International Organisations

WTO
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only international organization
dealing with the rules of trade between nations.
The World Trade Organization came into being in 1995 and is headquartered
at Geneva.
WTO is the successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)
established in the wake of the Second World War.
Functions
Its main function is to ensure that trade flows as smoothly, predictably and
freely as possible by
1) Administering trade agreements

2)
3)
4)
5)
6)

Acting as a forum for trade negotiations

Settling trade disputes
Reviewing national trade policies
Assisting developing countries in trade policy issues, through technical
assistance and training programmes
Cooperating with other international organizations

Structure
The WTO has about 150 members, accounting for about 95% of world trade.
Decisions are made by the entire membership through consensus.
The WTOs agreements have been ratified in all members parliaments.
Ministerial Conference - The WTOs top-level decision-making body that meets at
least once every two years.
General Council- It is below Ministerial Conference that meets several times a year
in the Geneva headquarters.
The General Council also meets as the Trade Policy Review Body and the Dispute
Settlement Body.
Goods Council, Services Council and Intellectual Property (TRIPS) Council
Report to the General Council
Specialized committees, working groups and working parties - deal with the
individual agreements and other areas such as the environment, development,
membership applications and regional trade agreements.
The WTO agreements
The WTOs rules the agreements are the result of negotiations between
the members.

 The current set were the outcome of the 198694 Uruguay Round negotiations
which included a major revision of the original General Agreement on Tariffs
and Trade (GATT).
GATT is now the WTOs principal rulebook for trade in goods.
Through these agreements, WTO members operate a non-discriminatory
trading system that spells out their rights and their obligations.
Each country receives guarantees that its exports will be treated fairly and
consistently in other countries markets.
Each promises to do the same for imports into its own market.
The system also gives developing countries some flexibility in implementing
their commitments.
WTOs agreements consist of
1) Agreement for trade in Goods.
2) General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS).
3) Agreement on Intellectual Property Rights
A WTO committee on trade and development looks at developing countries special
needs.
Its responsibility includes
Implementation of the agreements,
Technical cooperation, and
The increased participation of developing countries in the global trading system
Benefits of WTO
1. The system helps promote peace
2. Disputes are handled constructively
3. Rules make life easier for all
4. Freer trade cuts the costs of living
5. It provides more choice of products and qualities
6. Trade raises incomes
7. Trade stimulates economic growth
8. The basic principles make life more efficient
9. Governments are shielded from lobbying
10. The system encourages good government

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

It was founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade.
It consists of 34 countries.
Most OECD members are high-income economies with a very high Human
Development Index (HDI) and are regarded as developed countries.
The OECD's headquarters are in Paris, France.
The OECD created agencies such as the OECD Development Centre (1961),
International Energy Agency (IEA, 1974), and Financial Action Task Force on
Money Laundering.
The OECD is known as a statistical agency, as it publishes comparable
statistics on a wide number of subjects.
Objectives and activities

Provides a setting to compare policy experiences,

Seeks answers to common problems,
Identifies good practices, and
Co-ordinates domestic and international policies.

The OECD promotes policies designed to achieve the highest sustainable economic
growth and employment and a rising standard of living in Member countries.
OECD has taken a role in coordinating international action on corruption and
bribery, creating the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention.
The OECD has constituted an anti-spam task force that works on the
information economy and the future of the Internet economy.
The OECD publishes the Programme for International Student Assessment
(PISA) to allow educational performances to be examined on a common
measure across countries.
The OECD publishes and updates a model tax convention for bilateral
negotiations regarding tax coordination and cooperation.
The OECD publishes books, reports, statistics, working papers and reference
materials. OECD Economic Outlook, OECD Fact book, OECD Economic
surveys, Going for Growth
The OECD is responsible for the OECD Guidelines for the Testing of
Chemicals

Structure
The OECD's structure consists of three main elements:
The OECD member countries that form the OECD Council.
The OECD Substantive Committees to oversee all the work on each theme.
The OECD Secretariat, led by the Secretary-General (currently ngel
Gurra), provides support to Standing and Substantive Committees.

Secretariat
Exchanges between OECD governments benefit from the information,
analysis, and preparation of the OECD Secretariat.

 The secretariat collects data, monitors trends, and analyses and forecasts
economic developments.
It also researches social changes or evolving patterns in trade, environment,
education, agriculture, technology, taxation, and other areas.

Special bodies

Africa Partnership Forum

Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC)
Development Assistance Committee
OECD Development Centre
International Energy Agency
Nuclear Energy Agency
Partnership for Democratic Governance (PDG)
Sahel and West Africa Club
Trade Union Advisory Committee (TUAC)

World Health Organisation (WHO) -

The WHO is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) that is

concerned with international public health.
It was established in 1948.
It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
Since its creation, it has played a leading role in the eradication of smallpox.
The WHO is responsible for the World Health Report, the worldwide World
Health Survey, and World Health Day (7 April of every year).
Objectives
Its objective "is the attainment by all people of the highest possible level of health".
The WHO fulfills its objective through these functions
(a) Acts as the directing and coordinating authority on international health work;
(b) Establishes and maintains effective collaboration with various stakeholders.
(c) Assists Governments in strengthening health services;
(d) Furnishes appropriate technical assistance and aid
(e) Stimulates and advances work to eradicate epidemic, endemic and other diseases;
(f) Promotes the prevention of accidental injuries;
(f) Promotes the improvement of nutrition, housing, sanitation, recreation, economic
or working conditions and other aspects of environmental hygiene

(h) Proposes conventions, agreements and regulations, and make recommendations

with respect to international health matters.
Functions
It is responsible for
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)

Providing leadership on global health matters,

Shaping the health research agenda,
Setting norms and standards,
Articulating evidence-based policy options,
Providing technical support to countries
Monitoring and assessing health trends.

Structure
The WHO is a member of the United Nations Development Group.
The WHO has 194 member states.
The World Health Assembly is the legislative and supreme body of the
WHO. It typically meets yearly in May.
The WHA appoints the Director-General every five years, and votes on
matters of policy and finance of the WHO.
The WHA reviews reports of the Executive Board.
The Executive Board carries out the decisions and policies of the Assembly.
The WHA establishes a regional organization to meet the special needs of
areas.
The head of the organization is the Director-General, elected by the World
Health Assembly.
The current Director-General is Margaret Chan.
The WHO operates "Goodwill Ambassadors" aimed at drawing attention to
WHO's initiatives and projects.
Programmes
Its current priorities include
Communicable diseases, in particular, HIV/AIDS, Ebola, malaria and
tuberculosis;
Mitigation of the effects of non-communicable diseases;
Sexual and reproductive health, development, and aging;
Nutrition, food security and healthy eating;
Occupational health;
Substance abuse; and
Drive the development of reporting, publications, and networking.

Regional Organisations
Commonwealth of Nations

The Commonwealth of Nations (The Commonwealth) is an intergovernmental

organisation of 53 member states that were mostly territories of the former
British Empire.
The London Declaration formally constituted it in 1949 and established the
member states as "free and equal".
The Commonwealth is an association of sovereign nations that support each
other and work together towards international goals.
The Commonwealth operates by intergovernmental consensus of the member
states and non-governmental organisations.
The symbol of this free association is Queen Elizabeth II who is the Head of
the Commonwealth.
Language, history, culture, and their shared values of democracy, human
rights, and the rule of law unite member states.
These values are enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter and promoted by
the quadrennial Commonwealth Games.
Governing Bodies
Queen Elizabeth II is the Head of the Commonwealth.
(CHOGM) - The main decision-making forum of the organisation is the
biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
The head of government hosting the CHOGM is called the Commonwealth
Chairperson-in-Office and retains the position until the following CHOGM.
The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) took place in
Colombo, Sri Lanka in 2013, on the theme Growth with Equity: Inclusive
Development.
Next CHOGM will be held in Malta in November 2015.
Commonwealth Secretariat
The Commonwealth Secretariat is the main intergovernmental agency of the
Commonwealth, facilitating consultation and co-operation among member
governments and countries.
The Commonwealth of Nations is represented in the United Nations General
Assembly by the secretariat as an observer.
Commonwealth heads of government elect Commonwealth Secretary-General
for no more than two four-year terms.
The present secretary-general is Kamalesh Sharma, from India.

The secretariat

Organizes Commonwealth summits,

Organizes Meetings of ministers,
Organizes Consultative meetings and technical discussions;
Assists policy development and provides policy advice
Facilitates multilateral communication among the member governments.
Provides technical assistance to help governments in the social and economic
development of their countries.

Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) deals with serious or persistent

violations of the Harare Declaration, which lays down the Commonwealths core
principles and values.
CMAGs tasks
Assesses the nature of the infringement of Commonwealth principles.
Recommends measures for collective action to restore democracy and constitutional
rule.
CMAGs authority to suspend a member country from the association is unique
amongst international organisations.
Objectives and activities
The Commonwealth Charter
A document that set out the governance arrangements, roles of principal
Commonwealth agents, rights and responsibilities of members in that organisation.
The core values and principles of the Commonwealth as declared by this Charter:
Democracy
Human Rights
International Peace and Security
Tolerance, Respect and Understanding
Freedom of Expression
Separation of Powers
Rule of Law
Good Governance
Sustainable Development
Protecting the Environment
Access to Health, Education, Food and Shelter
Gender Equality
Importance of Young People in the Commonwealth
Recognition of the Needs of Small States
Recognition of the Needs of Vulnerable States
The Role of Civil Society

Commonwealth Games
The Games is the ultimate reunion for the Commonwealth family to meet once
again
Allow member states to connect sharing ideas and discussing the future of
the association at this unique and colorful international forum.
The XX Commonwealth Games were held in Glasgow, Scotland from 23 July
3 August 2014.
It will follow in the tradition of using sport to communicate and embody the
values of the Commonwealth on the world stage.
The values of the Commonwealth Humanity, Equality and Destiny
permeate throughout every aspect of the Games.
Statements and declarations
The Declaration of Commonwealth Principles, Harare Declaration and Millbrook
Programme have provided the basis for Commonwealth action.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is responsible for maintaining
the war graves of 1.7 million service personnel that died in the First and Second
World Wars fighting for Commonwealth member states.
The Commission has constructed 2,500 war cemeteries, and maintains individual
graves at another 20,000 sites around the world.
Commonwealth of Learning
The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) is an intergovernmental organisation to
encourage the development and sharing of open learning/distance education
knowledge, resources and technologies.
COL is helping developing nations improve access to quality education and training.
Commonwealth Business Council
The Commonwealth Business Council (CBC) promotes global trade and investment,
facilitates ICT for Development, mobilizes investment, promotes corporate
citizenship, and public-private partnerships.

OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries)

Headquartered in Vienna, Austria
It was established in Baghdad, Iraq in September 1960.

 Currently, the Organization has a total of 12 Member Countries Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela (Founding Members), Qatar,
Indonesia, Libya, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Nigeria, Ecuador, Gabon
and Angola.
OPEC is now responsible for approximately 45% of global oil production.
Functions
Co-ordinates and unifies petroleum policies among Member Countries
Secures fair and stable prices for petroleum producers
Ensures an efficient, economic and regular supply of petroleum to consuming
nations; and
Ensures a fair return on capital to those investing in the industry
Sets production targets for its member nations
Publishes the World Oil Outlook (WOO) annually to present a comprehensive
analysis of the global oil industry.
Secretariat The OPEC Secretariat is the executive organ of the OPEC.
It is responsible for the implementation of all resolutions passed by the
Conference and carries out all decisions made by the Board of Governors.
It also conducts research, the findings of which constitute key inputs in
decision-making.
The Secretariat consists of
1) Secretary General
2) Office of the Secretary General,
3) Legal Office, the
4) Research Division and the
5) Support Services Division.
OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID)
Promotes cooperation between Member States of OPEC and other developing
countries

NAM (Non-Aligned Movement)

The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a group of states, which are not
formally aligned with or against any major power bloc.
The organization was founded in Belgrade in 1961.
Non-Aligned Movement was formed as an attempt to thwart the Cold War.

 As of now, the movement has 120 members and 17 observer countries.

The countries of the Non-Aligned Movement represent nearly two-thirds of
the United Nations members and contain 55% of the world population.
The founding fathers of the Non-aligned movement were: Sukarno of
Indonesia, Jawaharlal Nehru of India, Josip Broz Tito of Yugoslavia, Gamal
Abdul Nasser of Egypt and Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana. Their actions were
known as 'The Initiative of Five'.
5 Principles of NAM

Mutual respect for each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty

Mutual non-aggression
Mutual non-interference in domestic affairs
Equality and mutual benefit
Peaceful co-existence

NAM Structure and Organisation

The Summit Conference of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned
States is "the highest decision making authority".
The member country has to display practices in accordance with the ten
"Bandung principles" of 1955.
Non-Aligned administration is non-hierarchical, rotational and inclusive.
Policies and ideology
NAM is unified by its commitment to world peace and security.
Places equal emphasis on disarmament.
Espouses policies and practices of cooperation.
Publicly committed to the tenets of sustainable development and the
attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.
Accepts the universality of human rights and social justice
Resists cultural homogenization.

Working groups, task forces, committees

The conference of Heads of State or Government of the Non-Aligned
Countries often referred to as Non-Aligned Movement Summit is the main
meeting within the movement and are held every few years.
There is a general Conference of Foreign Ministers every three years.
The Chairperson runs non-Aligned Movement.
NAM's chairman changes every three years.
Iran is the current President of the Non-Aligned Movement and hosted the
16th NAM summit in 2012.
The Coordinating Bureau is the main instrument for directing the work of the
movement's task forces, committees and working groups.

EU (European Union)
The European Union (EU) is a politico-economic union of 28 European
states.
The Maastricht Treaty established the European Union in 1993 and introduced
the European Citizenship.
In 2012, the EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Membership
To become a member, a country must meet the Copenhagen criteria, defined at
the 1993 meeting of the European Council in Copenhagen.
These require a stable democracy, a functioning market economy; and the
acceptance of the obligations of membership, including EU law.

Governance
The European Union has seven institutions:
European Parliament - scrutinizes and amends legislation.
Council of the European Union - scrutinizes and amends legislation.
European Commission - executive tasks are carried out.
European Council
European Central Bank - The monetary policy is governed.
Court of Justice of the European Union - The interpretation and the application
of EU law and the treaties are ensured.
European Court of Auditors -The EU budget is scrutinized.

European Council
The European Council gives direction to the EU, and convenes at least four
times a year.
It is actively involved in the negotiation of the treaty changes and defines the
EU's policy agenda and strategies.
It sorts out disputes between member states and the institutions, and to resolve
political crises and disagreements over controversial issues and policies.
It acts externally as a "collective head of state" and ratifies important
documents.
European Commission
The European Commission acts as the EU's executive arm and is responsible
for initiating legislation and the day-to-day running of the EU.

 It is also seen as the motor of European integration.

It operates as a cabinet government, with 28 Commissioners for different areas
of policy.
European Parliament

It forms one half of the EU's legislature.

Passing European laws
Democratic supervision
Supervising the budget

Council of the European Union

It forms the other half of the EU's legislature.

Passing EU laws
Coordinating economic policies
Signing international agreements
Approving the EU budget
Develops Foreign and defence policy
European Central Bank
Keeps prices stable
Keeps the financial system stable

Acts
The main legal acts of the EU come in three forms: regulations, directives, and
decisions.
Economy
19 member states have joined a monetary union known as the Eurozone,
which uses the Euro as a single currency.

ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)

It is a political and economic organisation of 10 Southeast Asian countries.

It was formed in 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and
Thailand.
It is headquartered at Jakarta, Indonesia.

Purpose
Aims and purposes of ASEAN are:

To accelerate economic growth, social progress, and cultural development in

the region
To promote regional peace and stability
To promote collaboration and mutual assistance on matters of common interest
To provide assistance to each other in the form of training and research
facilities
To collaborate for the better utilisation of agriculture and industry to raise the
living standards of the people
To promote Southeast Asian studies
To maintain close, beneficial co-operation with existing international
organisations with similar aims and purposes

ASEAN is built on three pillars:

1) ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC),
2)

ASEAN Economic Community (AEC),

3) ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC)

SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation)

South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is an

economic and geopolitical organisation of eight countries that are primarily
located in South Asia.
The SAARC Secretariat is based in Kathmandu, Nepal.
The combined economy of SAARC is the 3rd largest in the world in the terms
of GDP (PPP) and 8th largest in the terms of nominal GDP.
SAARC nations comprise 3% of the world's area and contain 21% of the
world's total population.
Countries - Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
and Afghanistan
The SAARC policies aim to promote welfare economics, collective selfreliance among the countries of South Asia, and to accelerate socio-cultural
development in the region

The 18th SAARC Summit was held in Kathmandu from 26-27 November
2014.
The motto was Deeper Integration for Peace and Prosperity

Objectives of SAARC:
The objectives of SAARC, as defined in its charter, are as follows:
1) Promote the welfare of the peoples of South Asia and improve their quality of life;
ii. Accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the
region by providing all individuals the opportunity to live in dignity and realize their
full potential;
iii. Promote and strengthen collective self-reliance among the countries of South Asia;
iv. Contribute to mutual trust, understanding and appreciation of one anothers
problems
v. Promote active collaboration and mutual assistance in the economic, social,
cultural, technical and scientific fields;
vi. Strengthen co-operation with other developing countries
vii. Strengthen co-operation among themselves in international forms on matters of
common interest; and
viii. Cooperate with international and regional organisation with similar aims and
purposes.

SAARC preferential trading arrangement (SAPTA)

To promote and sustain mutual trade and the economic cooperation among the
Contracting States, through exchanging concessions in accordance with this
Agreement
SAPTA may, inter-alia, consist of arrangements relating to :
. tariffs;
2
para-tariffs;
.
3
non-tariff measures;
.
4
direct trade measures.
.

SAPTA to SAFTA:
The South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) agreement came into force from July 1,
2006. With this, the earlier SAPTA established in 1995 had paved the way to SAFTA.

African Union (AU)

The African Union (AU) is a union consisting of 54 African states.

The only African state that is not a member is Morocco.
The AU was established in 2001 in Addis Ababa.
The objectives of the AU are
To achieve greater unity and solidarity between the African countries and
Africans.
To defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of its Member
States.
To accelerate the political and social-economic integration of the continent.
To promote peace, security, and stability on the continent.
To promote democratic principles and institutions, popular participation and
good governance.

Other political institutions of the AU include Executive Council

Permanent Representatives Committee
Economic, Social, and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC)

Organization of American States (OAS)

The OAS came into being in 1948 with the signing in Bogot, Colombia, of
the Charter of the OAS, which entered into force in December 1951.
OAS brings together all 35 independent states of the Americas.
The Organization uses a four-pronged approach to effectively implement its
essential purposes, based on its main pillars: democracy, human rights,
security, and development.

Purpose
To strengthen the peace and security of the continent
To promote and consolidate representative democracy
To promote economic, social, and cultural development;
To eradicate extreme poverty

Caribbean Community (CARICOM)

Established in 1973
an organization of 15 Caribbean nations and dependencies.
CARICOM's main purposes are to promote economic integration and
cooperation among its members.
A Chairman heads CARICOM.
CARICOM contains a quasi-Cabinet of the individual Heads of Government.

Arab League

It is a regional organization of Arab countries in and around North Africa, the

Horn of Africa, and Southwest Asia.
It was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945 with six members - Egypt, Iraq,
Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Saudi Arabia
Currently, the League has 21 members as the league suspended Syria.
The Leagues Goals and Interests Arab world to grow economically and culturally

IMF (International Monetary Fund)

It came up in 1944 whose Articles came into force in December 1945.

Its headquarter is based in Washington, DC, USA.
Every member nation has 2 seats in IMF Governor and Alternate Governor.
The union finance minister is the ex-officio governor of India in the IMF.
RBI Governor is the Alternate Governor.

Main Functions To

Facilitate international monetary cooperation

Promote exchange rate stability
Assist in establishment of multilateral system of payments
Assist in the elimination of foreign exchange restrictions
Provide financial assistance to member nations in correcting BOP crisis.
Allot Special Drawing Rights (SDR) to the member nations.
SDR Quota of India in IMF Comprises 3 components
A rupee securities of