aim - 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 Winter Olympics in
British Colombia, Canada
National Olympic Committees - (198 and the Palestine Liberation
Organization) 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, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, 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, 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, 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, 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
Organization
International Organization for Migration (IOM): note - established as
Provisional Intergovernmental Committee for the Movement of Migrants
from Europe; renamed Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration
(ICEM) on 15 November 1952; renamed Intergovernmental Committee for
Migration (ICM) in November 1980; current name adopted 14 November 1989
established - 5 December 1951
aim - to facilitate orderly international emigration and immigration
members - (98) 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, Czech Republic, 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, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, 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, Zimbabwe
observers - (33) Afghanistan, Belarus, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Brazil, Burundi, China, Cuba, Estonia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Holy See,
India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Libya, The Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia, Malta, Mauritania, Moldova, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, NZ,
Papua New Guinea, Russia, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Somalia,
Spain, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Vietnam
International Organization for Standardization (ISO): established - NA
February 1947
aim - to promote the development of international standards with a view
to facilitating international exchange of goods and services and to
developing cooperation in the sphere of intellectual, scientific,
technological and economic activity
members - (94 national standards organizations) Algeria, Argentina,
Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Barbados, 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, South Korea, Kuwait, Libya, Luxembourg, The Former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico,
Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, NZ, Nigeria, Norway, 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 and
Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan,
Venezuela, Vietnam, Zimbabwe
correspondent members - (34) Albania, Angola, Azerbaijan, Bahrain,
Bolivia, Brunei, Cameroon, Estonia, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Kyrgyzstan,
Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Macau, Madagascar, Malawi, Moldova,
Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Oman, Papua New Guinea,
Paraguay, Peru, Qatar, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Seychelles, Sudan,
Swaziland, Turkmenistan, Yemen
subscriber members - (12) Antigua and Barbuda, Burundi, Cambodia,
Dominica, Dominican Republic, Eritrea, Fiji, Grenada, Guyana, Honduras,
Mali, Niger
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (ICRM): established
- NA 1928
aim - 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
League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies or LORCS) in peacetime
National Societies - (176 countries); note - same as membership for
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
(IFRCS)
International Telecommunication Union (ITU): established - 17 May 1865
set up as the International Telegraph Union; 9 December 1932 adopted
present name
effective - 1 January 1934; affiliated with the UN - 15 November 1947
aim - to deal with world telecommunications issues; a UN specialized
agency
members - (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 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 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,
Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu,
Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Islamic Development Bank (IDB): established - 15 December 1973 by
declaration of intent; effective - 12 August 1974
aim - to promote Islamic economic aid and social development
members - (53 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,
Yemen, Palestine Liberation Organization
Latin American Economic System (LAES): note - also known as Sistema
Economico Latinoamericana (SELA)
established - 17 October 1975
aim - to promote economic and social development through regional
cooperation
members - (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, Venezuela
Latin American Integration Association (LAIA): note - also known as
Asociacion Latinoamericana de Integracion (ALADI)
established - 12 August 1980; effective - 18 March 1981
aim - to promote freer regional trade
members - (12) Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba,
Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela
observers - (23) China, Commission of the European Communities,
Corporacion Andina de Fomento, Costa Rica, 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 Latin America and the Caribbean
least developed countries (LLDCs): that subgroup of the less developed
countries (LDCs) initially identified by the UN General Assembly in
1971 as having no significant economic growth, per capita GDPs normally
less than $1,000, and low literacy rates; also known as the undeveloped
countries; the 42 LLDCs are: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan,
Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African
Republic, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea,
Ethiopia, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Laos,
Lesotho, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger,
Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan,
Tanzania, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Yemen
less developed countries (LDCs): the bottom group in the hierarchy of
developed countries (DCs), former USSR/Eastern Europe (former USSR/EE),
and less developed countries (LDCs); mainly countries and dependent
areas with low levels of output, living standards, and technology; per
capita GDPs are generally below $5,000 and often less than $1,500;
however, the group also includes a number of countries with high per
capita incomes, areas of advanced technology, and rapid rates of
growth; includes the advanced developing countries, developing
countries, Four Dragons (Four Tigers), least developed countries
(LLDCs), low-income countries, middle-income countries, newly
industrializing economies (NIEs), the South, Third World,
underdeveloped countries, undeveloped countries; the 172 LDCs are:
Afghanistan, Algeria, American Samoa, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and
Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados,
Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin
Islands, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape
Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China,
Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic
of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote
d'Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic,
Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia,
Falkland Islands, Fiji, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gabon, The
Gambia, Gaza Strip, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe,
Guam, Guatemala, Guernsey, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti,
Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jersey,
Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Laos,
Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Macau, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia,
Maldives, Mali, Isle of Man, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania,
Mauritius, Mayotte, Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia,
Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands
Antilles, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norfolk
Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Oman, Palau, Pakistan, Panama, Papua
New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn Islands, Puerto Rico,
Qatar, Reunion, Rwanda, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint
Lucia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,
Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra
Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname,
Swaziland, Syria, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tokelau, Tonga,
Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, UAE,
Uganda, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands, Wallis
and Futuna, West Bank, Western Sahara, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe; note -
similar to the new International Monetary Fund (IMF) term "developing
countries" which adds Malta, Mexico, South Africa, and Turkey but omits
in its recently published statistics American Samoa, Anguilla, British
Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos
Islands, Cook Islands, Cuba, Eritrea, Falkland Islands, French Guiana,
French Polynesia, Gaza Strip, Gibraltar, Greenland, Grenada,
Guadeloupe, Guam, Guernsey, 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, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Tokelau, Tonga, Turks
and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Virgin Islands, Wallis and Futuna, West
Bank, Western Sahara
low-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 capita GDPs; see less developed
countries (LDCs)
Monetary and Economic Community of Central Africa (CEMAC): note - was
formerly the Central African Customs and Economic Union (UDEAC)
established - 8 December 1964; effective - 1 January 1966
aim - to promote the establishment of a Central African Common Market
members - (6) Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the
Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon
Near Abroad: Russian term for the 14 non-Russian successor states of
the USSR, in which 25 million ethnic Russians live and in which Moscow
has expressed a strong national security interest; the 14 countries are
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine,
Uzbekistan
new 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 newly industrializing economies (NIEs)
newly industrializing economies (NIEs): that subgroup of the less
developed countries (LDCs) that has experienced particularly rapid
industrialization of their economies; formerly known as the newly
industrializing countries (NICs); also known as advanced developing
countries; usually includes the Four Dragons (Hong Kong, South Korea,
Singapore, Taiwan), and Brazil