International Organizations

 

This is a brief description of the characteristic of some of the most relevant international organizations:

 

The League of Nations: this international diplomatic forum is based in the idea of collective security, and serves as a neutral place for the quest for peaceful solutions in international disputes, based in the principles of justice and equality among sovereign member nations.

 

Organización de Estados Americanos / American States Organization: its purpose is to foment cordial relations in the associated republics trough a regional forun akin to the League of Nations. Its main goals are: preservation of peace, negotiation in case of disputes among the members, and cooperation in the search for economic, societal and cultural development.

 

Asociación Latinoamericana de Libre Comercio (ALALC): its purpose is to create a Zona de Libre Comercio (Free Trade Zone), gradually eliminating inter-regional customs and other trade restrictions. In 1967, the Grupo Andino (Andean Group: Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia) was formed as a sub-regional organism within the ALALC.

 

East Asia Free Trade Area (EAFTA): a relatively loose mercantile association between Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Sri Lanka; it promotes economical progress and recently has expanded its goals to cultural and social issues. Australia, the Philippines and New Zealand had expressed their interest in joining this organization.

 

Accord Européen de Libre-Échange (AELE): the main goal of this organizations is to create a common market for industrial products among its members: France, Belgium, Holland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Australia, Greece, Serbia, Denmark, Éire and most of the French Union members.

 

Europäische Sicherheit Abkommen (ESA): the European Security Accord is the military alliance formed between Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Romania, to deter a Soviet invasion of Eastern and Central Europe.

 

Europäische Zollamt Vereinigung (EZV): the European Custom Association is a custom union created to serve as an economic complement of the European Security Accord. Members: Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Hungary, Romania, Italy, Slovakia, Croatia, Holland, Albania, Turkey and Bulgaria.

 

Caribbean Free Trade Association / Asociación de Libre Comercio del Caribe: a free trade pact between the British colonies in the Caribbean Sea, Cuba, Costa Rica, the U.S. (Puerto Rico), Guyana, Panamá, Guatemala, Surinam, Colombia and Venezuela.

 

Damascus Treaty: The Treaty of Non-Aggression and Protocol establishing an understanding between the Near Eastern Countries. Signed by Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Jordan.

 

Moscow Pact: funded in 1942, it’s a mutual defense pact and a commercial bloc formed by the Soviet Union, Korea and Manzhouguo.

 

East African Organization: organism founded in 1987 between Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, to establish a common market.

 

L’Union Française: the French Union is a political entity that comprised metropolitan France (the 90 departments of continental France and Corsica); French overseas departments, territories, settlements, former League of Nation Mandates; French colonies, which became overseas departments of France; and associate states. Full members: France, Lebanon, Algeria, Gabon, Dahomey, Caméroun, Madagascar, Mali. The other former French colonies –Côte d’Ivoire, Tunis, Guineé, Togo, Congo, Tchad, Niger and Limpopo– have the status of Associate States.

 

Conseil de l’Entente: a military alliance between France, Belgium and Luxerbourg. The Soviet Union, Spain and Portugal keep close relation with the Entente although they aren’t full members.

 

Nordic Council: formed in 1953 by Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Latvia and Estonia, to study diverse fields of regional cooperation.

 

Arab League: it defends the political and economical interest of the Arab countries. Members: Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Abu Dhabi, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Yemen, Syria, Sudan, Oman and Tunis.

 

Persian Gulf Oil Consortium: established to safeguard the affiliated countries’ interests in the oil industry. Members: Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Bahrein, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Iran.

 

British Commonwealth: an association formed around the United Kingdom, its colonies and territories, the Dominions and the former British colonies. Members: Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Baluchistan, Myanmar, Bahrain, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Gambia, Limpopo, The Cape Republic, Sri Lanka, Sierra Leone, Tanganyika, Azania and Qatar. In recent years the emphasis of the organization has shifted from political and security to economical issues.