advanced developing countries: another term for those less developed
countries (LDCs) with particularly rapid industrial development; see
newly industrializing economies (NIEs)
advanced economies: a term used by the International Monetary FUND
(IMF) for the top group in its hierarchy of advanced economies,
countries in transition, and developing countries; it includes the
following 28 advanced economies: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada,
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 also cover the following seven smaller
countries of Andorra, Bermuda, Faroe Islands, Holy See, Liechtenstein,
Monaco, and San Marino which are included in the more comprehensive
group of "developed countries"
African, Caribbean, and Pacific Group of States (ACP Group):
established - 6 June 1975
aim - to manage their preferential economic and aid relationship with
the EU
members - (77) Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados,
Belize, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde,
Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the
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, Zimbabwe
African Development Bank (AfDB): note - also known as Banque Africaine
de Developpement (BAD)
established - 4 August 1963
aim - to promote economic and social development
regional 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, Cote
d'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, Zimbabwe
nonregional members - (24) Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada,
China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, South
Korea, Kuwait, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland, UK, US
African Union (AU): note - replaces Organization of African Unity
(OAU)
established - 8 July 2001
aim - to achieve greater unity among African States; to defend states'
integrity and independence; to accelerate political, social, and
economic integration; to encourage international cooperation; to
promote democratic principles and institutions
members - (52) Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi,
Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African 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, Zimbabwe
Agency for the French-Speaking Community (ACCT): note - formerly
Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation
established - 20 March 1970; name changed 1996
aim - to promote cultural and technical cooperation among French-
speaking countries
members - (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
the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Dominica, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea,
France, French Community of Belgium, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau,
Haiti, Laos, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia, 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, Vietnam
observers - (4) Czech Republic, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia
Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the
Caribbean (OPANAL): note - acronym from Organismo para la Proscripcion
de las Armas Nucleares en la America Latina y el Caribe (OPANAL)
established - 14 February 1967 under the Treaty of Tlatelolco;
effective - 25 April 1969 on the 11th ratification of the treaty
aim - to encourage the peaceful uses of atomic energy and prohibit
nuclear weapons
members - (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, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,
Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela
Andean Community of Nations (CAN): note - formerly known as the Andean
Group (AG), the Andean Parliament, and most recently as the Andean
Common Market (Ancom)
established - 26 May 1969; present name established 1 October 1992;
effective - 16 October 1969
aim - to promote harmonious development through economic integration
members - (5) Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (ABEDA): note - also
known as Banque Arabe de Developpement Economique en Afrique (BADEA)
established - 18 February 1974; effective - 16 September 1974
aim - to promote economic development
members - (17 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Algeria,
Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania,
Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, UAE,
Palestine Liberation Organization; note - these are all the members of
the Arab League excluding Comoros, Djibouti, Somalia, Yemen