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
_________________________________________________________________
London Suppliers Group
see Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)
_________________________________________________________________
low-income countries
another term for those less developed countries with below-average per
capita GDPs; see less developed countries (LDCs)
_________________________________________________________________
Mercado Comun del Cono Sur (Mercosur)
see Southern Cone Common Market
_________________________________________________________________
middle-income countries
another term for those less developed countries with above-average per
capita GDPs; see less developed countries (LDCs)
_________________________________________________________________
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
_________________________________________________________________
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
_________________________________________________________________
Nonaligned Movement (NAM)
address - Permanent Representative of the Republic of South Africa to
the United Nations, 333 East 38th Street, 9th floor, New York, NY
10016, US
telephone - [1] (212) 213 5583
FAX - [1] (212) 692 2498
established - 1-6 September 1961
aim - to establish political and military cooperation apart from the
traditional East or West blocs
members - (113 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, 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, Sierra Leone, 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 Organization
observers - (16) Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Brazil,
China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Paraguay, Ukraine, Uruguay
guests - (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, US
_________________________________________________________________
Nordic Council (NC)
address - Store Strandstraede 18, PB 3043, DK-1021 Kobenhavn K,
Denmark
telephone - [45] 33 96 04 00
FAX - [45] 33 11 18 70
established - 16 March 1952
effective - 12 February 1953
aim - to promote regional economic, cultural, and environmental
cooperation
members - (5) Denmark (including Faroe Islands and Greenland), Finland
(including Aland Islands), Iceland, Norway, Sweden
observers - (3) the Sami (Lapp) local parliaments of Finland, Norway,
and Sweden
_________________________________________________________________
Nordic Investment Bank (NIB)
address - Fabianinkatu 34, P. O. Box 249, FIN-00171 Helsinki, Finland
telephone - [358] (0) 18001
FAX - [358] (0) 1800210
established - 4 December 1975
effective - 1 June 1976
aim - to promote economic cooperation and development
members - (5) Denmark (including Faroe Islands and Greenland), Finland
(including Aland Islands), Iceland, Norway, Sweden
_________________________________________________________________
North
a popular term for the rich industrialized countries generally located
in the northern portion of the Northern Hemisphere; the counterpart of
the South; see developed countries (DCs)
_________________________________________________________________
North Atlantic Cooperation Council (NACC)
see Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC)
_________________________________________________________________
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
address - B-1110 Brussels, Belgium
telephone - [32] (2) 707 4111
FAX - [32] (2) 707 4579
established - 4 April 1949
aim - to promote mutual defense and cooperation
members - (19) Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France,
Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands,
Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, UK, US
_________________________________________________________________
Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA)
note - also known as OECD Nuclear Energy Agency
address - AEN/NEA, Le Seine St. Germain, 12 Boulevard des Iles,
F-92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux, France
telephone - [33] (1) 45 24 10 10
FAX - [33] (1) 45 24 11 10
established - 1 February 1958
aim - to promote the peaceful uses of nuclear energy; associated with
OECD
members - (27) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland,
Italy, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway,
Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US
_________________________________________________________________
Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)
note - also known as the London Suppliers Group or the London Group
address - c/o Permanent Mission of Japan to the International
Organizations in Vienna, Andromeda Tower, 23rd floor, Donau City
Strasse 6, A-1220 Vienna, Austria
telephone - [43] (1) 260 6300
FAX - [43] (1) 263 6749
established - NA 1974
effective - NA 1975
aim - 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
members - (35) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil,
Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,
Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Latvia,
Luxembourg, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania,
Russia, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine,
UK, US
observer - (1) European Commission (a policy-planning body for the EU)
_________________________________________________________________
Organismo para la Proscripcion de las Armas Nucleares en la America
Latina y el Caribe (OPANAL)
see Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and
the Caribbean (OPANAL)
_________________________________________________________________
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
address - 2 Rue Andre Pascal, F-75775 Paris CEDEX 16, France
telephone - [33] (1) 45 24 82 00
FAX - [33] (1) 45 24 85 00, 45 24 81 76, 45 24 18 15
established - 14 December 1960
effective - 30 September 1961
aim - to promote economic cooperation and development
members - (29) 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, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US
special member - (1) EU
_________________________________________________________________
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
note - formerly the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe
(CSCE) established 3 July 1975
address - Karntner Ring 5-7, A-1010 Vienna, Austria
telephone - [43] (1) 514 36-190
FAX - [43] (1) 514 36-96
established - 1 January 1995
aim - 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
members - (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,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey,
Turkmenistan, Ukraine, UK, US, Uzbekistan, Yugoslavia (suspended)
partners for cooperation - (8) Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Japan, Jordan,
South Korea, Morocco, Tunisia
_________________________________________________________________
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
address - Johan de Wittlaan 32, NL-2517 JR The Hague, Netherlands
telephone - [31] (70) 416 33 00
FAX - [31] (70) 360 09 44
established - 29 April 1997
aim - 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
members - (169) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Armenia,
Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh,
Belarus, Belgium, 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, Dominica,
Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, 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,
Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya,
South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia,
Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia,
Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius,
Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia,
Morocco, 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, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro,
Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa,
Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland,
Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia,
Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay,
Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
_________________________________________________________________
Organization of African Unity (OAU)
address - P. O. Box 3243, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
telephone - [251] (1) 517700
FAX - [251] (1) 512622, 517844
established - 25 May 1963
aim - to promote unity and cooperation among African states
members - (54) 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 (temporarily suspended), 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
_________________________________________________________________
Organization of American States (OAS)
address - corner of 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20006, US
telephone - [1] (202) 458 3000
FAX - [1] (202) 458 3967
established - 14 April 1890 as the International Union of American
Republics; 30 April 1948 adopted present charter
effective - 13 December 1951
aim - to promote regional peace and security as well as economic and
social development
members - (35) Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, The Bahamas, Barbados,
Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba
(excluded from formal participation since 1962), 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, US, Uruguay, Venezuela
observers - (45) Algeria, Angola, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Egypt,
Equatorial Guinea, EU, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Holy
See, Hungary, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea,
Latvia, Lebanon, Morocco, Netherlands, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal,
Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland,
Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, UK, Yemen
_________________________________________________________________
Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC)
address - P. O. Box 20501, Safat 13066, Kuwait
telephone - [965] 4844500
FAX - [965] 4815747
established - 9 January 1968
aim - to promote cooperation in the petroleum industry
members - (10) Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Qatar,
Saudi Arabia, Syria, UAE
_________________________________________________________________
Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)
address - OECS, P. O. Box 179, Morne Fortune, Castries, Saint Lucia
telephone - [1] (758) 45 22537, 45 22538
FAX - [1] (758) 45 31628
established - 18 June 1981
effective - 4 July 1981
aim - to promote political, economic, and defense cooperation
members - (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
_________________________________________________________________
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
address - Obere Donaustrasse 93, A-1020 Vienna, Austria
telephone - [43] (1) 21 11 20
FAX - [43] (1) 216 43 20
established - 14 September 1960
aim - to coordinate petroleum policies
members - (11) Algeria, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria,
Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Venezuela
_________________________________________________________________
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC)
address - 6 km Makkah Al-Mukarramah Road, P. O. Box 178, Jeddah 21411,
Saudi Arabia
telephone - [966] (2) 680-0800
FAX - [966] (2) 687-6568
established - 22-25 September 1969
aim - to promote Islamic solidarity in economic, social, cultural, and
political affairs
members - (52 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Afghanistan,
Albania, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Brunei,
Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros, 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
observers - (4) Bosnia and Herzegovina, Central African Republic, Moro
National Liberation Front of the Philippines, "Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus"
_________________________________________________________________
Pacific Community
note - formerly known as the South Pacific Commission (SPC)
address - BP D5, 98848 Noumea CEDEX, New Caledonia
telephone - [687] 26 20 00
FAX - [687] 26 38 18
established - 6 February 1947
effective - 29 July 1948
aim - to promote regional cooperation in economic and social matters
members - (26) American Samoa, Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, France,
French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States
of Micronesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, NZ, Niue, Northern Mariana
Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Islands, Samoa, Solomon
Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, US, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna
_________________________________________________________________
Paris Club
see Group of 10
_________________________________________________________________
Partnership for Peace (PFP)
address - NATO Office of Information and Press, B-1110 Brussels,
Belgium
telephone - [32] (2) 728 44 15
FAX - [32] (2) 728 45 79
established - 10-11 January 1994
aim - 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
members - (27) Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus,
Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Hungary,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, The Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia,
Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan
_________________________________________________________________
Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)
address - Peace Palace, Carnegieplein 2, NL-2517 KJ The Hague,
Netherlands
telephone - [31] (70) 302 42 42
FAX - [31] (70) 302 41 67
established - 29 July 1899
aim - to facilitate the settlement of international disputes
members - (86) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium,
Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada,
Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Fiji,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras,
Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan,
Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta,
Mauritius, Mexico, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway,
Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia,
Senegal, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri
Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand,
Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, UK, US, Uruguay, Venezuela, Zaire, Zimbabwe
_________________________________________________________________
Population Commission
see Commission on Population and Development
_________________________________________________________________
Rio Group (RG)
note - formerly known as Grupo de los Ocho, established in December
1986
address - Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Edificio AYFRA, Piso
10, Pdte Franco y Ayolas, Asuncion, Paraguay
telephone - [595] (21) 448409, 493872
FAX - [595] (21) 450911, 493910
established - NA 1988
aim - to consult on regional Latin American issues
members - (12) Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador,
Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela
_________________________________________________________________
Second 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 from use; see
centrally planned economies
_________________________________________________________________
Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC)
see Pacific Community
_________________________________________________________________
Sistema Economico Latinoamericana (SELA)
see Latin American Economic System (LAES)
_________________________________________________________________
Social Commission
see Commission for Social Development
_________________________________________________________________
socialist countries
in general, countries in which the government owns and plans the use
of the major factors of production; note - the term is sometimes used
incorrectly as a synonym for communist countries
_________________________________________________________________
South
a popular term for the poorer, less industrialized countries generally
located south of the developed countries; the counterpart of the
North; see less developed countries (LDCs)
_________________________________________________________________
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
address - P. O. Box 4222, Kathmandu, Nepal
telephone - [977] (1) 221785, 226350, 221792, 228029
FAX - [977] (1) 227033, 223991
established - 8 December 1985
aim - to promote economic, social, and cultural cooperation
members - (7) Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan,
Sri Lanka
_________________________________________________________________
South Pacific Commission (SPC)
see Pacific Community (SPC)
_________________________________________________________________
South Pacific Forum (SPF)
address - c/o Forum Secretariat, Ratu Sukuna Road, Private Mail Bag,
Suva, Fiji
telephone - [679] 312 600, 303 106
FAX - [679] 301 102, 305 573
established - 5 August 1971
aim - to promote regional cooperation in political matters
members - (16) Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall
Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, NZ, Niue, Palau, Papua
New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu
_________________________________________________________________