I |
Athens |
1896 |
II |
Paris |
1900 |
III |
St Louis |
1904 |
IV |
London |
1908 |
V |
Stockholm |
1912 |
VI |
Berlin (cancelled) |
1916 |
VII |
Antwerp |
1920 |
VIII |
Paris |
1924 |
IX |
Amsterdam |
1928 |
X |
Los Angeles |
1932 |
XI |
Berlin |
1936 |
XII |
Tokyo/Helsinki (cancelled) |
1940 |
XIII |
London (cancelled) |
1944 |
XIV |
London |
1948 |
XV |
Helsinki |
1952 |
XVI |
Melbourne |
1956 |
XVII |
Rome |
1960 |
XVIII |
Tokyo |
1964 |
XIX |
Mexico city |
1968 |
XX |
Munich |
1972 |
XXI |
Montreal |
1976 |
XXII |
Moscow |
1980 |
XXIII |
Los Angeles |
1984 |
XXIV |
Seoul |
1988 |
XXV |
Barcelona |
1992 |
XXVI |
Atlanta |
1996 |
XXVII |
Sydney |
2000 |
XXVIII |
Athens |
2004 |
XXIX |
Beijing |
2008 |
XXX |
London |
2012 |
XXXI |
Rio de Janeiro |
2016 |
XXXII |
Tokyo |
2020 |
I |
chamonix, France |
1924 |
II |
St Moritz, Switzerland |
1928 |
III |
Lake Placid, United States |
1932 |
IV |
Garmisch-Partenkirchen, |
1936 |
Germany cancelled |
1940 |
|
cancelled |
1944 |
|
V |
1948 |
|
VI |
Oslo, Norway |
1952 |
VII |
Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy |
1956 |
VIII |
Squaw Valley, United States |
1960 |
IX |
Innsbruck, Austria |
1964 |
X |
Grenoble, France |
1968 |
XI |
Sapporo, Japan |
1972 |
XII |
Innsbruck, Austria |
1976 |
XIII |
Lake Placid, United States |
1980 |
XIV |
Sarajevo, Yugoslavia |
1984 |
XV |
calgary, canada |
1988 |
XVI |
Albertville, France |
1992a |
XVII |
Lillehammer, Norway |
1994a |
XVIII |
Nagano, Japan |
1998 |
XIX |
Salt Lake city, United States |
2002 |
XX |
Torino (Turin), Italy |
2006 |
XXI |
Vancouver, canada |
2010 |
XXII |
Sochi, Russia |
2014 |
XXIII |
Pyongchang, South Korea |
2018 |
a Since 1994 the summer and winter Olympic games have taken place in alternate even-numbered years. Hence, the Albertville and Lillehammer winter games are only two years apart.
These are the exact names and abbreviated titles of the main international organisations. Where membership is small or exclusive, members are listed too.
African Union formerly the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), founded in 1963, headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Members
Algeria
Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Comoros
Congo-Brazzaville
Djibouti
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Gabon
The Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Rwanda
Sāo Tomé and
Principe
Senegal
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Africa
South Sudan
Sudan
Swaziland
Tanzania
Togo
Uganda
ALADI Asociación Latinoamericana de Integración (Latin American Integration Association), founded in 1980, based in Montevideo, Uruguay.
Membersa
Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Cuba
Ecuador
Mexico
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Uruguay
Venezuela
a There are also 17 observer countries and 10 observer organisations.
Andean Community of Nations founded in 1969, headquarters in Lima, Peru.
Members
Bolivia
Colombia
Ecuador
Peru
APEC Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, founded in 1989, based in Singapore.
Members
Australia
Brunei Darussalam
Canada
Chile
China
Chinese Taipei (Taiwan)
Hong Kong, China
Indonesia
Japan
Malaysia
Mexico
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea
Peru
Philippines
Russia
Singapore
Thailand
United States
Vietnam
ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations, established in 1967, headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Members
Brunei Darussalam
Cambodia
Indonesia
Laos
Malaysia
Myanmar
Philippines
Singapore
Thailand
Vietnam
BIS Bank for International Settlements, the central bankers’ central bank, founded 1930, based in Basel, Switzerland.
Membersa
Algeria
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Brazil
Bulgaria
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malaysia
Mexico
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Thailand
Turkey
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
a The European Central Bank is a shareholder.
CARICOM Caribbean Community and Common Market, formed in 1973, secretariat in Georgetown, Guyana.
Members
Anguillaa
Belize
Bermudaa
British Virgin Islandsa
Cayman Islandsa
Dominica
Antigua and Barbuda
Grenada
Guyana
Haiti
Jamaica
Montserrat
St Kitts-Nevis
St Lucia
Bahamasb
St Vincent and the Grenadines
Suriname
Trinidad and Tobago
Turks and Caicos Islandsa
a Associate member.
b Member of the Community but not the Common Market.
COMESA Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, founded in 1994, headquarters in Lusaka, Zambia.
Members
Burundi
Comoros
Congo, Democratic
Republic of
Djibouti
Egypt
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Kenya
Libya
Madagascar
Malawi
Mauritius
Rwanda
Seychelles
Sudan
Swaziland
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Commonwealth based in London, UK.
Members
Antigua and Barbuda
Australia
Bahamas
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belize
Botswana
Brunei Darussalam
Cameroon
Canada
Cyprus
Dominica
Fiji Islandsa
Ghana
Grenada
Swaziland
Tanzania
Tonga
Guyana
India
Jamaica
Kenya
Kiribati
Lesotho
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Malta
Mauritius
Mozambique
Namibia
Naurub
New Zealand
Trinidad and Tobago
Tuvalu
Uganda
Nigeria
Pakistan
Papua New Guinea
Rwanda
Samoa
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Solomon Islands
South Africa
Sri Lanka
St Kitts and Nevis
St Lucia
St Vincent and the Grenadines
Tanzania
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tuvalu
Uganda
United Kingdom
Vanuatu
Zambia
a Suspended on September 1st 2009.
b Member in arrears.
Dependencies and associated states
Australia
Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Australian Antarctic Territory
Christmas Island
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Coral Sea Islands Territory
Heard and McDonald Islands
Norfolk Island
New Zealand
Cook Islands
Niue
Ross Dependency
Tokelau
UK
Anguilla
Bermuda
British Antarctic Territory
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Channel Islands
Falkland Islands
Gibraltar
Isle of Man
Montserrat
Pitcairn Island
South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands
St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
Turks and Caicos Islands
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) founded by the former Soviet Socialist Republics in December 1991, based in Moscow, Russia.
Members
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Georgia
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Moldova
Russia
Tajikistan
Turkmenistan
Ukraine
Uzbekistan
ECOWAS Economic Community of West African States, founded 1975, secretariat in Abuja, Nigeria.
Members
Benin
Burkina Faso
Cape Verde
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Ivory Coast
Liberia
Mali
Niger
Nigeria
Senegal
Sierra Leone
The Gambia
Togo
EEA European Economic Area, negotiated in 1992 between the European Community and members of EFTA, came into force in 1994 and has been maintained because the three signatories – Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein – wanted to participate in the single market without being full members of the EU.
EFTA European Free Trade Association, established 1960.
Members
Iceland
Liechtenstein
Norway
Switzerland
Euro area Name given to the economic region formed by the EU member countries that have adopted the euro as their currency. Also known as the euro zone.
Members
Austriaa
Belgiuma
Cyprus (2008)
Estonia (2011)
Finlanda
Francea
Germanya
Greece (2001)
Irelanda
Italya
Latvia (2014)
Lithuania (2015)
Luxembourga
Malta (2008)
Netherlandsa
Portugala
Slovakia (2009)
Slovenia (2007)
Spain
a Joined in 1999 when the euro was introduced.
EU European Union, the collective designation of three organisations with common membership: the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC, treaty expired in 2002), European Economic Community (EEC) and European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM). They merged to become the European Community (EC) in 1967. In November 1993 when the Maastricht treaty came into force the EC was incorporated into the EU. Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) formed one of the articles of the Maastricht treaty, in which were set out the stages by which the EU would progress to full convergence, with a single currency, the euro. Headquarters in Brussels, with some activities in Luxembourg and Strasbourg.
Main institutions
Council of the European Union
European Commission
European Council
European Parliament
Other EU institutions
Committee of the Regions
Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT)
Court of Auditors
Court of Justice of the EU
European Central Bank
European Data Protection Supervisor
European Economic and Social Committee
European External Action Service (EEAS)
European Investment Bank
European Investment Fund
European Ombudsman
European Personnel Selection Office
European School of Administration
Publications Office
Decentralised agencies
Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER)
Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO)
European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders (FRONTEX)
European Agency for the operational management of large-scale IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice (EU-LISA)
European Asylum Support Office (EASO)
European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
European Banking Authority (EBA)
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)
European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP)
European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)
European Defence Agency (EDA)
European Environment Agency (EEA)
European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA)
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (EUROFOUND)
European GNSS Agency (GSA)
European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE)
European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA)
European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA)
European Medicines Agency (EMA)
European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA)
European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA)
European Police College (Cepol)
European Police Office (Europol)
European Public Prosecutor’s Office (in preparation) (EPPO)
European Railway Agency (ERA)
European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA)
European Training Foundation (ETF)
European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)
European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS)
European Union Satellite Centre (EUSC)
Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (OHIM)
Single Resolution Board (in preparation) (SRB)
The European Union’s Judicial Cooperation Unit (EUROJUST)
Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union (CdT)
Executive agencies
Consumers, Health and Food Executive Agency (CHAFEA)
Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA)
European Research Council Executive Agency (ERC Executive Agency)
Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME)
Innovation & Networks Executive Agency (INEA)
Research Executive Agency (REA)
European Atomic Energy Community Treaty (EURATOM)
European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)
Members
Austria (1995)
Belgiuma
Bulgaria (2007)
Croatia (2013)
Cyprus (2004)
Czech Republic (2004)
Denmark (1973)
Estonia (2004)
Finland (1995)
Francea
Germanya
Greece (1981)
Hungary (2004)
Ireland (1973)
Italya
Latvia (2004)
Lithuania (2004)
Luxembourga
Malta (2004)
Netherlandsa
Poland (2004)
Portugal (1986)
Romania (2007)
Slovakia (2004)
Slovenia (2004)
Spain (1986)
Sweden (1995)
UK (1973)
a Founding member.
Note: Year of joining in brackets.
FTAA Free Trade Area of the Americas, set up in November 2002 to integrate the economies of the western hemisphere into a single free trade agreement.
Members
Antigua & Barbuda
Argentina
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Bolivia
Brazil
Canada
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Grenada
Guatemala
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Jamaica
Mexico
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
St Kitts & Nevis
St Lucia
St Vincent & the Grenadines
Suriname
Trinidad & Tobago
United States
Uruguay
Venezuela
GCC Co-operation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf or Gulf Cooperation Council, established in 1981, headquarters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Bahrain
Kuwait
Oman
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
United Arab Emirates
G7, G8, G10, G22, G26 In 1975, six countries, the world’s leading capitalist countries, ranked by GDP, were represented in France at the first annual summit meeting: the United States, the UK, West Germany, Japan and Italy, as well as the host country. The following year they were joined by Canada and, in 1977, by representatives of the European Union, although the group continued to be known as the G7. At the 1989 summit, 15 developing countries were also represented, although this did not give birth to the G22, which was not set up until 1998 and swiftly grew into G26. At the 1991 G7 summit, a meeting was held with the Soviet Union, a practice that continued (with Russia) in later years. In 1997, although it was not one of the world’s eight richest countries, Russia became a full member of the G8. It was excluded again, because of its actions in Crimea and Ukraine, in 2014. Meetings of the IMF are attended by the G10, which includes 11 countries.
G10 members
Belgium
Canada
France
Germany
Italy
Japan
Netherlands
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom
United States
IATA International Air Transport Association, head offices in Montreal and Geneva; regional offices in Miami and Singapore.
Members: most international airlines
International Seabed Authority an autonomous organisation in relationship with the UN, established 1994, based in Kingston, Jamaica
Members: 157 signatories to the Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Mercosur Mercado Común del Sur (Southern Common Market), founded in 1991, based in Montevideo, Uruguay.
| Members | Associate members |
| Argentina | Bolivia |
| Brazil | Chile |
| Paraguay | Colombia |
| Suriname | Ecuador |
| Uruguay | Guyana |
| Venezuela | Peru |
NAFTA North American Free Trade Agreement, which came into force on January 1st 1994.
Members
Canada
Mexico
United States
NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, an alliance of 28 countries from Europe and North America committed to fulfilling goals of North Atlantic Treaty signed on April 4th 1949; headquarters in Brussels.
Members
Albania
Belgium
Bulgaria
Canada
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Turkey
United Kingdom
United States
OAS Organisation of American States, formed in 1948, headquarters in Washington, DC.
Membersab
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Bolivia
Brazil
Canada
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Grenada
Guatemala
Guyana
Haiti
Hondurasc
Jamaica
Mexico
Nicaragua
Panama
Peru
St Kitts-Nevis
St Lucia
St Vincent and the
Grenadines
Suriname
Trinidad and Tobago
United States
Uruguay
Venezuela
a Has many permanent non-member observers.
b Cuba was excluded from the OAS in 1962. However, on June 3rd 2009 it was decided that the 1962 Resolution would no longer apply.
c Honduras was suspended from active participation on July 5th 2009.
OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, capitalism’s club, founded in 1961, based in Paris. The European Commission also takes part in the OECD’s work.
Members
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Canada
Chile
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Luxembourg
Mexico
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
United Kingdom
United States
OPEC Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, established 1960, based in Vienna.
Members
Algeria
Ecuadora
Indonesiab
Iran
Iraq
Kuwait
Libya
Nigeria
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
United Arab Emirates
Venezuela
a Ecuador suspended its membership between December 1992 and October 2007.
b Indonesia suspended its membership from January 2009.
OSCE Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, originally founded in 1972 as the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE).
Members: 57, including European countries, Canada, the US and former republics of the Soviet Union
SADC Southern African Development Community, replaced the Southern African Development Co-ordination Conference in 1992, based in Gaborone, Botswana. Its aim is to work for development and economic growth in the region with common systems and institutions, promoting peace and security, and achieving complementary national and regional strategies.
Members
Angola
Botswana
Congo, Democratic Republic of
Lesotho
Madagascar
Malawi
Mauritius
Mozambique
Namibia
Seychelles
South Africa
Swaziland
Tanzania
Zambia
Zimbabwe
The United Nations (UN) officially came into existence on October 24th 1945, based in New York, US.
Main bodies
General Assembly
Security Council
Economic and Social Council (ecosoc)
Trusteeship Council
International Court of Justice
Secretariat
Repertory of Practice of United Nations Organs
Secretaries-general
Sir Gladwyn Jebb (UK), acting, 1945–46
Trygve Lie (Norway), February 1946; resigned in November 1952
Dag Hammarskjöld (Sweden), April 1953 until his death in a plane crash in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia), September 1961
U Thant (Burma, now Myanmar), November 1961–December 1971
Kurt Waldheim (Austria) 1972–81
Javier Pérez de Cuéllar (Peru) 1982–91
Boutros Boutros-Ghali (Egypt), January 1992 to the American veto of his second term in December 1996
Kofi Annan (Ghana), 1997–2006
Ban Ki-moon (South Korea), 2007–2016
António Guterres (Portugal), 2017–
Head office |
||
Economic Commission for Africa |
ECA |
Addis Ababa |
Economic Commission for Europe |
ECE |
Geneva |
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean |
ECLAC |
Santiago |
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific |
ESCAP |
Bangkok |
Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
ESCWA |
Beirut |
Other UN bodies and programmes |
||
Department of Peacekeeping Operations |
DPKO |
New York |
International Trade Centre |
ITC |
Geneva |
Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs |
OCHA |
New York |
Office of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights |
OHCHR |
Geneva |
United Nations Capital Development Fund |
UNCDF |
New York |
United Nations Children’s Fund |
UNICEF |
New York |
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development |
UNCTAD |
Geneva |
United Nations Development Programme |
UNDP |
New York |
United Nations Environment Programme |
UNEP |
Nairobi |
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees |
UNHCR |
Geneva |
United Nations Human Settlements Programme |
UN- Habitat |
Nairobi |
United Nations Institute for Research and Training |
UNITAR |
Geneva |
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime |
UNODC |
Vienna |
United Nations Population Fund |
UNFPA |
New York |
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East |
UNRWA |
Gaza City, Palestinian Territories |
United Nations Volunteers |
UNV |
Bonn |
United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women |
UN Women |
New York |
World Food Programme |
WFP |
Rome |
Food and Agriculture Organisation |
FAO |
Rome |
International Civil Aviation Organisation |
ICAO |
Montreal |
International Fund for Agricultural Development |
IFAD |
Rome |
International Labour Organisation |
ILO |
Geneva |
International Maritime Organisation |
IMO |
London |
International Monetary Fund |
IMF |
Washington, DC |
International Telecommunication Union |
ITU |
Geneva |
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation |
UNESCO |
Paris |
United Nations Industrial Development Organisation |
UNIDO |
Vienna |
Universal Postal Union |
UPU |
Berne |
World Bank Groupa |
Washington, DC |
|
World Health Organisation |
WHO |
Geneva |
World Intellectual Property Organisation |
WIPO |
Geneva |
World Meteorological Organisation |
WMO |
Geneva |
World Tourism Organisation |
UNWTO |
Madrid |
a Comprising the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), the International Development Association (IDA), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA).
Related organisations
International Atomic Energy Agency |
IAEA |
Vienna |
Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation |
CTBTO |
Vienna |
Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons |
OPCW |
The Hague |
WTO World Trade Organisation, the international organisation of the world trading system with co-operative links to the UN, established in 1995 as successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), based in Geneva.
Members: 160 countries