This label studies the evolution, structure, and organization of international institutions, addresses issues of accessibility, considers boundaries of competence and jurisdiction, and assesses the future trajectory of international governance of trade. This label seeks to provide readers with a thorough introduction to the main multilateral and plurilateral organizations and institutions governing international trade and investment relations. By considering why governments have established these intergovernmental organizations, how they affect the behavior of member governments, and how they can resolve problems in international relations, readers will gain a thorough appreciation of the important role these organizations play in conditioning the flow of international trade and investment and relations among governments, how they function, the roles of member governments and secretariat officials, how decisions are made and the consequences of such decisions, and how disputes can be resolved.
International Trade Centre Outline The ITC is a governmental body operating under the joint auspices of GATT and UNCTAD. It initially came into existence in 1964 as an organization supported by GATT and came under the joint auspices of GATT and UNCTAD in 1968. Its main function is to promote…
International Monetary Fund Outline The UN Monetary and Financial Conference met in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, United States, from 1 to 20 July 1944. The Bretton Woods Agreement announced the establishment of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Bank for […]
European Council and the Treaties of the European Union Description of European Council provided by the European Union Commission: The European Council is the term used to describe the regular meetings of the Heads of State or Government of the European Union Member States. Its purpose is to […]
International Finance Corporation Outline The IFC is part of the World Bank. It came into force in 1956 pursuant to the Articles of Agreement of the International Finance Corporation of 1955. Its main function is to facilitate the supply of funds to private enterprises in order to encourage or […]
Economic Community Of West African States Summary of Economic Community Of West African States
An organization of sixteen West African states committed to the elimination of trade barriers among the member states and the promotion of economic development in the region. Formed at Lagos, […]
International Bank For Reconstruction And Development International Bank for Reconstruction and Development Outline The IBRD was established pursuant to the Bretton Woods Agreement of 1944. Its headquarters are in Washington, DC. As its name suggests, it is an intergovernmental (as opposed to […]
The Mercosur treaty creates something of a free trade zone among countries in the southern part of South America. The related Mercosur organization posts materials in Spanish. For information about Mercosur materials, see A Guide to MERCOSUR Legal Research: Sources and Documents. […]
Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency in relation with International Trade In the context of trade organizations, Christopher Mark (1993) provided the following definition of Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency: An independent agency of the World Bank group established in 1988 to […]
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in relation with International Trade In the context of trade organizations, Christopher Mark (1993) provided the following definition of Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS): An organization of II countries — including all former Soviet republics […]
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in relation with International Trade In the context of trade organizations, Christopher Mark (1993) provided the following definition of International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD): A specialized agency of the United Nations […]
World Bank and the World Bank Group Further Reading A concise encyclopedia of the United Nations (including World Bank , H Volger, KA Annan -2010) The Oxford Handbook on the United Nations (TG Weiss – 2007) International Law: A Dictionary (including World Bank , Boczek, Boleslaw Adam -2005) […]
Coreper Coreper and the Treaties of the European Union Description of Coreper provided by the European Union Commission: Coreper, the French acronym by which the Permanent Representatives Committee is known, consists of the Member States' Ambassadors to the European Union ("Permanent […]
Hello Council Of Europe Summary of Council Of Europe
An association of twenty- one European states formed to identify and collectively pursue areas of common interest, and to provide a forum for the articulation of European unity. The council was formed by treaty in London on May 5, 1949; […]
Acp Countries Summary of Acp Countries
An acronym for African- Caribbean-Pacific countries. The term originated in conjunction with the LOME CONVENTIONS (read this and related legal terms for further details).
(Main Author: William J. Miller)
ACP (African, Caribbean, and Pacific) […]
Gulf Cooperation Council Outline The council was established in 1981. It consists of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The council was intended to establish an economic community in the region. The members encourage free movement of capital within the […]
International Development Association Outline The IDA is one of the two affiliates of the World Bank. It came into existence in 1962 under the Articles of Agreement of the International Development Association of 1960. Its main function is to provide loans on more favourable and flexible terms […]
Summary of Central American Common Market
A free trade area among the nations of Central America, established in 1960 by a treaty between El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The common market began operations in 1961, and Costa Rica joined the group in 1962. Honduras dropped […]
Spanish Translation of European Parliament This is the legal translation of English to Spanish in relation to European Parliament and / or a definition of this topic: Parlamento Europeo (in Spanish, without translation of the dictionary entry). European Parliament and the Treaties of the […]
Economic Community of Central African States or Communaute Economique des Etats de I' Afrique Centrale (CEEAC) in relation with International Trade In the context of trade organizations, Christopher Mark (1993) provided the following definition of Economic Community of Central African […]
Southern African Customs Union (SACU) in relation with International Trade In the context of trade organizations, Christopher Mark (1993) provided the following definition of Southern African Customs Union (SACU): A customs union including Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, and […]
European Community (EC) in relation with International Trade In the context of trade organizations, Christopher Mark (1993) provided the following definition of European Community (EC): (Previously known as the European Economic Community, or EEC; the term "European Communities" […]
Organization For European Economic Cooperation Summary of Organization For European Economic Cooperation
A post-World War II organization established to coordinate the reconstruction of Europe. The OEEC arose in response to an Anglo-French declaration in 1947 calling for European […]
A list of some Intergovernmental Organizations is the following: Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization ( CTBTO ) Food and Agriculture Organization ( FAO ) Global Environment Facility ( GEF ) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( IPCC ) International Atomic […]
Organization of American States and the Peaceful Settlement of Disputes Based on the Handbook on Peaceful Settlement of Disputes between States (1992, United Nations): Chapter VI (arts. 23 to 26) of the OAS Charter deals specifically with the peaceful settlement of disputes. Article 23, as […]
Agriculture in relation with International Trade In the context of trade organizations, Christopher Mark (1993) provided the following definition of Agriculture: Counterpart committees in the industrial sector are known as ISACs. See also IFACs. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in […]
Non-Governmental Organizations Definition of Nongovernmental Organizations A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an organization that is neither a part of a government nor a conventional for-profit business. Usually set up by ordinary citizens, NGOs may be funded by governments, […]
Organization Of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries Outline OAPEC was established in the Second Arab Oil (or Petroleum) Congress of 1968 (the first was held in 1959). It consists exclusively of Arab oil-exporting countries. Its founding members […]
International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes in relation with International Trade In the context of trade organizations, Christopher Mark (1993) provided the following definition of International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes: An international agency affiliated […]
United Nations Commission On International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) United Nations Commission on International Trade Law Outline The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law was set up in 1966 by the General Assembly of the United Nations to deal with conflicts of national laws […]
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Introduction to Food and Agriculture Organization Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), specialized United Nations agency whose main goal is to eliminate hunger on a world scale. The organization's mandate is […]
International Organization for Standardization; sometimes referred to as the International Standards Organization (ISO) in relation with International Trade In the context of trade organizations, Christopher Mark (1993) provided the following definition of International Organization for […]
United Nations Educational, Scientific And Cultural Organization United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Outline UNESCO was set up in 1945 as a specialised and independent agency of the UN. Its main task is to promote international cooperation in the areas of […]
International Labor Organization Outline The ILO was established in 1919 in Washington. It became a specialized agency of the UN with independent status after the Second World War. The organization has representation from both the governments and trade unions of the member countries, and is a […]
Introduction to European Court of Justice European Court of Justice, court of law of the European Union (EU), established in 1957. The court is charged with ruling on all questions brought before it concerning the founding treaties of the EU and legislation made under those treaties. Since […]
General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) History Geza Feketekuty argued that one "of the major achievements of the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations was the negotiation of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), the first comprehensive framework for the […]
Organization For Economic Cooperation And Development (OECD) Summary of Organization For Economic Cooperation And Development An association of industrial countries formed in 1961 to promote the economic well-being of its member countries while contributing to the development of the world […]
International Civil Aviation Organization Outline The ICAO came into existence in 1947 pursuant to an international agreement signed in 1944 in Chicago. The Chicago Convention sets out international standards and recommended practices for international civil aviation. The ICAO was founded to […]
Organization Of Eastern Caribbean States Organization of Eastern Caribbean States Outline The organization was established in 1981 for the purpose of improving political and economic cooperation between its members and attracting investment to the region. It consists of Antigua, Dominica, […]
An International Organization can be defined, following the International Law Commission, as an "organization established by a treaty or other instrument governed by international law and possessing its own international legal […]
Public Health Public Health Agencies Introduction to World Health Organization On an international scale, public health is overseen by the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO manages international disease prevention and control efforts, and is involved in training medical personnel, educating […]
Summary of World Intellectual Property Organization A specialized agency of the United Nations charged with fostering international agreements to protect rights to intellectual property, with the object of facilitating international technology transfer. WIPO serves as the nucleus for new […]
Summary of International Maritime Organization
A specialized agency of the United Nations concerned with maritime safety and protection of the marine environment. The IMO was created as the result of the United Nations Maritime Conference of 1948; the convention creating the IMO did not, […]
International Trade Organization (ITO) in relation with International Trade In the context of trade organizations, Christopher Mark (1993) provided the following definition of International Trade Organization (ITO): (Not to be confused with Multilateral Trade "Organization, Sec. I). An […]
Organization Of Petroleum Exporting Countries Summary of Organization Of Petroleum Exporting Countries
A cartel of oil-producing nations founded at Baghdad in 1960 by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela. The cartel was joined subsequently by Qatar (1961), Indonesia […]
Organization of African Unity and the Peaceful Settlement of Disputes Based on the Handbook on Peaceful Settlement of Disputes between States (1992, United Nations): Article XIX of the OAU Charter lays down the principle of peaceful settlement of disputes and provides for the establishment […]
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) GATT was a series of multi-lateral treaties — and an organization of the same name — designed to regulate trade between the member nations. Definition of General Agreement On Tariffs And Trade In accordance with the work A Dictionary of Law, […]
EC Commission in relation with International Trade In the context of trade organizations, Christopher Mark (1993) provided the following definition of EC Commission: The "executive branch" of the European Community, which is responsible for carrying out policies approved by the EC […]
Introduction to International Organization International Organization, a membership group that operates across national borders for specific purposes. Scholars of international relations consider international organizations to have growing importance in world politics. Examples of […]
ILO – International Labour Organization Further Reading A concise encyclopedia of the United Nations (including International Labour Organization , H Volger, KA Annan -2010) The Oxford Handbook on the United Nations (TG Weiss – 2007) International Law: A Dictionary (including […]
Unlike GATT, the WTO is a permanent body but not a specialized agency of the United Nations. Introduction to World Trade Organization World Trade Organization (WTO), international body that promotes and enforces the provisions of trade laws and regulations. The World Trade Organization has […]