-40bb-8a02-8715076be179</li>
   </ul>

Difference between revisions of "User:Yibai2013kq"

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