[United States Government Manual] [July 01, 1995] [Pages 769-779] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov][[Page 769]] SELECTED MULTILATERAL ORGANIZATIONS ________________________________________________________________________ MULTILATERAL INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS IN WHICH THE UNITED STATES PARTICIPATES Explanatory note: Descriptions of most of the organizations listed below may be found in the publication entitled United States Contributions to International Organizations. The United States participates in the organizations named below in accordance with the provisions of treaties, other international agreements, congressional legislation, or executive arrangements. In some cases, no financial contribution is involved. Various commissions, councils, or committees subsidiary to the organizations listed here are not named separately on this list. These include the international bodies for narcotics control, which are subsidiary to the United Nations. I. United Nations, Specialized Agencies, and International Atomic Energy Agency United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization International Maritime Organization International Atomic Energy Agency International Civil Aviation Organization International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) International Labor Organization International Telecommunication Union United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Universal Postal Union World Health Organization World Intellectual Property Organization World Meteorological Organization II. Peacekeeping United Nations Forces in Cyprus United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) and UNIFIL Multinational Force and Observers United Nations Iran-Iraq Military Observer Group (UNIIMOG) United Nations Observer Group in Central America (UNOGCA) III. Inter-American Organizations Organization of American States Inter-American Indian Institute Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Pan American Institute of Geography and History Pan American Railway Congress Association Postal Union of the Americas and Spain and Portugal IV. Regional Organizations NATO North Atlantic Assembly Colombo Plan for Cooperative Economic and Social Development in Asia and the Pacific Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) South Pacific Commission [[Page 770]] V. Other International Organizations Bureau of International Expositions Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources Customs Cooperation Council (CCC) Fund for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) Hague Conference on Private International Law International Agency for Research on Cancer International Bureau of the Permanent Court of Arbitration International Bureau for the Publication of Customs Tariffs International Bureau of Weights and Measures International Center for the Study of the Preservation and the Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) International Coffee Organization (ICO) International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas International Cotton Advisory Committee International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) International Council of Scientific Unions and Its Associated Unions (20) International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) International Hydrographic Organization International Institute for Cotton International Institute for the Unification of Private Law International Jute Organization International Lead and Zinc Study Group International Natural Rubber Organization International North Pacific Fisheries Commission International Office of Epizootics International Office of Vine and Wine International Organization for Legal Metrology International Rubber Study Group International Seed Testing Association International Sugar Organization International Tropical Timber Organization International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) International Whaling Commission International Wheat Council Interparliamentary Union North Atlantic Ice Patrol North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization Permanent International Association of Navigation Congresses United Nations Compensation Commission World Tourism Organization (WTO) VI. Special Voluntary Programs Colombo Plan Drug Advisory Program Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) International Organization for Migration (IOM) International Atomic Agency Technical Assistance and Cooperation Fund OAS Special Cultural Fund OAS Special Development Assistance Fund OAS Special Multilateral Fund (Education and Science) OAS Special Projects Fund (Mar del Plata) PAHO Special Health Promotion Funds United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) United Nations Center for Human Settlements (Habitat) (UNCHS) United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) United Nations Development Program (UNDP) United Nations Educational and Training Program for South Africa United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) United Nations/Food and Agricultural Organization World Food Program (WFP) United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control (UNFDAC) United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Program (UNHCR) United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) United Nations Trust Fund for South Africa United Nations Volunteers (UNV) WHO Special Programs [[Page 771]] WMO Voluntary Cooperation Program African Development Bank Headquarters: Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire President: Babacar Ndiaye The African Development Bank (AFDB) was established in 1963 and, by charter amendment, opened its membership to non-African countries in 1982. AFDB's mandate is to contribute to the economic development and social progress of its regional members. AFDB members\1\ total 76-- including 51 African countries and 25 non-regional countries. Ownership of the Bank, by charter, is two-thirds African and one-third non- regional. \1\AFDB membership totals include the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The African Development Fund (AFDF), the concessional lending affiliate, was established in 1973 to complement AFDB operations by providing concessional financing for high-priority development projects in the poorest African countries. AFDF membership consists of 26 member countries and AFDB, which represents its African members and is allocated half of the votes. The United States became a member of AFDF in 1976 by virtue of the African Development Fund Act (22 U.S.C. 290g note) and, in February 1983, became a member of AFDB by virtue of the African Development Bank Act (22 U.S.C. 290i note). Asian Development Bank Headquarters: 6 ADB Avenue, 1501 Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines. Phone, 632-711-3851 President: Mitsuo Sato The Agreement establishing the Asian Development Bank came into effect on August 22, 1966, when it was ratified by 15 governments. The Bank commenced operations on December 19, 1966. The United States became a member by virtue of the Asian Development Bank Act of March 16, 1966 (22 U.S.C. 285). The Bank now has 55 member countries--39 from Asia and 16 from outside the region. The purpose of the Bank is to foster economic growth and contribute to the acceleration of economic development of the developing member countries in Asia, collectively and individually. The Bank, including its concessional loan window, lends about $5 billion annually and provides over $100 million per year in technical assistance. Correspondence to the Asian Development Bank should be mailed to P.O. Box 789, 1099 Manila, Philippines. Inter-American Defense Board 2600 Sixteenth Street NW., Washington, DC 20441. Phone, 202-939-6600 Chairman: Maj. Gen. John C. Ellerson, USA The Inter-American Defense Board is a permanently constituted, international organization, autonomous within the inter-American system, composed of army, navy, and air officers appointed by the governments of American Republics. Its constitutional sources are: Resolution XXXIX of the Meeting of Foreign Ministers at Rio de Janeiro in January 1942; Resolution XXXIV of the Ninth International Conference of American States held in Bogota, Colombia, in April 1948; and Resolution III of the Fourth Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, held in Washington, DC, March-April 1951. The Board studies and recommends to the governments of the American Republics measures necessary for close military collaboration in preparation for the collective self-defense of the American continents. Inter-American Development Bank Headquarters: 1300 New York Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20577. Phone, 202-623-1000 President: Enrique V. Iglesias The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is an international financial institution established in 1959 to help accelerate economic and social development in Latin America and the [[Page 772]] Caribbean. It is based in Washington, DC. The Bank has 28 member countries in the Western Hemisphere and 18 outside of the region. In its 34 years of operation, IDB has helped to provide, secure, and organize financing for projects that represent a total investment of more than $178 billion. The Bank has also fostered a more equitable distribution of the benefits of development, and has been a pioneer in financing social projects. The Bank's highest authority is its Board of Governors, on which each member country is represented. Its 12-member Board of Executive Directors is responsible for the conduct of the Bank's operations. The Bank's field offices represent its dealings with local authorities and borrowers and supervise the implementation of Bank- supported projects. International Bank for Reconstruction and Development Headquarters: 1818 H Street NW., Washington, DC 20433. Phone, 202-477- 1234 President: James D. Wolfensohn The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), also known as the World Bank, officially came into existence on December 27, 1945. IBRD's purpose is to promote economic, social, and environmental progress in developing nations by raising productivity so that their people may live better and fuller lives. It does this by lending funds at market-determined interest rates, providing advice, and serving as a catalyst to stimulate outside investments. IBRD's resources come primarily from funds raised in the world capital markets, its retained earnings, and repayments on its loans. During the Bank's 1994 fiscal year, it made new loan commitments totaling $14,244 million in support of sound development projects, primarily in middle-income developing countries. International Development Association The International Development Association (IDA) came into existence on September 24, 1960, as an affiliate of IBRD. IDA's resources consist of subscriptions and supplementary resources in the form of general replenishments, mostly from its more industrialized and developed members; special contributions by its richer members; repayments on earlier credits; and transfers from its net earnings. IDA promotes economic development, increases productivity, and raises the standard of living in the least developed areas of the world. It does this by financing their developmental requirements on concessionary terms, which are more flexible and bear less heavily on the balance of payments than those of conventional loans, thereby furthering the objectives of IBRD and supplementing its activities. During the World Bank's 1994 fiscal year, IDA made new commitments totaling $6,592 million, primarily in the poorest countries in sub- Saharan Africa and Asia. International Finance Corporation Headquarters: 1818 H Street NW., Washington, DC 20433. Phone, 202-477- 1234 President: James D. Wolfensohn Executive Vice President: Jannik Lindbaek The International Finance Corporation (IFC), an affiliate of the World Bank, was established in July 1956 to promote productive private enterprise in developing countries. IFC pursues its objective principally through direct debt and equity investments in projects that establish new businesses or expand, modify, or diversify existing businesses. It also encourages cofinancing by other investors and lenders. For every dollar of financing approved by IFC for its own account, other investors and lenders provide about $5.43. Additionally, advisory services and technical assistance are provided by IFC to developing member countries in areas such as capital market development, privatization, corporate restructuring, and foreign direct investment. [[Page 773]] During the World Bank's 1994 fiscal year, IFC made new debt and equity commitments for its own account of $2.5 billion supporting 231 new projects. The entire size of these projects totalled approximately $15.8 billion. International Monetary Fund 700 Nineteenth Street NW., Washington, DC 20431. Phone, 202-623-7000 Managing Director and Chairman of the Executive Board: Michel Camdessus The Final Act of the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference, signed at Bretton Woods, NH, on July 22, 1944, set forth the original Articles of Agreement of the International Monetary Fund. The Agreement became effective on December 27, 1945, when the President, authorized by the Bretton Woods Agreements Act (22 U.S.C. 286) accepted membership for the United States in the Fund, the Agreement having thus been accepted by countries having approximately 80 percent of the quotas. The inaugural meeting of the Board of Governors was held in March 1946, and the first meeting of the Executive Directors was held May 6, 1946. On May 31, 1968, the Board of Governors approved an amendment to the Articles of Agreement for the establishment of a facility based on Special Drawing Rights (SDR's) in the Fund and for modification of certain rules and practices of the Fund. The amendment became effective on July 28, 1969, and the Special Drawing Account became operative on August 6, 1969. The United States acceptance of the amendment and participation in the Special Drawing Account were authorized by the Special Drawing Rights Act (22 U.S.C. 286 et seq.). On April 30, 1976, the Board of Governors approved a second amendment to the Articles of Agreement, which entered into force on April 1, 1978. United States acceptance of this amendment was authorized by the Bretton Woods Agreements Act Amendments (22 U.S.C. 286e-5). This amendment gave members the right to adopt exchange arrangements of their choice while placing certain obligations on them regarding their exchange rate policies, over which IMF was to exercise firm surveillance. The official price of gold was abolished and the SDR account was promoted as the principal reserve asset of the international monetary system. On June 28, 1990, the Board of Governors approved a third amendment to the Articles of Agreement, under which a member's voting rights and certain related rights may be suspended by a 70-percent majority of the executive board if the member, having been declared ineligible to use the general resources of the Fund, persists in its failure to fulfill any of its obligations under the Articles. On November 11, 1992, the third amendment to IMF's Articles of Agreement took effect, increasing quotas by approximately 50 percent under the Ninth General Review to SDR's 145 billion (equivalent to approximately $202 billion). As of March 31, 1995, IMF had 179 member countries. The purposes of the Fund are to promote international monetary cooperation through a permanent institution that provides the machinery for consultation and collaboration on international monetary problems; to facilitate the expansion and balanced growth of international trade; to promote exchange stability; to assist in the establishment of a multilateral system of payments for current transactions between members; and to give confidence to members by making the Fund's resources temporarily available to them under adequate safeguards. In accordance with these purposes, the Fund seeks to shorten the duration and lessen the degree of imbalance in the international balances of payments of members. The Fund provides financial assistance to aid its members in handling balance-of-payment difficulties through a variety of facilities that are designed to address specific problems. These lending mechanisms include stand-by and extended arrangements, as well as separate facilities to provide compensatory and contingency financing [[Page 774]] to countries suffering temporary declines in their export earnings, to support structural adjustment programs in the poorest countries, and to promote systemic transformation in the formerly centrally planned economies during the transition to a market economy. For further information, contact the Chief, Public Affairs Division, External Relations Department, International Monetary Fund, 700 Nineteenth Street NW., Washington, DC 20431. Phone, 202-623-7300. International Organization for Migration Headquarters: 17 Route des Morillons, Grand-Saconnex, Geneva; mailing address--P.O. Box 71, CH1211, Geneva 19, Switzerland Director General: James N. Purcell, Jr. Washington Office: Suite 1110, 1750 K Street NW., Washington, DC 20006. Phone, 202-862-1826 Chief of Mission: Hans-Petter Boe New York Office: Suite 1610, 122 E. 42d Street, New York, NY 10168. Phone, 212-681-7000 Chief of Mission: Richard E. Scott The International Organization for Migration (IOM), formerly the Intergovernmental Committee for Migration (ICM), was created in 1951 at a conference in Brussels sponsored by the Governments of the United States and Belgium. IOM is a technical, nonpolitical organization that plans and operates refugee resettlement, national migration, and emergency relief programs at the request of its member states and in cooperation with other international organizations. IOM has four major objectives: the processing and movement of refugees to countries offering them permanent resettlement opportunities; the promotion of orderly migration to meet the specific needs of both emigration and immigration countries; the transfer of technology through migration in order to promote the economic, educational, and social advancement of countries in the process of development, particularly in Latin America and Africa; and the provision of a forum to states and other partners to discuss experiences, exchange views, and devise measures to promote cooperation and coordination of efforts on migration issues. IOM has a membership of 54 governments; 41 other governments have observer status. Operational offices are located in 60 countries, including some nonmember countries. Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency Headquarters: 1818 H Street NW., Washington, DC 20433. Phone, 202-477- 1234 President: James D. Wolfensohn Executive Vice President: Akira Iida The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), an affiliate of the World Bank, was formally constituted in April 1988. MIGA's basic purpose is to facilitate the flow of private investment for productive purposes to developing member countries by offering long- term political risk insurance to investors, such as coverage against risks of expropriation, currency transfer, and war and civil disturbance; and by providing advisory and consultative services. During the World Bank's 1994 fiscal year, MIGA issued 38 guarantees with a maximum contingent liability of $372.6 million to facilitate aggregate direct investment of approximately $1.3 billion. Organization of American States General Secretariat: 1889 F Street NW., Washington, DC 20006. Phone, 202-458-3000. Fax, 202-458-3967 Secretary General: Cesar Gaviria Assistant Secretary General: Christopher Thomas Executive Secretary for Economic and Social Affairs: Lorne McDonnough, Acting Executive Secretary for Education, Science, and Culture: Leonel Zuniga, Acting Assistant Secretary for Management: Phillip McLean Assistant Secretary for Legal Affairs: William M. Berenson, Acting The Organization of American States (OAS) is a regional, intergovernmental [[Page 775]] organization whose primary purposes are to strengthen the peace and security of the continent; to promote and consolidate representative democracy, with due respect for the principle of nonintervention; to prevent possible causes of difficulties and to conciliate disputes that may arise among the member states; to provide for common action by those states in the event of aggression; to seek the solution of political, juridical, and economic problems that may arise among them; to promote, by cooperative action, their economic, social, and cultural development; and to achieve an effective limitation of conventional weapons that will make it possible to devote the largest amount of resources to the economic and social development of the member states. With roots dating from 1890, the first OAS Charter was signed in 1948. Two subsequent protocols of amendment, Buenos Aires 1967 and Cartagena de Indias 1985, gave it its present form. Two additional protocols of amendment, Washington 1992 and Managua 1993, are currently in the ratification process. The Protocol of Washington will incorporate provisions for the protection of democratically constituted governments and will include the eradication of extreme poverty, which constitutes an obstacle to the full democratic development of the peoples of the hemisphere, among the essential purposes of the Organization. The Protocol of Managua will establish the Inter-American Council for Integral Development in replacement of the current Inter-American Councils for Economic and Social Affairs and Education, Science and Culture. The OAS member states are Argentina, Antigua and Barbuda, Commonwealth of the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Commonwealth of Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States of America, Uruguay, and Venezuela. The present Government of Cuba is excluded from participation by a decision of the Eighth Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs in 1962. Thirty-three non-American countries and the European Union are Permanent Observers. The principal organs of the OAS are: --the General Assembly, which is normally composed of the foreign ministers of the member states and meets at least once a year to decide the general action and policy of the Organization; --the Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, which meets on call to consider urgent matters of common interest or threats to the peace and security of the hemisphere; --the Permanent Council, which meets twice a month at OAS headquarters; --the Inter-American Economic and Social Council and the Inter- American Council For Education, Science, and Culture, which meet once a year; --the Inter-American Juridical Committee; --the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights; and --the General Secretariat, which is the central and permanent organ, headquartered in Washington, DC. OAS has six specialized organizations that handle technical matters of common interest to the American States. OAS also holds specialized conferences on specific technical matters. For further information, contact the Director, Department of Public Information, Organization of American States, Seventeenth Street and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20006. Phone, 202-458-3760. Fax, 202-458-6421. United Nations United Nations, New York, NY 10017. Phone, 212-963-1234 Secretary-General: Boutros Boutros-Ghali United Nations Office at Geneva: Palais des Nations, 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland Director-General: Antoine Blanca United Nations Office at Vienna: Vienna International Centre, P.O. Box 500, A-1400, Vienna, Austria [[Page 776]] Director-General: Giorgio Giacomelli Washington, DC, Office: U.N. Information Centre, Suite 400, 1775 K Street NW., Washington, DC 20006. Phone, 202-331-8670; Fax, 202-331-9191 Director: Michael Stopford The United Nations is an international organization that was set up in accordance with the Charter\1\ drafted by governments represented at the Conference on International Organization meeting at San Francisco. The Charter was signed on June 26, 1945, and came into force on October 24, 1945, when the required number of ratifications and accessions had been made by the signatories. Amendments increasing membership of the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council came into effect on August 31, 1965. \1\Charter of the United Nations, together with the Statute of the International Court of Justice (Department of State Publication No. 2353, International Organization and Conference Series III, 21), June 26, 1945. Available for sale from the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. Phone, 202-783-3238. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The United Nations now consists of 185 member states of which 51 are founding members. Purpose The purposes of the United Nations set out in the Charter are: to maintain international peace and security; to develop friendly relations among nations; to achieve international cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character and in promoting respect for human rights; and to be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these common ends. Organization The principal organs of the United Nations are: General Assembly All states that are members of the United Nations are members of the General Assembly. Its functions are to consider and discuss any matter within the scope of the Charter of the United Nations and to make recommendations to the members of the United Nations and other organs. It approves the budget of the organization, the expenses of which are borne by the members as apportioned by the General Assembly. The General Assembly may call the attention of the Security Council to situations likely to endanger international peace and security, may initiate studies, and may receive and consider reports from other organs of the United Nations. Under the ``Uniting for Peace'' resolution adopted by the General Assembly in November 1950, if the Security Council fails to act on an apparent threat to or breach of the peace or act of aggression because of lack of unanimity of its five permanent members, the Assembly itself may take up the matter within 24 hours--in emergency special session--and recommend collective measures, including, in case of a breach of the peace or act of aggression, use of armed force when necessary to maintain or restore international peace and security. The General Assembly has held to date 50 regular sessions, 18 special sessions, and 11 emergency special sessions. It normally meets in regular annual session in September. Security Council The Security Council consists of 15 members of which 5--the People's Republic of China, France, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America--are permanent members and are elected each year. The 10 nonpermanent members are elected for 2-year terms by the General Assembly. The primary responsibility of the Security Council is to act on behalf of the members of the United Nations in maintenance of international peace and security. Measures that may be employed by the Security Council are outlined in the Charter. The Security Council, together with the General Assembly, also elects the judges of the International Court of Justice and makes a recommendation to the General Assembly on the appointment of the Secretary General of the organization. [[Page 777]] The Security Council first met in London on January 17, 1946, and is so organized as to be able to function continuously. Economic and Social Council This organ is responsible, under the authority of the General Assembly, for the economic and social programs of the United Nations. Its functions include making or initiating studies, reports, and recommendations on international economic, social, cultural, educational, health, and related matters; promoting respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all; calling international conferences and preparing draft conventions for submission to the General Assembly on matters within its competence; negotiating agreements with the specialized agencies and defining their relationship with the United Nations; coordinating the activities of the specialized agencies; and consulting with nongovernmental organizations concerned with matters within its competence. The Council consists of 54 members of the United Nations elected by the General Assembly for 3-year terms; 18 are elected each year. The Council usually holds two regular sessions a year. It has also held a number of special sessions. Trusteeship Council The Trusteeship Council was initially established to consist of any member states that administer trust territories, permanent members of the Security Council that do not administer trust territories, and enough other nonadministering countries elected by the General Assembly for 3-year terms to ensure that membership would be equally divided between administering and nonadministering members. At present, the participating members of the Council are the United Kingdom, China, France, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and the United States. Of the original 11 trust territories, all except the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, which is administered by the United States, have attained the goals of the trusteeship system, either as independent states or as parts of such states. The Council functions under authority of the General Assembly. It considers reports from the member administering the Trust Territory, examines petitions from inhabitants of the Trust Territory, and provides for periodic inspection visits to the Trust Territory. The Council has held 61 regular sessions and a number of special sessions. International Court of Justice The International Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. It has its seat at The Hague, the Netherlands. All members of the United Nations are ipso facto parties to the Statute of the Court. Nonmembers of the United Nations may become parties to the Statute of the Court on conditions prescribed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council. The jurisdiction of the Court comprises all cases that the parties refer to it and all matters specially provided for in the Charter of the United Nations or in treaties and conventions in force. The Court consists of 15 judges known as ``members'' of the Court. They are elected for 9-year terms by the General Assembly and the Security Council, voting independently, and may be reelected. Secretariat The Secretariat consists of a Secretary-General and ``such staff as the Organization may require.'' The Secretary-General, who is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council, is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations. He acts in that capacity for the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, and the Trusteeship Council. Under the Charter, the Secretary-General ``may bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter that in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security.'' [[Page 779]]