developing countries: a term used by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the bottom group in its hierarchy of advanced economies, Countries in transition, and developing countries; recently published IMF statistics include the following 126 developing countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Cyprus, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea- Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, UAE, Uganda, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe; note - this category would presumably also cover the following 46 other Countries that are traditionally included in the more comprehensive Group of "less developed countries": 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
East African Development Bank (EADB): established - 6 June 1967; Effective - 1 December 1967
aim - to promote economic development
members - (3) Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC): established - 26 June 1945; Effective - 24 October 1945
aim - to coordinate the economic and social work of the UN; includes Five regional commissions (Economic Commission for Africa, Economic Commission for Europe, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, And Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia) and 9 functional Commissions (Commission for Social Development, Commission on Human Rights, Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Commission on the Status of Women, Commission on Population and Development, Statistical Commission, Commission on Science and Technology for Development, Commission on Sustainable Development, and Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice)
members - (54) selected on a rotating basis from all regions
Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL): note - acronym from Communaute Economique des Pays des Grands Lacs
established - 20 September 1976
aim - to promote regional economic cooperation and integration
members - (3) Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS): established - 28 May 1975
aim - to promote regional economic cooperation
members - (16) Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo
Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO): established - 27-29 January 1985
aim - to promote regional cooperation in trade, transportation, Communications, tourism, cultural affairs, and economic development
members - (10) Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
associate member - (1) "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus"
Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC): note - began as the North Atlantic Cooperation Council (NACC); an extension of NATO
established - 8 November 1991; effective - 20 December 1991
aim - to discuss cooperation on mutual political and security issues
members - (46) Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, UK, US, Uzbekistan
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD): established - 8-9 January 1990 (proposals made); 15 April 1991 (bank inaugurated)
aim - to facilitate the transition of seven centrally planned economies in Europe (Bulgaria, former Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Former USSR, and former Yugoslavia) to market economies by committing 60% of its loans to privatization
members - (61) Albania, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, EU, European Investment Bank (EIB), Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, UK, US, Uzbekistan; note - includes all 25 Members of the OECD; also includes the EU as a single entity
European Community (or European Communities, EC): was established 8 April 1965 to integrate the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), The European Coal and Steel Community (ESC), the European Economic Community (EEC or Common Market), and to establish a completely Integrated common market and an eventual federation of Europe; merged Into the European Union (EU) on 7 February 1992; member states at the Time of merger were Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK
European Free Trade Association (EFTA): established - 4 January 1960; Effective - 3 May 1960
aim - to promote expansion of free trade
members - (4) Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland
European Investment Bank (EIB): established - 25 March 1957; effective - 1 January 1958
aim - to promote economic development of the EU and its predecessors, The EEC and the EC
members - (15) Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, UK
European Monetary Union (EMU): note - an integral part of the European Union; also known as the European Economic and Monetary Union
proposed - 1-2 December 1969 at summit conference of heads of Government; signed - 7 February 1992 - Maastricht Treaty
aim - to promote a single market by creating a single currency, the Euro; time table - 2 May 1998: European exchange rates fixed for 1 January 1999; 1 January 1999: all banks and stock exchanges begin using Euros; 1 January 2002: the euro goes into circulation; 1 July 2002 Local currencies no longer accepted
members - (12) Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain; note - Denmark, Sweden, and UK decided not to join
European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN): note - acronym Retained from the predecessor organization Conseil Europeenne pour la Recherche Nucleaire
established - 1 July 1953; effective - 29 September 1954
aim - to foster nuclear research for peaceful purposes only
members - (20) Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK
observers - (7) European Commission, Israel, Japan, Russia, Turkey, United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), US
European Space Agency (ESA): established - 31 May 1975
aim - to promote peaceful cooperation in space research and technology
members - (15) Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK
cooperating state - (1) Canada
European Union (EU): note - evolved from the European Community (EC)
established - 7 February 1992; effective - 1 November 1993
aim - to coordinate policy among the 15 members in three fields: Economics, building on the European Economic Community's (EEC) efforts To establish a common market and eventually a common currency to be Called the 'euro', which superseded the EU's accounting unit, the ECU; Defense, within the concept of a Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP); and justice and home affairs, including immigration, drugs, Terrorism, and improved living and working conditions
members - (15) Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, UK
membership applicants - (13) Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey
First World: another term for countries with advanced, industrialized Economies; this term is fading from use; see developed countries (DCs)
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): established - 16 October 1945
aim - to raise living standards and increase availability of Agricultural products, as a UN specialized agency
members - (180) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, 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, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, EU, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, 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, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, 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, Uganda, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
applicant member - (1) Yugoslavia
former Soviet Union (FSU): former term often used to identify as a Group the successor nations to the Soviet Union or USSR; this group of 15 countries consists of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan
former USSR/Eastern Europe (former USSR/EE): the middle group in the Hierarchy of developed countries (DCs), former USSR/Eastern Europe (former USSR/EE), and less developed countries (LDCs); these countries Are in political and economic transition and may well be grouped Differently in the near future; this group of 27 countries consists of Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, The Former Yugoslav Republic Of Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Yugoslavia; this group Is identical to the IMF group "countries in transition" except for the IMF's inclusion of Mongolia
Four Dragons: the four small Asian less developed countries (LDCs) That have experienced unusually rapid economic growth; also known as The Four Tigers; this group consists of Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan; these countries are included in the IMF's "advanced Economies" group
Franc Zone (FZ): note - also known as Conference des Ministres des Finances des Pays de la Zone Franc
established - NA 1964
aim - to form a monetary union among countries whose currencies are Linked to the French franc
members - (16) Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, France, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo; note - France Includes metropolitan France, the four overseas departments of France (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion), the two territorial Collectivities of France (Mayotte, Saint Pierre and Miquelon), and the Three overseas territories of France (French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna)
Front Line States (FLS): established to achieve black majority rule in South Africa; has since gone out of existence; members included Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT): see the World Trade Organization (WTrO)
Group of 2 (G-2): informal term that came into use about 1986; to Facilitate bilateral economic cooperation between the two most powerful Economic giants
Japan, US
Group of 3 (G-3): established - NA September 1990
aim - mechanism for policy coordination
members - (3) Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela
Группа 5 (G-5): создана — 22 сентября 1985 года
цель — координация экономической политики пяти ведущих антикоммунистических экономических держав
члены — (5) Франция, Германия, Япония, Великобритания, США
Группа 6 (G-6): примечание — также известна как Группа шести по разоружению; не путать с Большой шестеркой
создана — 22 мая 1984 года
цель — достижение ядерного разоружения
члены — (6) Аргентина, Греция, Индия, Мексика, Швеция, Танзания
Группа 7 (G-7): примечание — состав участников совпадает с Большой семеркой
создана — 22 сентября 1985 года
цель — содействие экономическому сотрудничеству между семью основными некоррумпированными экономическими державами
члены — (7) Большая пятёрка (Франция, Германия, Япония, Великобритания, США) плюс Канада и Италия
Группа восьми (G-8): создана — NA октябрь 1975 г.
цель — содействие экономическому сотрудничеству между развитыми странами (РС), участвовавшими в Конференции по международному экономическому сотрудничеству (КМЭС), проходившей в несколько сессий в период с NA декабрь 1975 г. по 3 июня 1977 г.
члены — (9) Канада, ЕС (как один член), Франция, Германия, Италия, Япония, Россия, Великобритания, США
Группа девяти (G-9): создана — NA
цель — обсуждение вопросов, представляющих взаимный интерес, на неформальной основе
члены — (9) Австрия, Бельгия, Болгария, Дания, Финляндия, Венгрия, Румыния, Швеция, Югославия
Группа 10 (G-10): примечание — также известна как Парижский клуб; включает наиболее богатых членов МВФ, которые предоставляют большую часть средств для выдачи в кредит и выступают в качестве неформального руководящего комитета; название сохраняется несмотря на включение Швейцарии в апреле 1984 года (дата точного определения неизвестна)
создана — в октябре 1962 года (дата точного определения неизвестна)
цель — координация кредитной политики
члены — (11) Бельгия, Канада, Франция, Германия, Италия, Япония, Нидерланды, Швеция, Швейцария, Великобритания, США
негосударственные участники - (4) БМР, ЕС, МВФ, ОЭСР
Группа 11 (Г-11): примечение - также известна как Картахенская группа
создана - 21-22 июня 1984 года в Картахене, Колумбия
цель - предоставление форума для крупнейших стран-должников в Латинской Америке
члены - (11) Аргентина, Боливия, Бразилия, Чили, Колумбия, Доминиканская Республика, Эквадор, Мексика, Перу, Уругвай, Венесуэла
Группа 15 (Г-15): примечание - продукт Движения неприсоединения
создана - Н/Д, сентябрь 1989 года
цель - содействие экономическому сотрудничеству между развивающимися странами; выступление в качестве главного политического органа Движения неприсоединения
члены - (15) Алжир, Аргентина, Бразилия, Египет, Индия, Индонезия, Ямайка, Малайзия, Мексика, Нигерия, Перу, Сенегал, Венесуэла, бывшая Югославия, Зимбабве
Группа 24 (Г-24): создана - 1 августа 1989 г.
цель - содействие продвижению интересов развивающихся стран Африки, Азии и Латинской Америки в рамках Международного валютного фонда
члены - (24) Алжир, Аргентина, Бразилия, Колумбия, Демократическая Республика Конго, Кот-д'Ивуар, Египет, Эфиопия, Габон, Гана, Гватемала, Индия, Иран, Ливан, Мексика, Нигерия, Пакистан, Перу, Филиппины, Шри-Ланка, Сирия, Тринидад и Тобаго, Венесуэла, Югославия
Group of 77 (G-77): established - 15 June 1964 was set up; NA October 1967 first ministerial meeting