aim - to promote tourism as a means of contributing to economic
development, international understanding, and peace
members - (140) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola,
Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin,
Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, 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, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador,
Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, 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, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, 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, Zimbabwe
associate members - (7) Aruba, Flanders, Hong Kong, Macau, Madeira
Islands, Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico
observers - (2) Holy See, Palestine Liberation Organization
World Trade Organization (WTrO): note - succeeded General Agreement on
Tariff and Trade (GATT)
established - 15 April 1994; effective - 1 January 1995
aim - 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
members - (145) Albania, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina,
Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium,
Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina
Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, 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, 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, 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 and
Nevis, 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, Zimbabwe
observers - (31) Algeria, Andorra, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Belarus,
Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Equatorial
Guinea, Ethiopia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, 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 of becoming observers