Economic Organizations and Commonwealth of Nations

Economic Organizations

• ECA (Economic Commission for Africa): Founded in 1958, headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

• World Bank (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development): Conceived at the Bretton Woods conference (July 1944), formally established December 27, 1945, and began operations June 25, 1946. Has 180 member banks and is headquartered in Washington D.C.

Commonwealth of Nations

• Commonwealth: An association of 53 nations formerly part of the British Empire.

• CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting): The primary decision-making forum, held biennially. Heads of state/government (Prime Ministers/Presidents) attend. Hosted by the Prime Minister/President of the host nation.

• Commonwealth Secretariat: Established in 1965, this is the organization's main international body. It serves all 53 member countries, makes presentations on behalf of the commonwealth at the UN General Assembly, and is led by an elected Secretary-General serving an eight-year term (two terms). Commonwealth Day is celebrated on the second Monday of March, promoting global understanding.

• CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States): Formed December 8, 1991.

European Union (EU)

• EU: Established in 1993 with the signing of the Maastricht Treaty (1992), comprising 27 nations. Aims for economic and monetary union. The UK left the EU in 2016 following a referendum.

Amnesty International

• Amnesty International: A politically neutral organization advocating for human rights globally, based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Campaigns to: release prisoners of conscience, ensure fair trials for political prisoners, end torture, halt extrajudicial executions, end disappearances, and abolish the death penalty. Conducts fact-finding missions and operates in over 100 countries; headquartered in London, UK.

SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation)

• SAARC: An association of 8 countries (Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan). Established December 8, 1985, with Afghanistan joining in April 2007. Headquartered in Kathmandu, Nepal.

NAM (Non-Aligned Movement)

• NAM: Founded in 1961 at Belgrade, Yugoslavia (at the first Summit Conference of Non-Aligned Nations, sponsored by Egypt, India, and Yugoslavia). Composed of 120+ member states and 17 observer countries. India hosted the 7th NAM summit in New Delhi in 1983; key topics included disarmament, anti-colonialism, and anti-racism. NAM's basic principles include mutual respect, non-aggression, and non-interference, seeking mutual benefit and equality.

ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)

• ASEAN: Formed August 8, 1967, comprising 10 member countries. Its official language is English, headquarters in Jakarta. Formed in Bangkok by signing the ASEAN Declaration/Bangkok Declaration by Foreign Ministers for founding countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. ASEAN Day is celebrated annually on August 8th.

Interpol

• Interpol (International Criminal Police Organization): Formed in 1923, reactivated in 1956. The successor to the International Criminal Police Commission (1923). Headquartered in Lyon, France.

WTO (World Trade Organization)

• WTO: Established January 1, 1995, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Created by the "Final Act" (Uruguay Round trade negotiations). 164 member countries. Aimed at liberalizing world trade. Headquartered in Geneva.

OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries)

• OPEC: Founded November 14, 1960. A 12-member organization controlling crude oil production and pricing, shaping global oil prices. Headquartered in Vienna, Austria.

SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation)

• SCO: Established June 15, 2001. Member states include China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. Principles include strengthening mutual trust, cooperation (political, economic, trade, cultural, technological), maintaining regional peace and stability, and promoting a new international order featuring democracy. Headquartered in Beijing, China.

BRICS

• BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa): Originally BRIC (without South Africa), expanded in 2011. Developing/newly industrialized countries, all members of the G-20. Coined by Jim O'Neill (important note). First formal summit in June 16, 2009, in Yekaterinburg, Russia. BRICS opposes the current western-dominated global financial management.

Explore the key economic organizations and the Commonwealth of Nations, including the ECA and World Bank. Learn about their history, functions, and significance in global governance. This quiz will test your knowledge of these important international entities.