| Name |
Formal Name |
Headquarters |
Established |
Aim |
Members |
| NAM |
Nonaligned Movement |
|
1-6 September 1961 |
to establish political and military cooperation apart from the traditional East or West blocs |
114 + Palestine Liberation Organization (13 + 28 observers) |
| NC |
Nordic Council |
|
16 March 1952; effective - 12 February 1953 |
to promote regional economic, cultural, and environmental cooperation |
5 + 3 observers |
| NIB |
Nordic Investment Bank |
|
4 December 1975; effective - 1 June 1976 |
to promote economic cooperation and development |
5: Denmark (including Faroe Islands and Greenland), Finland (including Aland Islands), Iceland, Norway, Sweden |
| NAFTA |
North American Free Trade Agreement |
|
17 December 1992 |
to eliminate trade barriers, promote fair competition, increase investment opportunities, provide protection of intellectual property rights, create procedures to settle disputes |
3: Canada, Mexico, US |
| NATO |
North Atlantic Treaty Organization |
|
4 April 1949 |
to promote mutual defense and cooperation |
26 |
| NEA |
Nuclear Energy Agency (also known as OECD Nuclear Energy Agency) |
|
1 February 1958 |
to promote the peaceful uses of nuclear energy; associated with OECD |
28 |
| NSG |
Nuclear Suppliers Group |
|
NA 1974; effective - NA 1975 |
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 instability |
40 + European Commission |
| ↑ |
|
|
|
|
|
| OSCE |
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (formerly the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) established 3 July 1975) |
|
1 January 1995 |
to foster the implementation of human rights, fundamental freedoms, democracy, and the rule of law; to act as an instrument of early warning, conflict prevention, and crisis management; and to serve as a framework for conventional arms control and confidence building measures |
55 + 10 partners for cooperation |
| OECD |
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development |
|
14 December 1960; effective - 30 September 1961 |
to promote economic cooperation and development |
30 + 1: EU, special member |
| OPCW |
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons |
|
29 April 1997 |
to enforce the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction; to provide a forum for consultation and cooperation among the signatories of the Convention |
160 countries that have ratified the Convention, 22 countries that have signed, but not ratified, the Convention |
| OAS |
Organization of American States |
|
14 April 1890 as the International Union of American Republics; 30 April 1948 adopted present charter; effective - 13 December 1951 |
to promote regional peace and security as well as economic and social development |
35 + 56 observers |
| OAPEC |
Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries |
|
9 January 1968 |
to promote cooperation in the petroleum industry |
11: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, UAE |
| OECS |
Organization of Eastern Caribbean States |
|
18 June 1981; effective - 4 July 1981 |
to promote political, economic, and defense cooperation |
7: Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; associate members: (2) Anguilla, British Virgin Islands |
| OPEC |
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries |
|
14 September 1960 |
to coordinate petroleum policies |
11 |
| OIC |
Organization of the Islamic Conference |
|
22-25 September 1969 |
to promote Islamic solidarity in economic, social, cultural, and political affairs |
56 + Palestine Liberation Organization + 10 observers |
| ↑ |
|
|
|
|
|
| PIF |
Pacific Islands Forum (formerly known as South Pacific Forum -SPF) |
|
5 August 1971 |
to promote regional cooperation in political matters |
16 + 2 observers |
| PFP |
Partnership for Peace |
|
10-11 January 1994 |
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 and commitment to democratic principles that underpin NATO; program under the auspices of NATO |
20 |
| PCA |
Permanent Court of Arbitration |
|
29 July 1899 |
to facilitate the settlement of international disputes |
101 |
| RG |
Rio Group (formerly known as Grupo de los Ocho, established NA December 1986; composed of the Contadora Group and the Lima Group) |
|
NA 1988 |
to consult on regional Latin American issues |
19 |
| ↑ |
|
|
|
|
|
| SCO |
Shanghai Cooperative Organization |
|
15 June 2001 |
to combat terrorism, extremism, and separatism; to safeguard regional security through mutual trust, disarmament, and cooperative security |
6 |
| SAARC |
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation |
|
8 December 1985 |
to promote economic, social, and cultural cooperation |
7 |
| Sparteca |
South Pacific Regional Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement |
|
NA 1981 |
to redress unequal trade relationships of Australia and New Zealand with small island economies in the Pacific region |
16 |
| SACU |
Southern African Customs Union |
|
11 December 1969 |
to promote free trade and cooperation in customs matters |
5: Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland |
| SADC ↑ |
Southern African Development Community (evolved from the Southern African Development Coordination Conference - SADCC) |
|
17 August 1992 |
to promote regional economic development and integration |
14 |
| UN |
United Nations (the UN is composed of six principal organs and numerous subordinate agencies and bodies as follows) |
|
26 June 1945; effective - 24 October 1945 |
to maintain international peace and security and to promote cooperation involving economic, social, cultural, and humanitarian problems |
191 + 2 observers |
| UNICEF (acronym retained from the predecessor organization, UN International Children's Emergency Fund) |
United Nations Children's Fund |
NEW YORK (United States of America) |
11 December 1946 |
to help establish child health and welfare services |
37 selected on a rotating basis from all regions |
| UNCTAD |
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development |
Geneva, Switzerland |
30 December 1964 |
to promote international trade |
192: all UN members plus Holy See |
| UNDP |
United Nations Development Program |
|
22 November 1965 |
to provide technical assistance to stimulate economic and social development |
executive board: (36) selected on a rotating basis from all regions |
| UNESCO |
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization |
Paris (France) |
16 November 1945; effective - 4 November 1946 |
to promote cooperation in education, science, and culture |
190 + 6 associate members |
| UNEP |
United Nations Environment Program |
NAIROBI (Kenya) |
15 December 1972 |
to promote international cooperation on all environmental matters |
58, selected on a rotating basis from all regions |
| UNHCR |
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees |
Geneva, Switzerland |
3 December 1949; effective - 1 January 1951 |
to ensure the humanitarian treatment of refugees and find permanent solutions to refugee problems |
64 |
| UNIDO |
United Nations Industrial Development Organization |
Vienna (Austria) |
17 November 1966; effective - 1 January 1967 |
UN specialized agency that promotes industrial development especially among the members |
171 |
| UNITAR |
United Nations Institute for Training and Research |
Geneva, Switzerland |
11 December 1963 adoption of the resolution establishing the Institute; effective - 24 March 1965 |
to help the UN become more effective through training and research |
Board of Trustees: 21; (the UN Secretary General can appoint up to 30 members) |
| UNMIK |
United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo |
|
10 June 1999 |
to promote the establishment of substantial autonomy and self-government in Kosovo |
48 |
| UNIFIL |
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon |
|
19 March 1978 |
to confirm the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and assist in reestablishing Lebanese authority in southern Lebanon |
7: France, Ghana, India, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Ukraine |
| UNMOGIP |
United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan |
|
24 January 1949 |
to observe the 1949 India-Pakistan cease-fire; established by the UN Security Council |
9 |
| UNMIBH |
United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina |
|
21 December 1995 (was terminated 31 December 2002) |
to establish an International Police Task Force (IPTF) to implement the Dayton Peace Agreement in Bosnia and Herzegovina |
47 |
| UNMEE |
United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea |
|
31 July 2000 |
to monitor the cessation of hostilities |
42 |
| UNMIL ↑ |
United Nations Mission in Liberia |
|
19 September 2003 |
to support the cease-fire agreement and peace process; protect UN facilities and people; support humanitarian activities;and assist in national security reform |
43 |
| UNAMSIL |
United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone |
|
22 October 1999 |
to cooperate with the Government of Sierra Leone and the other parties to the Peace Agreement in the implementation of the agreement |
31 |
| UNMISET |
United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor |
|
17 May 2002 |
to provide assistance to structures critical to political stability; to provide law enforcement and public security and to assist in the development of law enforcement agencies; to contribute to external security |
28 |
| UNMOVIC |
United Nations Monitoring, Verification, and Inspection Commission (formerly known as United Nations Special Commission for the Elimination of Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction -UNSCOM) |
|
NA December 1999 |
to identify, account for, and eliminate Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and the capacity to produce them |
commissioners: 15 |
| UNOMIG |
United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia |
|
24 August 1993 (established by the UN Security Council) |
to verify compliance with the cease-fire agreement, to monitor weapons exclusion zone, and to supervise CIS peacekeeping force for Abkhazia |
23 |
| UNFICYP |
United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus |
|
4 March 1964 (established by the UN Security Council) |
to serve as a peacekeeping force between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in Cyprus |
9 |
| UNFPA (acronym retained from predecessor organization UN Fund for Population Activities |
United Nations Population Fund |
|
NA July 1967 |
to assist both developed and developing countries to deal with their population problems |
executive board: 36, selected on a rotating basis from all regions |
| UNRWA |
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East |
|
8 December 1949 |
to provide assistance to Palestinian refugees |
advisory commission: 10 |
| UNSC |
United Nations Security Council |
|
26 June 1945; effective - 24 October 1945 |
to maintain international peace and security |
permanent members, 5; 10 nonpermanent members, elected for two-year terms by the UN General Assembly |
| UNTSO |
United Nations Truce Supervision Organization |
|
NA June 1948 (initially established by the UN Security Council) |
currently supports timely deployment of reinforcements to other peacekeeping operations in the region as needed |
23 |
| UNU |
United Nations University |
|
3 December 1973 |
to conduct research in development, welfare, and human survival and to train scholars |
24 members of UNU Council and the Rector are appointed by the Secretary General of the United Nations and the Director General of UNESCO |
| UPU |
Universal Postal Union |
|
9 October 1874, affiliated with the UN 15 November 1947; effective - 1 July 1948 |
to promote international postal cooperation; a UN specialized agency |
190 |
| ↑ |
|
|
|
|
|
| WADB |
West African Development Bank (also known as Banque Ouest-Africaine de Developpement -BOAD; is a financial institution of WAEMU |
|
14 November 1973 |
to promote regional economic development and integration |
9 regional, 5 international/nonregional members |
| WAEMU |
West African Economic and Monetary Union (also known as Union Economique et Monetaire Ouest Africaine - UEMOA) |
|
1 August 1994 |
to increase competitiveness of members' economic markets; to create a common market |
8 |
| WEU |
Western European Union |
|
23 October 1954; effective - 6 May 1955 |
to provide mutual defense and to move toward political unification |
10; 6 associate members and 7 associate partners + 5 observers |
| World Bank Group |
World Bank Group |
|
|
|
includes: IBRD, IDA, IFC |
| WCL |
World Confederation of Labor |
|
19 June 1920 as the International Federation of Christian Trade Unions (IFCTU), renamed 4 October 1968 |
to promote the trade union movement |
102 national organizations |
| WCO |
World Customs Organization (began as the Customs Cooperation Council - CCC) |
|
15 December 1950 |
to promote international cooperation in customs matters |
162 |
| WFTU |
World Federation of Trade Unions |
|
3 October 1945 |
to promote the trade union movement |
125 and the Palestine Liberation Organization |
| WFP |
World Food Program |
Rome, Italy |
24 November 1961 |
to provide food aid in support of economic development or disaster relief; an ECOSOC organization |
36, selected on a rotating basis from all regions |
| WHO |
World Health Organization |
|
22 July 1946; effective - 7 April 1948 |
to deal with health matters worldwide; a UN specialized agency |
192; associate members - (2) Puerto Rico, Tokelau |
| WIPO |
World Intellectual Property Organization |
|
14 July 1967; effective - 26 April 1970 |
to furnish protection for literary, artistic, and scientific works; a UN specialized agency |
179 |
| WMO |
World Meteorological Organization |
|
11 October 1947; effective - 4 April 1951 |
to sponsor meteorological cooperation; a UN specialized agency |
187 |
| WToO |
World Tourism Organization |
|
2 January 1975 |
to promote tourism as a means of contributing to economic development, international understanding, and peace |
142; 7 associate members + 2 observers |
| WTrO |
World Trade Organization (succeeded General Agreement on Tariff and Trade -GATT) |
|
15 April 1994; effective - 1 January 1995 |
to provide a forum to resolve trade conflicts between members and to carry on negotiations with the goal of further lowering and/or eliminating tariffs and other trade barriers |
146 + 30 observers |
| ZC |
Zangger Committee |
|
early 1970s |
to establish guidelines for the export control provisions of the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty (NPT) |
35 |