ABEDA | Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa |
ACCT | Agency for the French-Speaking Community (see International Organization of the French-speaking World) |
ACP Group | African, Caribbean, and Pacific Group of States |
AfDB | African Development Bank |
AFESD | Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development |
Air Pollution | Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution |
Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides | Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution Concerning the Control of Emissions of Nitrogen Oxides or Their Transboundary Fluxes |
Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants | Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution on Persistent Organic Pollutants |
Air Pollution-Sulphur 85 | Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution on the Reduction of Sulphur Emissions or Their Transboundary Fluxes by at Least 30% |
Air Pollution-Sulphur 94 | Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution on Further Reduction of Sulphur Emissions |
Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds | Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution Concerning the Control of Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds or Their Transboundary Fluxes |
AMF | Arab Monetary Fund |
AMU | Arab Maghreb Union |
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol | Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty |
Antarctic Marine Living Resources | Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources |
Antarctic Seals | Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals |
ANZUS | Australia-New Zealand-United States Security Treaty |
APEC | Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation |
Arabsat | Arab Satellite Communications Organization |
ARF | ASEAN Regional Forum |
ADB | Asian Development Bank |
ASEAN | Association of Southeast Asian Nations |
AU | African Union |
Autodin | Automatic Digital Network |
BA | Baltic Assembly |
bbl/day | barrels per day |
BCIE | Central American Bank for Economic Integration |
BDEAC | Central African States Development Bank |
Benelux | Benelux Economic Union |
BIMSTEC | Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multisectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation |
Biodiversity | Convention on Biological Diversity |
BGN | United States Board on Geographic Names |
BIS | Bank for International Settlements |
BSEC | Black Sea Economic Cooperation Zone |
C | Commonwealth |
c.i.f. | cost, insurance, and freight |
CACM | Central American Common Market |
CAEU | Council of Arab Economic Unity |
CAN | Andean Community of Nations |
Caricom | Caribbean Community and Common Market |
CB | citizen’s band mobile radio communications |
CBSS | Council of the Baltic Sea States |
CCC | Customs Cooperation Council |
CDB | Caribbean Development Bank |
CE | Council of Europe |
CEI | Central European Initiative |
CEMAC | Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa |
CEPGL | Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries |
CERN | European Organization for Nuclear Research |
CEPT | Conference Europeanne des Poste et Telecommunications |
CIS | Commonwealth of Independent States |
CITES | see Endangered Species |
Climate Change | United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change |
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol | Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change |
COCOM | Coordinating Committee on Export Controls |
Comsat | Communications Satellite Corporation |
COMESA | Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa |
CP | Colombo Plan |
CPLP | Comunidade dos Paises de Lingua Portuguesa |
CSTO | Collective Security Treaty Organization |
CTBTO | Preparation commission for the Nuclear-Ban-Treaty Operation |
CY | calendar year |
DC | developed country |
DDT | dichloro-diphenyl-trichloro-ethane |
Desertification | United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa |
DIA | United States Defense Intelligence Agency |
DSN | Defense Switched Network |
DST | daylight savings time |
DWT | deadweight ton |
EAC | East African Community |
EADB | East African Development Bank |
EAEC | Eurasian Economic Community |
EAPC | Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council |
EBRD | European Bank for Reconstruction and Development |
EC | European Community |
ECA | Economic Commission for Africa |
ECE | Economic Commission for Europe |
ECLAC | Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean |
ECO | Economic Cooperation Organization |
ECOSOC | Economic and Social Council |
ECOWAS | Economic Community of West African States |
ECSC | European Coal and Steel Community |
EEC | European Economic Community |
EFTA | European Free Trade Association |
EEZ | exclusive economic zone |
EIB | European Investment Bank |
EMU | European Monetary Union |
Endangered Species | Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) |
Entente | Council of the Entente |
Environmental Modification | Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques |
ESA | European Space Agency |
ESCAP | Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific |
ESCWA | Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
est. | estimate |
EU | European Union |
Euratom | European Atomic Energy Community |
Eutelsat | European Telecommunications Satellite Organization |
Ex-Im | Export-Import Bank of the United States |
f.o.b. | free on board |
FAO | Food and Agriculture Organization |
FAX | facsimile |
FLS | Front Line States |
FOC | flags of convenience |
FSU | former Soviet Union |
FY | fiscal year |
FZ | Franc Zone |
G-2 | Group of 2 |
G-3 | Group of 3 |
G-5 | Group of 5 |
G-6 | Group of 6 |
G-7 | Group of 7 |
G-8 | Group of 8 |
G-9 | Group of 9 |
G-10 | Group of 10 |
G-15 | Group of 15 |
G-11 | Group of 11 |
G-24 | Group of 24 |
G-77 | Group of 77 |
GATT | General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade; now WTO |
GCC | Gulf Cooperation Council |
GCTU | General Confederation of Trade Unions |
GDP | gross domestic product |
GMT | Greenwich Mean Time |
GNP | gross national product |
GRT | gross register ton |
GSM | global system for mobile cellular communications |
GUAM | Organization for Democracy and Economic Development; acronym for member states – Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Moldova |
GWP | gross world product |
Hazardous Wastes | Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal |
HF | high-frequency |
HIV/AIDS | human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome |
IADB | Inter-American Development Bank |
IAEA | International Atomic Energy Agency |
IANA | Internet Assigned Numbers Authority |
IBRD | International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank) |
ICAO | International Civil Aviation Organization |
ICC | International Chamber of Commerce |
ICCt | International Criminal Court |
ICJ | International Court of Justice (World Court) |
ICRC | International Committee of the Red Cross |
ICRM | International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement |
ICSID | International Center for Secretariat of Investment Disputes |
ICTR | International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda |
ICTY | International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia |
IDA | International Development Association |
IDB | Islamic Development Bank |
IDP | Internally Displaced Person |
IEA | International Energy Agency |
IFAD | International Fund for Agricultural Development |
IFC | International Finance Corporation |
IFRCS | International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies |
IGAD | Inter-Governmental Authority on Development |
IHO | International Hydrographic Organization |
ILO | International Labor Organization |
IMF | International Monetary Fund |
IMO | International Maritime Organization |
IMSO | International Mobile Satellite Organization |
Inmarsat | International Maritime Satellite Organization |
InOC | Indian Ocean Commission |
INSTRAW | International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women |
Intelsat | International Telecommunications Satellite Organization |
Interpol | International Criminal Police Organization |
Intersputnik | International Organization of Space Communications |
IOC | International Olympic Committee |
IOM | International Organization for Migration |
IPU | Inter-parliamentary Union |
ISO | International Organization for Standardization |
ISP | Internet Service Provider |
ITSO | International Telecommunications Satellites Organization |
ITU | International Telecommunication Union |
ITUC | International Trade Union Confederation, the successor to ICFTU (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions) and the WCL (World Confederation of Labor) |
kHz | kilohertz |
km | kilometer |
kW | kilowatt |
kWh | kilowatt-hour |
LAES | Latin American Economic System |
LAIA | Latin American Integration Association |
LAS | League of Arab States |
Law of the Sea | United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOS) |
LDC | less developed country |
LLDC | least developed country |
London Convention | see Marine Dumping |
LOS | see Law of the Sea |
m | meter |
Marecs | Maritime European Communications Satellite |
Marine Dumping | Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping Wastes and Other Matter |
Marine Life Conservation | Convention on Fishing and Conservation of Living Resources of the High Seas |
MARPOL | see Ship Pollution |
Medarabtel | Middle East Telecommunications Project of the International Telecommunications Union |
Mercosur | Southern Cone Common Market |
MHz | megahertz |
MICAH | International Civilian Support Mission in Haiti |
MINURSO | United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara |
MIGA | Multilateral Investment Geographic Agency |
MINUSTAH | United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti |
MONUC | United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo |
NA | not available |
NAFTA | North American Free Trade Agreement |
NAM | Nonaligned Movement |
NATO | North Atlantic Treaty Organization |
NC | Nordic Council |
NEA | Nuclear Energy Agency |
NEGL | negligible |
NGA | National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency |
NIB | Nordic Investment Bank |
NIC | newly industrializing country |
NIE | newly industrializing economy |
NIS | new independent states |
nm | nautical mile |
NMT | Nordic Mobile Telephone |
NSG | Nuclear Suppliers Group |
Nuclear Test Ban | Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapons Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space, and Under Water |
NZ | New Zealand |
OAPEC | Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries |
OAS | Organization of American States |
OAU | Organization of African Unity; see African Union |
ODA | official development assistance |
OECD | Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development |
OECS | Organization of Eastern Caribbean States |
OHCHR | Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights |
OIC | Organization of the Islamic Conference |
OIF | International Organization of the French-speaking World |
ONUB | United Nations Operation in Burundi |
OOF | other official flows |
OPANAL | Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean |
OPCW | Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons |
OPEC | Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries |
OSCE | Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe |
Ozone Layer Protection | Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer |
PCA | Permanent Court of Arbitration |
PFP | Partnership for Peace |
PIF | Pacific Islands Forum |
PPP | purchasing power parity |
Ramsar | see Wetlands |
RG | Rio Group |
SAARC | South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation |
SACU | Southern African Customs Union |
SACEP | South Asia Co-opeative Environment Programme |
SADC | Southern African Development Community |
SCO | Shanghai Cooperation Organization |
SAFE | South African Far East Cable |
SECI | Southeast European Cooperative Initiative |
SHF | super-high-frequency |
Ship Pollution | Protocol of 1978 Relating to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships, 1973 (MARPOL) |
Sparteca | South Pacific Regional Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement |
SPC | Secretariat of the Pacific Communities |
SPF | South Pacific Forum |
sq km | square kilometer |
sq mi | square mile |
TAT | Trans-Atlantic Telephone |
TEU | Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit |
Tropical Timber 83 | International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1983 |
Tropical Timber 94 | International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1994 |
UAE | United Arab Emirates |
UDEAC | Central African Customs and Economic Union |
UHF | ultra-high-frequency |
UK | United Kingdom |
UN | United Nations |
UNAMSIL | United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone |
UNCLOS | United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, also know as LOS |
UNCTAD | United Nations Conference on Trade and Development |
UNDCP | United Nations Drug Control Program |
UNDOF | United Nations Disengagement Observer Force |
UNDP | United Nations Development Program |
UNEP | United Nations Environment Program |
UNESCO | United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization |
UNFICYP | United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus |
UNFPA | United Nations Population Fund |
UNHCR | United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees |
UNICEF | United Nations Children’s Fund |
UNICRI | United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute |
UNIDIR | United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research |
UNIDO | United Nations Industrial Development Organization |
UNIFIL | United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon |
UNITAR | United Nations Institute for Training and Research |
UNMEE | United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea |
UNMIK | United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo |
UNMIL | United Nations Mission in Liberia |
UNMIT | United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste |
UNMOGIP | United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan |
UNMOVIC | United Nations Monitoring, Verification, and Inspection Commission |
UNOCI | United Nations Operation in Cote d’Ivoire |
UNOMIG | United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia |
UNOPS | United Nations Office of Project Services |
UNRISD | United Nations Research Institute for Social Development |
UNRWA | United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East |
UNSC | United Nations Security Council |
UNSSC | Untied Nations System Staff College |
UNTSO | United Nations Truce Supervision Organization |
UNU | United Nations University |
UNWTO | World Tourism Organization |
UPU | Universal Postal Union |
US | United States |
USSR | Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (Soviet Union); used for information dated before 25 December 1991 |
UTC | Coordinated Universal Time |
UV | ultra violet |
VHF | very-high-frequency |
VSAT | very small aperture terminal |
WADB | West African Development Bank |
WAEMU | West African Economic and Monetary Union |
WCL | World Confederation of Labor |
WCO | World Customs Organization |
Wetlands | Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially As Waterfowl Habitat |
WEU | Western European Union |
WFP | World Food Program |
WFTU | World Federation of Trade Unions |
Whaling | International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling |
WHO | World Health Organization |
WIPO | World Intellectual Property Organization |
WMO | World Meteorological Organization |
WP | Warsaw Pact |
WTO | World Trade Organization |
ZC | Zangger Committee |