this file in whole or parts in any other software products.
This file may be spread seperately for read-only-use as long
as this copyright note is not removed.
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AI - Amnesty International
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|BAmnesty International (ai)|N
In contrast to most other organizations known by AmigaWorld, Amnesty International is an International |BNon|N-Governmental Organization (INGO). That means: Not goverments, but private people are the members of ai. The list of countries therefore shows those states that give home to a national section of this INGO; in fact, people in many more countries are members or supporters of ai, a total of more than one million human beings.
Amnesty International was founded in May 1961 by English lawyer Peter Beneson, as an international human rights organization. The current Statute of Amnesty International was amended in Ljubljana, Slovenia in August 1995.
AI informs the public about human rights violations in industrialized and developing countries as well, it strives to improve the situation of the world's 17 million refugees, and ai is a strong fighter against the death penalty, any kinds of torture and the oppression of women.
In every-days work these aims are carried out by small groups of members, joining together for example to bring forth the release of people illegaly imprisoned. The groups inform the public, collect people's votes for the prisoner's release and they collect money to pay possible court costs. This is done only for those people imprisoned because of their demonstrating or agitating against a dictatorial government -- prisoners that use force or propose the use of force are not supported by ai.
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AOSIS - Association of Small Island States
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|BAlliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)|N
The Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) was founded in 1990 as a coalition of developing countries that share common interests on environmental and sustainable development issues. Members of AOSIS are small islands or coastal countries that are low-lying and therefore particularly vulnerable to global warming and the "Greenhouse Effect": Should the sea level rise then land masses will submerge, sources of fresh water and coral reefs will be lost. Moreover, these countries are endangered by the increased frequency and intensity of tropical storms.
AOSIS works on proposals to the industrialized countries on how to actively prevent further changes of the world's climate and is taking part in the UN's World Climate Conferences.
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APEC - Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
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|BAsia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)|N
APEC was founded as a regional forum by the foreign ministers of twelve countries in Canberra, Australia in November 1989. With today's members, the APEC zone is inhabited by more than two billion human beings, and 40% of world trade is done in this region. APEC is by now the economic organization with the most different kind of membership: Capitalist and communist countries have joined together to increase their economic strength.
APEC wants to liberalize the trading system around the Pacific through consent-based agreements of its members. On their first summit in 1993, the heads of state and government of the APEC countries decided to create an APEC free trade zone. On the second summit, this zone has been scheduled to be established until 2020; some countries want to start free trade until 2010, including Japan and the NAFTA members USA, Canada and Mexico. The Osaka Action Agenda contains more than 100 steps to reduce barriers for trade and investment in the region. Some countries have announced unilateral actions to serve APEC's benefit: The People's Republic of China is going to reduce its import tarrifs sharply.
APEC is not really an organization as there is no secretary or other standing institution for decision making -- this is mostly done on the annual summits. The standing commitees have advisory function only. This will probably change in the future.
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Arab League
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|BLeague of Arab States|N
The Arab League was founded in 1945, as a loose amalgamation of the seven Arab countries that were independent at that time: Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi-Arabia, (North)-Yemen and Iraq.
The League strives for cooperation of the Arab nations, in the political, economic and cultural fields. Its major aim has always been the recognition of Palestine as an independent state. But it has been the United States and not the Arab League who have made progress with the rapproachment of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), resulting in the treaties that have been signed since 1994. During the Kuwait war (1991) the Arab League was unable to find a common and succesful strategy, either. Some success has been achieved in the cultural and economic field, by coordinating financial transfer from the petroleum exporting countries to the poorer ones.
The highest authorities of the Arab League are the Council of the Kings and Heads of States and the League Council. Majority decisions of these institutions are only binding on those countries that have voted accordingly. The seat of the organization is Cairo.
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ASEAN - Association of Southeast Asean Nations
9
|BAssociation of Southeast Asean Nations (ASEAN)|N
ASEAN was founded in 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singpore and Thailand. The organization's goal is economic, social and cultural cooperation for consolidating peace in the region.
The Preferential Tariff Agreement (PTA) of 1977 has had limited positive effect on regional trade, so on 1992's summit the "Singapore Declaration" was signed that commits the member countries to establish an ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) until the year 2008. The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) is an attempt to intensify cooperation on security issues.
ASEAN has become an important actor in Asian politics during recent years and is now playing a major role in economic and political cooperation in the Pacific region. The organization has developed into a respected partner of countries like the USA and organizations like the European Union (EU), as its member countries coordinate their foreign policies very effectively.
The most important decisions are made every three years at the summits of the heads of states and governments, and at the annual minister meetings that Russian and Chinese observers take part in as guests.
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Benelux
16
|BBeNeLux|N
Benelux was founded in London during World War II (in 1944), by the governments in exile of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg. The purpose of the treaty was an economical integration of the three countries, to be completed with an economic union. The treaty was affirmed in 1946 by the post-war governments, and came into effect on January 1st, 1948.
In the 1950's the Benelux treaties were more or less the model for the West-European integration. However, the significance of Benelux has decreased rapidly during last years, due to the increasing importance of the European Union (EU). Nowadays many Benelux treaties are out of date or even in conflict with EU-law.
Benelux is based upon inter-governmental cooperation, decisions are made within the Committee of Ministers. The highest organ of Benelux is the Council of the Economic Union which prepares the decisions of the Committee of Ministers and takes care of their execution. Advising committees are: the Advising Interparlementary Benelux Council and the Economic and Social Council of Advice. Judicial organs are: the Board of Arbitration and the Benelux Court.
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CE - Council of Europe
5
|BCouncil of Europe (CE)|N
Being the first European international governmental organization on a democratic base, the Council of Europe was founded in London in 1949. The ten founder members are the United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, France and Italy. Other democratic countries have joined in the following decades, the previously communist countries since 1990.
Major goal is a close cooperation of the member countries, to support economic and social progress in Europe. CE has advisory functions, it is a forum for international meetings and consultations. Favourite topics are human rights, supporting democracy, cultural issues and the protection of the environment. The decisions of the CE require consent of the national governments. The most important agreement has been the European Convention for Human Rights and Individual Freedom (1950). Recent agreements include the Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (1995) and the Convention on Bio-Ethics (1996).
Highest authorities are the parlamentary assembly whose members are delegated by the national parliaments, and the committee of ministers consisting of the foreign ministers of the member countries. They meet at least twice per year in Strasbourg, France which is also seat of the organization and its secretary general.
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CIS - Community of Independent States
14
|BCommunity of Independent States (CIS)|N
On September 5th, 1991 the Congress of the People's Delegates sealed the end of the Soviet Union that was to be converted to a federation of independent republics. Some bilateral treaties were signed, and on December 8th the three slavic republics of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine have founded the Community of Independent States. On December 21st, the other former Soviet republics except the Batlic states Estland, Lettland and Lithuania have joined the CIS. Several countries have left and re-joined the organization.
The CIS is neither a state nor a supranational authority; it is a forum for the protection and coordination of the common interest of the member nations. Another goal is to fulfill the liabilities (like foreign debts) of the former Soviet Union. The opportunities of the CIS are limited because of the antagonism between colossus Russia and some of the other members like Ukraine.
The highest authorities of the CIS are the Council of the Heads of State and the Council of the Heads of Government.
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Commonwealth
15
|BThe Commonwealth of Nations|N
The Commonwealth of Nations is an organization of independent states and dependencies, centered around the British Crown. The original name had been "The British Commonwealth of Nations" but the term "British" was dropped after World War II.
Historically, the present Commonwealth has been the result of the development of former parts of the British Empire into independent states. Especially the demand of the dominions (Canada, Australia, ...) for full autonomy over their own foreign affairs, stated during World War I, was of large influence. The "Westminster Statute" (1931) juridically settled full autonomy of these dominions.
After the disintegration of the British Empire most new-formed countries inherited the Commonwealth membership. Most member-states recognize the British Queen (King) as their head of state but also the republics (India, Tanzania, ...) regard the British monarch as a symbol of the association of the independent members. In 1947 the "Burma Independence Act" was accepted. This gives the right to every member to withdraw itself from the Commonwealth at any time. Some countries have made use of this act: Burma (now Myanmar, evidently) and the "apartheid" states South-Africa and Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).
Primarily, the Commonwealth functions through intergovernmental consultancy and the periodical meetings of the Commonwealth Heads of Government. Since 1965 there is a common secretary in London which promotes the multilateral consultancy between the members. It also administers the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation that has been founded in 1971.
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EFTA - European Free Trade Association
21
|BEuropean Free Trade Association|N
The European Free Trade Association was founded in 1960 and was a good attempt to establish free trade in Europe. But the organization lost six of its members throughout the years: By and by, they have joined the European Union (EU). So EFTA is of little importance nowadays, and its members except Switzerland are closely cooperating with EU, offering the "unlimited circulation" of people, goods, services and money in the European Economic Area (EEA).
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EU - European Union
3
|BEuropean Union (EU) |N
The European Community for Coal and Steel (ECCS) was founded in Paris in 1951, by the Benelux countries, France, Germany and Italy. Its aim was a common market for coal, iron and steel, the most important economic resources of that time.
With the Treaties of Rome in |B1957|N, the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Community (Euratom) were founded by the same countries. The EEC's aim was to establish a common market for agricultural and industrial products: Mutual customs duties were reduced, and a joint policy on agriculture began.
At first, these three organizations had worked seperately, but since 1967 they maintained joint authorities and a joint name: The European Community (EC). Other nations entered into EC during the following years: Denmark, Ireland and the UK in 1973, Greece in 1981, Portugal and Spain in 1986. January 1st, 1995 Austria, Finland and Sweden joined after plebiscites. The Norwegian people decided against becoming a member.
The initial goal of the European Community was close economic cooperation of the member countries. Since the |BMaastricht|N treaties (1991) they also strive for more political cooperation. The single European market shall become an economic and monetary union (EMU), and the organization has received its new name: European Union (EU). The following agreements serve these aims:
Citizens of any EU country can live, work and take part in community and European elections in any other member country. The European Parliament has gained more influence. A common foreign and defence policy shall be established. Cooperation in the domestic and juristical policies will be increased for joint immigration laws and customs, as well as the combat against terrorism and organized crime.
The |Bmonetary union|N has been exactly scheduled: The member countries' central banks will become independent from the national governments in 1996, the European Central Bank will be founded in Frankfurt, Germany in 1997. In 1999, the EMU can start if seven countries fulfill these conditions: Inflation not more than 3%, budget deficit lower than 3% of the national GNP, total debt under 60% of the GNP. Only Luxemburg did fulfill all of these conditions in 1995; Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece not a single one.
The most important authorities of the EU are the Commission, the Council of Ministers, the Parliament and the Law Court. The |BCommision|N is the executive body and consists of 20 persons that are appointed for five years by the member countries. The Commission is supposed to maintain the interests of Europe as a whole. It recommends bills and creates rules for the enforcement of EU laws, e.g. concerning agriculture. President of the Commision has been Luxemburg's Jaques Santer, since 1995. Seat of the Commision is Brussels.
The |BCouncil of Ministers|N is the "legislative" authority of the EU. Every member country sends one minister (foreign minister or subject minister), they decide on bills of the Commission. Because every country has the power of veto, decisions must be unanimously; due to that the Council is supposed to maintain the national interests. It meets at Brussels and Luxemburg.
The |BEuropean Parliament (EP)|N in Strasbourg still has little power: The appointment of the Commissioners requires the EP's agreement, it can propose bills, discuss and reject the budget. The 626 MPs are elected directly by the people.
The |BEuropean Law Court|N in Luxemburg consists of 15 judges. It can be appealed by every citizen of the EU, and decides on all controversies over European law which is superior to national laws.
The heads of state and goverment of the member countries meet at |Bsummits|N at least twice per year. De facto the decisions made there are the most important ones for the EU's development.
EU is a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
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Greenpeace
23
|BGreenpeace|N
In contrast to most other organizations known by AmigaWorld, Greenpeace is an International |BNon|N-Governmental Organization (INGO). That means: Not goverments, but private people are the members of Greenpeace. The list of countries therefore shows those states that give home to a national office of this INGO; more than 1300 people are working full-time for theses offices and people in many more countries are members or supporters of Greenpeace, a total of more than three million human beings.
Greenpeace was conceived in 1971 when the members of a Canadian environment group decided to change their organization's name, it became international in 1979. The principle of Greenpeace is "that determined individuals can alter the actions and purposes of even the most powerful by 'bearing witness', that is, by drawing attention to an abuse of the environment through their unwavering presence at the scene, whatever the risk." (quoted from the Greenpeace homepage)
Greenpeace is very successful in attracting the public's attention by spectacular actions of its members, recent examples are the fleet that was sent to French Polynesia to protest against nuclear testing, and the successful actions against sinking oil platform "Brent Spar" in the European North Sea. Besides such spectacular events, Greenpeace also carries out monitoring of environmental pollutions.Greenpeace and especially its opponents do not always act with peacful means, only: Greenpeace's ship "Rainbow Warrior" was sunk by French intelligence in 1985.
The financial needs of Greepeace are satisfied with the supporters' contributions. Greenpeace is the World's richest environment organization. Most important decisions are made by the Council, an assembly of one delegate per national office. Political seat is London.
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G7 - World Economic Summit
12
|BWorld Economic Summit (G7-Countries)|N
Since 1975 the heads of government of the seven greatest western industrial nations have met every year at the World Economic Summit, to discuss topical questions of world economy and world politics.
The aim of these summits is mutual information and discussion about national positions and their coordination. As Cold War is over, the relations of the West to Russia have become more and more important on these summits, and since 1992 the Russian president has taken part in as a guest.
The G7-countries do not really form an organization because there are no standing committees or other organs.
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NAFTA - North American Free Trade Agreement
17
|BNorth American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)|N
In 1989, the USA and Canada signed a free trade agreement (CFTA). In 1990, Mexican president Carlos Salinas sent his application to join in which was strongly promoted by US-president Bush. After many concessions of Mexico, negotiations could be finished in 1992, and on January 1st, 1994 the NAFTA-treaty has come into effect.
NAFTA's goal is reducing tariffs and nontariff barriers on trade and investment between the member states. Economic cooperation between the three countries had been close in the past, and is now institutionalized: 70% of Mexican export had already been to the USA, now it is more than 85%. This is similar for Canada.
Chile and other Latin American countries seemed possible candidates for a NAFTA-expansion but due to the current economic situation, the agreement probably will not expand in the near future.
At present time, authorities are few: A tri-lateral economic commission and a panel of trade experts for resolving disputes.
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NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organization
6
|BNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)|N
The North Atlantic Treaty was signed in 1949, by the foreign ministers of the USA, Canada and ten West European countries. It was designed as a defensive alliance against the Soviet Union. All member countries are oblidged to help each other in case of a military assault.
As the Soviet Union has gone, NATO is searching for a new identity. Its new aim is to heighten security within Europe by cooperating with the former Warsaw Pact's member countries. Many of these countries have already joined the new "Partnership for Peace" programme and have applied for a full membership in NATO.
In the past only defensive operations in the member countries' territory seemed possible, but now there is a discussion about "out of area" operations, and NATO might become kind of a "World Police" under UN command. A first example is NATO's sending of troops to supervise peace in Bosnia.
NATO is organized as an alliance of members with equal rights. It is divided into a political and a military branch. Highest political authority is the North Atlantic Council (NAC): The heads of government or the ministers of defence meet there when necessary. Highest military authoritiy is the Military Council (MC), a joint supreme command for peace-time which consists of the heads of the members' general staffs. France, Spain and Iceland are not integrated in this organ, i.e. their troops are not under joint command.
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Nordic Council
18
|BNordic Council|N
This organization of North European parliaments and governments was founded due to a Danish initiative in 1952, and started working in 1953 with Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden as members. Finland joined in 1956, Faroe Islands and Åland in 1970. After reaching their independence in 1991, the Baltic states of Estland, Lettland and Lithuania recieved observer status at the Nordic Council.
Informal cooperation became institutionalized in 1962, when the "Helsinki Convention" was signed: The member countries decided to intensify coordination of their legal, cultural, economic and social policies. The most important instituation for carrying out these aims are the inter-ministerial talks and the Nordic Council of Ministers.
The citizens of all member countries are free to travel to the other countries without a passport, to take part in elections and to work there: They have the same rights and duties as in their own countries. Some of the Nordic countries are also a member of the European Union (EU), others are not. This can cause problems as EU has also granted freedom of travel and domicile within its borders. Negotiations about this have been started in 1996.
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OAS - Organization of American States
10
|BOrganization of American States (OAS)|N
OAS was founded in 1948, by 21 Latin American and Caribbean countries and the USA. Because of US pressure, Cuba was suspended from the organization 1962-1996. Nowadays, all American countries are a member of the OAS.
Until the 1990s the organization's primary goal was to safeguard security and independence of the Western hemisphere's countries. The end of Cold War brought a new topic on top of the agenda: Supporting and protecting democracy in the American nations. OAS-sent personell has supervised more than 20 elections since 1989, and the "Santiago Commitment to Democracy and the Renewal of the Inter-American System" (1991) made clear that the member countries will propose sanctions against any putschists or elected governments endangering the democratic system of their country. The OAS did so in the cases of Haiti and Peru, and very successfully in Guatemala (May to June 1993).
In the past, the USA have often used OAS as a tool to put their national interests into effect, but in recent years presidents Bush and especially Clinton have shown their interest in a real cooperation with the other American nations, on a basis of equal right. It seems as if OAS might become an important forum for multi-lateral activities in the Americas in many more fields: Free trade, economic cooperation, fight against drugs, migration problems etc.
The seat of OAS is Washington DC, the most important authorities are: The General Assembly (annual and ad hoc meetings for discussing general policy and action), the Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, the Permanent Council (that is in charge between assemblies and meetings), the Inter-American Economic and Social Council (CIES), the Inter-American Council for Education, Science and Culture (CIECC) and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). The General Secretariat is the working arm that carries out the programmes and actions decided by the other authorities.
There also are some specialized sub-organizations like the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and some independent but closely collaborating entities like the Inter-American Defense Board (IADB).
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OAU - Organization of African Unity
8
|BOrganization of African Unity (OAU)|N
The OAU was founded in 1963 by thirty African countries that were independent at that time. As Morocco has annexed West Sahara and the liberation movement POLISARIO is an OAU member, Morocco left the organization in 1984. All other African countries are a member after the Republic of South Africa quit its "apartheid" policy and was allowed to join in again.
The organization's aim is supporting unity and solidarity throughout Africa. OAU supports economic, cultural and academic interchange on the continent. Although all forms of (neo-)colonialism shall be battled against, one principle is the inviolability of the borders that have been established by the European colonial powers. In fact, Eritrea's becoming an independent state has been the only case that African borders have been changed during the last decades.
Previous efforts to establish a pan-African economic cooperation have fallen through, and most observes see little chances for the treaty of an African Economic Union that has been signed in 1991.
Most important decisions are made at the annual summits of the heads of states and governments. Seat of the General Secretariat is Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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OECD - Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development
2
|BOrganization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD)|N
The OECD was founded in 1960, as the successor organisation to OEEC that had coordinated the European Recovery Program a/k/a Marshal Plan, after World War II.
When reading the list of its members, it is obvious that the OECD has been the top organization of the western industrial nations. This might change as Mexico and the Czech Republic have become members in recent years. The organization's principal aim is to coordinate and improve the economic cooperation of its members. Besides the OECD distributes some aid to developing countries.
The highest authorities of OECD are the Council (of standing delegations or ministers) and the executive committee. Seat of the General Secretariat is Paris.
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OPEC - Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
11
|BOrganization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)|N
The OPEC was founded by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi-Arabia and Venezuela in 1960.
OPEC's aim is to coordinate the petroleum policies of the member countries, e.g. by fixing common prices for oil produced by them. Until the seventies, the OPEC members had produced more than 50% of the world's petroleum, enabling them to cause the so-called "oil crises" in 1973 and 1979, by increasing prices sharply. But usually the OPEC members do not agree on their production quotes and prices, and other countries have increased their oil production in the last decades; therefore the influence of OPEC has been continuosly decreasing. OPEC distributes some foreign aid to the least developed countries.
Most important decisions are made at the annual conference of the oil and finance ministers. The office is located in Vienna, Austria.
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OSCE - Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
4
|BOrganization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)|N
The first Conference for Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) was held in Helsiki, Finland in 1975. The USSR, the USA, Canada and 32 European countries signed an agreement that made CSCE the only forum for multilateral talks of all European and North American governments, until 1990. The fourth Confernce transformed CSCE into a regional sub-organization of the United Nations (UN), and the name was changed to OSCE.
Its aim is security and stabilty for all parts of Europe. All member nations have agreed on such principles as nonagression, nonintervention, inviolability of borders and respect for human rights. OSCE has also been a forum for negotiations about economic, academic and ecological cooperation. The 1992 Treaty about Conventional Forces in Europe has introduced a drastic reduction of military equipment in Europe for the first time since World War II. Talks about nuclear and chemical disarmament are planned.
Most important decisions are made on the summits of heads of states and goverments on a "consent-minus-one" basis, every second year. Seat of the secretary general is Vienna.
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UN - United Nations
1
|BUnited Nations Organization (UN, UNO)|N
Fifty states signed the "Charta of the United Nations" on June 26th, 1945. Nearly all countries have become members by now, except Taiwan, Switzerland, the Vatican and some tiny states.
As the successor organisation to the League of Nations, the United Nations' primary aim is supporting good relations between the nations and to ensure world peace. Therefore the UN often arbitrate when international crises occur. UN-peace troops ("blue hats") supervise armistices in many regions of the world, for example in Lebanon. The Kuwait war has been the first military mission the UN has supported since the Korea war; in all other cases they have tried to solve conflicts thru peaceful means.
The highest authorities of the UN have their seat in New York City, especially the |BSecurity Council|N (UNSC). Its decisions are valid for all member countries and can include sanctioning or sending peace troops to a country. The Security Council consists of the representatives of 15 countries, ten of them changing every second year. Permanent seats are reserved for the People's Republic of China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The |BGeneral Assembly|N consists of one representative for each member country and has advisory functions: They can make recommendations to the Security Council. Executive body is the |BSecretary General|N (with its office):
1946-52 Trygve Lie (Norway)
1953-61 Dag Hammarskjöld (Sweden)
1961-71 Sithu U Thant (Myanmar/Burma)
1972-81 Kurt Waldheim (Austria)
1982-91 Javier Pérez de Cuèllar (Peru)
1991-96 Boutros Boutros-Ghali (Egypt)
1996-.. Kofi Annan (Ghana)
The UN have several |Bsub-organizations|N like the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR, Geneva) and the Children's Fund (UNICEF, New York). There are also several independent organizations that are closely linked to the UN, like OSCE and WTO. The most important other ones include:
- FAO = Food and Agriculture Organization (Rome)
- IAEA = International Atomic Energy Agency (Vienna)
- IBRD = International Bank for Recovery and Development (Washington DC)
- IMF = International Monetary Fund (Washington DC)
- UNESCO = United Nation's Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Paris)
- WHO = World Health Organization (Geneva)
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WEU - Western European Union
13
|BWestern European Union (WEU)|N
The WEU has been founded in 1954 as a mutual assistance pact of the West European countries. In contrary to NATO, the organization does not have a military structure and thus it has not had any importance during Cold War, but the organization still is a forum for consultations on security issues. The WEU treaty runs out in 1998, the organization will probably merge into NATO.
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WTO - World Trade Organization
20
|BWorld Trade Organization (WTO)|N
The World Trade Organization (WTO), established on 1 January 1995 as successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), is the highest legal institution of the current world trading system. It was founded to provide the principles how national goverments frame and implement their domestic trade policies. And it is a platform on which trade relations among countries can be discussed and adjusted.
Following the "Most Favoured Member (MFM) Clause", members are bound to grant to the products of other members no less favourable treatment than that accorded to the products of any other country. The provision on "National Treatment" was established to grant imported goods the same chances as domestic products in the national markets.
WTO's aim is to liberalize world trade and investment by reducing tarrifs and nontarrif barriers, to highten the standard of living throughout the world. It is not clear at the moment if Third World countries will also benefit from WTO -- most industrialized nations probably will, by the opening of new markets for their financial, export and service industries.
The Ministerial Conference meets every two years, most important decisions are to be made there. Most day-to-day work is carried out by the General Council and other subsidiary bodies. The WTO Secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.
