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COMPILATIONS OF
INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS

PART-II
ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANISATIONS
CONVENTIONS OF ENVIRONMENT
ARMS CONTROL ORGANISATIONS
ENERGY ORGANISATIONS
FINANCIAL, TRADE AND CUSTOMS ORGANISATIONS
WORLD BANK GROUP
LAW ENFORCEMENT COOPERATION

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Environmental organizations
Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels

The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) is a legally binding
international treaty signed in 2001 and entered into force on 1 February 2004 when South Africa ratified as
the fifth Party to the Agreement.

It was created in order to halt the drastic decline of seabird populations in the Southern Hemisphere,
particularly albatrosses and petrels pro cell ariids. The population of black-browed albatrosses, one of the
world's abundant albatross species, has declined by more than 40 percent in the last 30 years.

Albatrosses and petrels are threatened by introduced species on their breeding islands, pollution, and being
taken as bycatch by longline fisheries (which kill more than 300,000 seabirds a year, as well as by trawl and
gillnet fisheries. The Agreement requires that measures be taken by signatory governments (Parties) to
reduce bycatch (by the use of mitigation measures), protection of breeding colonies and control and removal
of introduced species from breeding islands.

Currently ACAP protects all the world's albatross species and seven southern-hemisphere petrel species.
The Agreement marks the increasing international commitment to protect albatrosses and petrels, and is a
considerable step forward in the fight to protect these charismatic seabirds.

Albatrosses and petrels are migratory seabirds which mainly breed on remote offshore islands and forage
over the open sea. They can travel enormous distances across oceans during foraging flights and migratory
journeys.

Albatrosses and petrels are among the most threatened groups of birds in the world. Of the world's 22
species

of

albatrosses, 17 are currently categorized on the IUCN Red List as critically

endangered, endangered, or vulnerable. The remaining five are listed as near threatened. Four of the ACAPlisted petrels and shearwaters are categorized as vulnerable, one as critically endangered, one is near
threatened and the two giant petrels are categorized as of least concern.
This is due to a combination of threats that have drastically reduced the populations of albatrosses and petrels,
including:

Hunting and poaching for eggs, meat, and feathers;

Habitat destruction;

The introduction of non-native predators

The use of longline fishing, used to catch finfish and sharks; thousands of seabirds are caught with a main line
and hooks attached to branchlines, causing them to be pulled under the water by the weight of the line and
drown. This threat can be reduced by modification of fishing practices and adaptation of bycatch mitigation
measures. Such measures include the use of (sometimes paired) bird-scaring lines carrying streamers, weighted
lines to reduce the amount of time baits are available to birds at and near the sea surface, setting lines at night,

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setting lines beneath the sea surface, and seasonal closures of fisheries to avoid fishing when birds are more
susceptible to being caught, such as around nesting colonies during the breeding season.

Paired bird-scaring lines are also a suitable deterrent that reduces mortality of seabirds in trawl fisheries,
mainly from albatrosses colliding with warp cables. Avoiding offal discharge (which attracts scavenging
seabirds such as albatrosses and petrels) during trawling also helps reduce mortality.

Global Environment Facility

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) unites 183 countries in partnership with international institutions,
civil society organizations (CSOs), and the private sector to address global environmental issues while
supporting national sustainable development initiatives. Today the GEF is the largest public funder of
projects to improve the global environment. An independently operating financial organization, the GEF
provides grants for projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation,
the ozone layer, and persistent organic pollutants.

Since 1991, the GEF has achieved a strong track record with developing countries and countries with
economies in transition.

The GEF also serves as financial mechanism for the following conventions:

Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

Minamata Convention on Mercury

The GEF, although not linked formally to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone
Layer (MP), supports implementation of the Protocol in countries with economies in transition.

The Instrument for the Establishment of the Restructured GEF is the document that established the GEF
after an initial pilot phase. It was accepted by the member countries and adopted by the Implementing
Agencies in 1994. The Instrument may be considered the statutes and by-laws of the GEF, and contains
provisions for the governance, participation, replenishment, and fiduciary and administrative operations of
the GEF. It also lays out the roles and responsibilities of different actors in the GEF.

Conventions
Convention on Biological Diversity
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), known informally as the Biodiversity Convention, is a multilateral
treaty. The Convention has three main goals:
1. conservation of biological diversity (or biodiversity);
2. sustainable use of its components; and

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3. fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from genetic resources
In other words, its objective is to develop national strategies for the conservation and sustainable use of biological
diversity. It is often seen as the key document regarding sustainable development.
The Convention was opened for signature at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro on 5 June 1992 and entered into
force on 29 December 1993.
At the 2010 10th Conference of Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity in October in Nagoya, Japan,
the Nagoya Protocol was adopted.

Cartagena Protocol

The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety of the Convention, also known as the Biosafety Protocol, was
adopted in January 2000. The Biosafety Protocol seeks to protect biological diversity from the potential risks
posed by living modified organisms resulting from modern biotechnology.

The Biosafety Protocol makes clear that products from new technologies must be based on the precautionary
principle and allow developing nations to balance public health against economic benefits. It will for example
let countries ban imports of a genetically modified organism if they feel there is not enough scientific evidence
the product is safe and requires exporters to label shipments containing genetically modified commodities
such as corn or cotton.

The required number of 50 instruments of ratification/accession/approval/acceptance by countries was

reached in May 2003. In accordance with the provisions of its Article 37, the Protocol entered into force on
11 September 2003.

Nagoya Protocol

The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits
Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity is a supplementary agreement
to the Convention on Biological Diversity. It provides a transparent legal framework for the effective
implementation of one of the three objectives of the CBD: the fair and equitable sharing of benefits
arising out of the utilization of genetic resources. The Protocol was adopted on 29 October 2010 in
Nagoya, Aichi Province, Japan, and entered into force on 12 October 2014. Its objective is the fair
and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources, thereby contributing
to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

The

United

Nations

Framework

Convention

on

Climate

Change

(UNFCCC)

is

an international environmental treaty negotiated at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro from 3 to 14 June
1992, then entered into force on 21 March 1994. The UNFCCC objective is to "stabilize greenhouse
gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic
interference with the climate system". The framework set no binding limits on greenhouse gas emissions for
individual countries and contains no enforcement mechanisms. Instead, the framework outlines how specific

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international treaties (called "protocols" or "Agreements") may be negotiated to set binding limits on
greenhouse gases.

Initially an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee produced the text of the Framework Convention during
its meeting in New York from 30 April to 9 May 1992. The UNFCCC was adopted on 9 May 1992, and opened
for signature on 4 June 1992. UNFCCC has 197 parties as of December 2015. The convention enjoys broad
legitimacy, largely due to its nearly universal membership.

The parties to the convention have met annually from 1995 in Conferences of the Parties (COP) to assess
progress in dealing with climate change. In 1997, the Kyoto Protocol was concluded and established legally
binding obligations for developed countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in the period 20082012.[5] The 2010 Cancn agreements state that future global warming should be limited to below 2.0 C
(3.6 F) relative to the pre-industrial level.[6] The Protocol was amended in 2012 to encompass the period
2013-2020 in the Doha Amendment, which -as of December 2015- not entered into force. In 2015 the Paris
Agreement was adopted, governing emission reductions from 2020 on through commitments of countries in
ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions.

One of the first tasks set by the UNFCCC was for signatory nations to establish national greenhouse gas
inventories of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals, which were used to create the 1990
benchmark levels for accession of Annex I countries to the Kyoto Protocol and for the commitment of those
countries to GHG reductions. Updated inventories must be regularly submitted by Annex I countries.

The UNFCCC is also the name of the United Nations Secretariat charged with supporting the operation of
the Convention, with offices in Haus Carstanjen, and UN Campus [known as: Langer Eugen] Bonn,
Germany. From 2006 to 2010 the head of the secretariat was Yvo de Boer. On 17 May 2010, Christiana
Figueres from Costa Rica succeeded de Boer. The Secretariat, augmented through the parallel efforts of
the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), aims to gain consensus through meetings and the
discussion of various strategies.

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious
Drought

and/or

Desertification,

Particularly

in

Africa

(UNCCD)

is

Convention

to

combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought through national action programs that incorporate
long-term strategies supported by international cooperation and partnership arrangements.

The Convention, the only convention stemming from a direct recommendation of the Rio
Conference's Agenda 21, was adopted in Paris, France on 17 June 1994 and entered into force in December
1996. It is the only internationally legally binding framework set up to address the problem of desertification.
The Convention is based on the principles of participation, partnership and decentralizationthe backbone
of Good Governance and Sustainable Development. It has 195 parties, making it near universal in reach.
On 28 March 2013, Canada became the first country to withdraw from the convention.[1]

To help publicize the Convention, 2006 was declared "International Year of Deserts and Desertification" but
debates have ensued regarding how effective the International Year was in practice.

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Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants

Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants is an international environmental treaty, signed

in 2001 and effective from May 2004, that aims to eliminate or restrict the production and use of persistent
organic pollutants.

Persistent organic pollutant

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are organic compounds that are resistant to environmental
degradation through chemical, biological, and photolytic processes.[1] Because of their persistence, POPs bio
accumulate with potential significant impacts on human health and the environment. The effect of POPs on
human and environmental health was discussed, with intention to eliminate or severely restrict their
production, by the international community at the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants in
2001.

Many POPs are currently or were in the past used as pesticides, solvents, pharmaceuticals, and industrial
chemicals. Although some POPs arise naturally, for example volcanoes and various biosynthetic pathways,
most are man-made via total synthesis.

Minamata Convention on Mercury

The Minamata Convention on Mercury is an international treaty designed to protect human health and the
environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds. This
Convention was a result of three years of meeting and negotiating, after which the text of the Convention
was signed by delegates from 140 countries on 19 January 2013. The Convention is named after the
Japanese city Minimata. This naming is of symbolic importance as the city went through devastating
incident of mercury poisoning. It is expected that over the next few decades, this international agreement
will enhance the reduction of mercury pollution from the targeted activities responsible for the major release
of mercury to the immediate environment.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is a scientific intergovernmental body under the
auspices of the United Nations, set up at the request of member governments.[3] It was first established in
1988 by two United Nations organizations, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and later endorsed by theUnited Nations General
Assembly through Resolution 43/53. Membership of the IPCC is open to all members of the WMO and
UNEP.[4] The IPCC produces reports that support the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC), which is the main international treaty on climate change.[5][6] The ultimate objective of
the UNFCCC is to "stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent
dangerous anthropogenic [i.e., human-induced] interference with the climate system".[5] IPCC reports cover
"the scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant to understanding the scientific basis of risk
of human-induced climate change, its potential impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation.

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The IPCC does not carry out its own original research, nor does it do the work of monitoring climate or related
phenomena itself. The IPCC bases its assessment on the published literature, which includes peerreviewed and non-peer-reviewed sources.

Thousands of scientists and other experts contribute (on a voluntary basis, without payment from the
IPCC) to writing and reviewing reports, which are then reviewed by governments. IPCC reports contain a
"Summary for Policymakers", which is subject to line-by-line approval by delegates from all participating
governments. Typically this involves the governments of more than 120 countries.

The IPCC provides an internationally accepted authority on climate change, producing reports which have
the agreement of leading climate scientists and the consensus of participating governments. The 2007 Nobel
Peace Prize was shared, in two equal parts, between the IPCC and Al Gore.

The aims of the IPCC are to assess scientific information relevant to:
1. Human-induced climate change,
2. The impacts of human-induced climate change,
3. Options for adaptation and mitigation.

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international
organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. It is
involved in data gathering and analysis, research, field projects, advocacy, lobbying and education. IUCN's
mission is to "influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve nature and to
ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable."

Over the past decades, IUCN has widened its focus beyond conservation ecology and now incorporates
issues related to gender equality, poverty alleviation and sustainable business in its projects. Unlike other
international NGOs, IUCN does not itself aim to mobilize the public in support of nature conservation. It tries
to influence the actions of governments, business and other stakeholders by providing information and
advice, and through lobbying and partnerships. The organization is best known to the wider public for
compiling and publishing the IUCN Red List, which assesses the conservation status of species worldwide.

IUCN has a membership of over 1200 governmental and non-governmental organizations. Some 11,000
scientists and experts participate in the work of IUCN commissions on a voluntary basis. It employs
approximately 1000 full-time staff in more than 60 countries. Its headquarters are in Gland, Switzerland.

IUCN has observer and consultative status at the United Nations, and plays a role in the implementation of
several international conventions on nature conservation and biodiversity. It was involved in establishing
the World Wide Fund for Nature and the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. In the past, IUCN has been
criticized for placing the interests of nature over those of indigenous peoples. In recent years, its closer
relations with the business sector have caused controversy.

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IUCN was established in 1948. It was previously called the International Union for Protection of Nature
(19481956) and the World Conservation Union (19902008). Its full legal name is International Union for
Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.

Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas

of East Asia

Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia or PEMSEA is a regional
partnership programme implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and executed
by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). The project, started in 1994, was originally known
as Prevention and Management of Marine Pollution in the East Asian Seas (SDS-SEA).

PEMSEA is currently being hosted by the Philippines' Department of Environment and Natural Resources
and holds its office in the DENR compound in Quezon City, Philippines.

United Nations Environment Programme

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is an agency of United Nations and coordinates its
environmental activities, assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and
practices. It was founded by Maurice Strong, its first director, as a result of the United Nations Conference
on the Human Environment (Stockholm Conference) in June 1972 and has its headquarters in the Gigiri
neighborhood of Nairobi, Kenya. UNEP also has six regional offices and various country offices.

Its activities cover a wide range of issues regarding the atmosphere, marine and terrestrial ecosystems,
environmental governance and green economy. It has played a significant role in developing international
environmental conventions, promoting environmental science and information and illustrating the way those
can be implemented in conjunction with policy, working on the development and implementation of policy
with national governments, regional institutions in conjunction with environmental non-governmental
organizations (NGOs). UNEP has also been active in funding and implementing environment related
development projects.

UNEP has aided in the formulation of guidelines and treaties on issues such as the international trade in
potentially harmful chemicals, transboundary air pollution, and contamination of international waterways.

The World Meteorological Organization and UNEP established the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) in 1988. UNEP is also one of several Implementing Agencies for the Global Environment
Facility (GEF) and the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol, and it is also a
member of the United Nations Development Group.[1] The International Cyanide Management Code, a
program of best practice for the chemicals use at gold mining operations, was developed under
UNEPs aegis.

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Arms control Organizations

Conference on Disarmament

The Conference on Disarmament (CD) is a forum established by the international community to negotiate
multilateral arms control and disarmament agreements. Established in 1979, it was the forum used by its
member states, currently numbering 65, to negotiate theBiological Weapons Convention and the Chemical
Weapons Convention.

While the conference is not formally a United Nations (UN) organization, it is linked to the UN through a
personal representative of theUnited Nations Secretary-General; this representative serves as the secretary
general of the conference. Resolutions adopted by the UN General Assembly often request the conference
to consider specific disarmament matters. In turn, the conference annually reports its activities to the
Assembly.

The Conference succeeded the Ten-Nation Committee on Disarmament (1960), the Eighteen-Nation
Committee on Disarmament (196268) and the Conference of the Committee on Disarmament (196978).

In the 1990s, the Conference held intensive efforts over three years to draft the Comprehensive NuclearTest-Ban Treaty text and its two annexes, but it did not succeed in reaching consensus on the adoption of
the text. Australia then sent the text to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where it was
submitted as a draft resolution. On 10 September 1996, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban
Treaty (CTBT) was adopted by a large majority, exceeding two-thirds of the General Assembly's
Membership.

Currently under discussion are a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT), a pact to prevent an arms race in
outer space (PAROS), nuclear disarmament, and negative security assurances (NSA).

On June 28, 2011, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) was appointed to serve a term
as president of the Conference. Despite the fact that the chairmanship rotates alphabetically,[3] the move was
criticized in the media and by Canada's foreign minister because of the country's track record on nuclear
proliferation.

From May 27 to June 23, 2013, the Islamic Republic of Iran was acting chair and president of the Conference
on Disarmament. The United States said it refused to send any ambassador to a UN forum on nuclear
disarmament when being chaired by a country in flagrant violation of UN Security Council and International
Atomic Energy Agency obligations stemming from its suspect nuclear program.

Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is an intergovernmental

organisation, located in The Hague, Netherlands.

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The organisation promotes and verifies the adherence to the Chemical Weapons Convention which prohibits
the use of chemical weapons and requires their destruction. The verification consists both of evaluation of
declarations by member states and on-site inspections.

The organisation was awarded the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize because it had, with the Chemical Weapons
Convention, "for its extensive efforts to eliminate chemical weapons". according to the Nobel Prize
Committee.

All 192 parties to the Chemical Weapons convention are automatically members of the OPCW. Other states
which are eligible to become members are UN member states Israel, which is a signatory state that has not
ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention, and Egypt, North Korea and South Sudan, which have neither
signed nor acceded to the Chemical Weapons Convention, as well as UN observer state Palestine, which
has also neither signed nor acceded to the CWC. Angola was the most recent state to submit its instrument
of accession to the treaty.

Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) is an international organization that

will be established upon the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, a Convention
that outlaws nuclear test explosions. Its seat will be Vienna, Austria. The organization will be tasked with
verifying the ban on nuclear tests and will operate therefore a worldwide monitoring system and may conduct
onsite inspections. The Preparatory Commission for the CTBTO, and its Provisional Technical Secretariat,
were established in 1997 and are headquartered in Vienna, Austria.

Wassenaar Arrangement

The Wassenaar Arrangement (not to be confused with the Wassenaar Agreement), (full name: The
Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and
Technologies) is amultilateral export control regime (MECR) with 41 participating states including many
former COMECON (Warsaw Pact) countries.

The Wassenaar Arrangement was established to contribute to regional and international security and stability
by promoting transparency and greater responsibility in transfers of conventional arms and dual-use goods
and technologies, thus preventing destabilizing accumulations. Participating States seek, through their
national policies, to ensure that transfers of these items do not contribute to the development or
enhancement of military capabilities which undermine these goals, and are not diverted to support such
capabilities.

It is the successor to the Cold War-era Coordinating Committee for Multilateral Export Controls (COCOM),
and was established on 12 July 1996, in Wassenaar, the Netherlands, which is near The Hague. The
Wassenaar Arrangement is considerably less strict than COCOM, focusing primarily on the transparency of
national export control regimes and not granting veto power to individual members over organizational
decisions. A Secretariat for administering the agreement is located in Vienna, Austria. Like COCOM,
however, it is not a treaty, and therefore is not legally binding.

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Every six months member countries exchange information on deliveries of conventional arms to nonWassenaar members that fall under eight broad weapons categories: battle tanks, armored combat
vehicles (ACVs), large-caliber artillery, military aircraft, military helicopters, warships, missiles or missile
systems, and small arms and light weapons.

Membership

As of January 2012, the 41 participating states are: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada,
Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy,
Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland,
Portugal, the Republic of Korea, Romania, the Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States. China and Israel are also
not members, but they have aligned their export controls with Wassenaar lists, and are significant arms
exporters.

The Arrangement is open on a global and non-discriminatory basis to prospective adherents that comply
with the agreed criteria. Admission of new members requires the consensus of all members.

Admission requires states to:

Be a producer or exporter of arms or sensitive industrial equipment

Maintain non-proliferation policies and appropriate national policies, including adherence to:

Non-proliferation policies, such as (where applicable) the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the Missile Technology
Control Regime, and the Australia Group

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the Biological Weapons Convention, the Chemical Weapons
Convention and, where applicable, START I (including the Lisbon Protocol)

Maintain fully effective export controls

Future memberships
During a state visit to India in November 2010, U.S. president Barack Obama announced U.S. support for India's
bid for permanent membership to UN Security Council[3] as well as India's entry to Nuclear Suppliers Group,
Wassenaar Arrangement, Australia Group, and Missile Technology Control Regime.

Nuclear Suppliers Group

Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is a group of nuclear supplier countries that seek to prevent nuclear
proliferation by controlling the export of materials, equipment and technology that can be used to
manufacture nuclear weapons.

History

The NSG was founded in response to the Indian nuclear test in May 1974 and first met in November 1975.
The test demonstrated that certain non-weapons specific nuclear technology could be readily turned to
weapons development. Nations already signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) saw the

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need to further limit the export of nuclear equipment, materials or technology. Another benefit was that nonNPT and non-Zangger Committee nations, then specifically France, could be brought in.

A series of meetings in London from 1975 to 1978 resulted in agreements on the guidelines for export, these
were published as INFCIRC/254 (essentially the Zangger "Trigger List") by the International Atomic Energy
Agency. Listed items could only be exported to non-nuclear states if certain International Atomic Energy
Agency safeguards were agreed to or if exceptional circumstances relating to safety existed.

The name of the "London Club" was due to the series of meetings in London. It has also been referred to as
the London Group, or the London Suppliers Group.

The NSG did not meet again until 1991. The "Trigger List" remained unchanged until 1991, although the
Zangger list was regularly updated. The revelations about the Iraqiweapons program following the first Gulf
War led to a tightening of the export of so-called dual-use equipment. At the first meeting since 1978, held
at the Hague in March 1991, the twenty-six participating governments agreed to the changes, which were
published as the "Dual-use List" in 1992, and also to the extension of the original list to more closely match
the up-to-date Zangger list. A regular series of plenary meetings was also arranged as was the regular
updating of the two key lists.

Missile Technology Control Regime

The Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) is an informal and voluntary partnership among 34
countries to prevent the proliferation of missile and unmanned aerial vehicle technology capable of carrying
a 500 kg payload for at least 300 km.

History

The

Missile

Technology

Control

Regime

(MTCR)

was

established

in

April

1987

by

the G7 countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Great Britain, and the United States. The MTCR
was created in order to curb the spread of unmanned delivery systems for nuclear weapons, specifically
delivery systems that could carry a minimum payload of 500 kg for a minimum of 300 km.

Subscribing to 'The Hague Code of Conduct' (HCOC) against ballistic missile proliferation, which is
considered to be complementary to the missile technology control regime (MTCR), India is going to be the
newest member of MTCR with consensus of the current 34 nations.

Unmanned aerial vehicle

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, as an unmanned aircraft

system (UAS), or by several other names, is an aircraft without a human pilot aboard. The flight of UAVs
may operate with various degrees of autonomy: either under remote control by a human operator, or fully or
intermittently autonomously, by onboard computers.[1]

Compared to manned aircraft, UAVs are often preferred for missions that are too "dull, dirty or
dangerous"[2] for humans. They originated mostly in military applications, although their use is expanding in
commercial, scientific, recreational and other applications,[3] such as policing and surveillance, aerial

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photography, agriculture and drone racing. Civilian drones now vastly outnumber military drones, with
estimates of over a million sold by 2015.

Energy organizations
International Energy Agency

The International Energy Agency (IEA; French: Agence internationale de l'nergie) is a Paris-based
autonomous intergovernmental organization established in the framework of the Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development(OECD) in 1974 in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis. The IEA was initially
dedicated to responding to physical disruptions in the supply of oil, as well as serving as an information
source on statistics about the international oil market and other energy sectors.

The IEA acts as a policy adviser to its member states, but also works with non-member countries,
especially China, India, and Russia. The Agency's mandate has broadened to focus on the "3Es" of effectual
energy policy: energy security, economic development, and environmental protection.[1] The latter has
focused on mitigating climate change. The IEA has a broad role in promoting alternate energy sources
(including renewable energy), rational energy policies, and multinational energy technology co-operation.

United Nations Industrial Development Organization

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), French/Spanish/Portuguese

acronym ONUDI, is a specialized agency in the United Nations system, headquartered in Vienna, Austria.
The Organization's primary objective is the promotion and acceleration of industrial development
in developing countries and countries with economies in transition and the promotion of international
industrial cooperation. It is also a member of the United Nations Development Group.

International Energy Forum

The International Energy Forum, also known as IEF, is the world's largest recurring gathering of energy
ministers. It is unique in that participants not only include IEA and OPEC countries, but also key international
actors such as Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Russia, and South Africa. The IEF countries account for more
than 90 percent of global oil and gas supply and demand. The IEF is promoted by a permanent Secretariat
based in the Diplomatic Quarter of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

International Renewable Energy Agency

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is an intergovernmental organization to promote

adoption and sustainable use of renewable energy. It was founded in 2009 and its statute entered into force
on 8 July 2010. The agency is headquartered in Abu Dhabi.

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Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership

The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) is a Vienna-based non-profit, nongovernmental organisation that aims to accelerate the marketplace for renewable energy and energy
efficiency with a particular emphasis on the emerging markets anddeveloping countries. Its primary focus is
the scaling up of clean energy business models.

REEEP was originally launched by the government of the United Kingdom along with other partners at the
Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in August 2002.

It pursues its market catalyst role in three ways:

Funding small-to-medium scale project interventions that address the barriers to market development and assist
business models in scaling up

Providing internet-based information resources such as www.reegle.info, an information portal for clean energy
that is funded jointly with REN21

Connecting and supporting champions of clean energy via several sub-networks of stakeholders.

To

date

the

organisation

has

been

funded

primarily

by

governments

including: Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, The Netherlands,
TheUnited Kingdom, The United States and the European Commission.

International Atomic Energy Agency

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an international organization that seeks to promote
the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons.
The IAEA was established as an autonomous organization on 29 July 1957. Though established
independently of the United Nations through its own international treaty, the IAEA Statute,[1] the IAEA reports
to both the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council.

The IAEA has its headquarters in Vienna. The IAEA has two "Regional Safeguards Offices" which are located
in Toronto, Canada, and in Tokyo, Japan. The IAEA also has two liaison offices which are located in New
York City, United States, and in Geneva, Switzerland. In addition, the IAEA has three laboratories located
in Vienna and Seibersdorf, Austria, and in Monaco.

The IAEA serves as an intergovernmental forum for scientific and technical cooperation in the peaceful use
of nuclear technologyand nuclear power worldwide. The programs of the IAEA encourage the development
of the peaceful applications of nuclear technology, provide international safeguards against misuse of
nuclear technology and nuclear materials, and promote nuclear safety (including radiation protection) and
nuclear security standards and their implementation.

Nuclear Energy Agency

The Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) is an intergovernmental agency that is organized under
the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Originally formed on 1 February
1958 with the name European Nuclear Energy Agency (ENEA) (the United States participated as an

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Associate Member), the name was changed on 20 April 1972 to its current name afterJapan became a
member.

The mission of the NEA is to "assist its member countries in maintaining and further developing, through
international co-operation, the scientific, technological and legal bases required for the safe, environmentally
friendly and economical use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes."

Financial, trade, and customs organizations

Asian Development Bank

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank established on 19 December
1966[3] which is headquartered in Ortigas Center located in Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines, and
maintains 31 field offices around the world,[4] to promote social and economic development in Asia. The bank
admits the members of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the
Pacific (UNESCAP, formerly the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East or ECAFE) and nonregionaldeveloped countries.[5] From 31 members at its establishment, ADB now has 67 members, of which
48 are from within Asia and the Pacific and 19 outside. The ADB was modeled closely on the World Bank,
and has a similar weighted voting system where votes are distributed in proportion with members' capital
subscriptions. ADB releases an annual report that summarizes its operations, budget and other materials for
review by the public.

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is an international financial institution that aims to
support the building of infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific region. The bank has 37 member states (all
"Founding Members") and was proposed as an initiative by the government of China.[4] The initiative gained
support from 37 regional and 20 non-regional Prospective Founding Members (PFM), all of which have
signed the Articles of Agreement that form the legal basis for the bank. The bank started operation after the
agreement entered into force on 25 December 2015, after ratifications were received from 10 member states
holding a total number of 50% of the initial subscriptions of the Authorized Capital Stock.[5] Major economies
that did not become PFM include the G7/G8members Canada, Japan and the United States.

The United Nations has addressed the launch of AIIB as having potential for "scaling up financing for
sustainable development"[6] for the concern of global economic governance.[7] The capital of the bank
is $100 billion, equivalent to 23 of the capital of the Asian Development Bank and about half that of the World
Bank.[8]

The bank was proposed by China in 2013[9] and the initiative was launched at a ceremony in Beijing in
October 2014.

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Bank for International Settlements

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS; French: Banque des rglements internationaux, BRI) is an
international financial institution[2] owned by central banks which "fosters international monetary and financial
cooperation and serves as a bank for central banks".[3] The BIS carries out its work through subcommittees,
the secretariats it hosts and through an annual general meeting of all member banks. It also provides banking
services, but only to central banks and other international organizations. It is based in Basel, Switzerland,
with representative offices in Hong Kong and Mexico City.

International Monetary Fund

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an international organization headquartered in Washington,

D.C., of "189 countries working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate
international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around
the world."[1] Formed in 1944 at the Bretton Woods Conference, it came into formal existence in 1945 with
29 member countries and the goal of reconstructing the international payment system. It now plays a central
role in the management of balance of payments difficulties and international financial crises.[4] Countries
contribute funds to a pool through a quota system from which countries experiencing balance of
payments problems can borrow money. As of 2010, the fund had SDR476.8 billion, about US$755.7 billion
at then exchange rates.[5]

Through the fund, and other activities such as statistics-keeping and analysis, surveillance of its members'
economies and the demand for particular policies,[6] the IMF works to improve the economies of its member
countries.[7] The organization's objectives stated in the Articles of Agreement are:[8] to promote international
monetary cooperation, international trade, high employment, exchange-rate stability, sustainable economic
growth, and making resources available to member countries in financial difficulty.

Bretton Woods Conference

The Bretton Woods Conference, formally known as the United Nations Monetary and Financial
Conference, was the gathering of 730 delegates from all 44 Allied nations at the Mount Washington Hotel,
situated in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, United States, to regulate the international monetary and
financial order after the conclusion of World War II.[1]

The conference was held from July 122, 1944. Agreements were signed that, after legislative ratification by
member governments, established the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and
the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

International monetary systems

International monetary systems are sets of internationally agreed rules, conventions and supporting
institutions, that facilitate international trade, cross border investment and generally the reallocation of
capital between nation states. They provide means of payment acceptable buyers and sellers of different
nationality, including deferred payment. To operate successfully, they need to inspire confidence, to provide
sufficient liquidity for fluctuating levels of trade and to provide means by which global imbalances can be

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corrected. The systems can grow organically as the collective result of numerous individual agreements
between international economic factors spread over several decades. Alternatively, they can arise from a
single architectural vision as happened at Bretton Woods in 1944.

Balance of payments

The balance of payments, also known as balance of international payments and abbreviated BoP, of a
country is the record of all economic transactions between the residents of the country and the rest of the
world in a particular period (over a quarter of a year or more commonly over a year). These transactions are
made by individuals, firms and government bodies. Thus the balance of payments includes all external visible
and non-visible transactions of a country . It represents a summation of country's current demand and supply
of the claims on foreign currencies and of foreign claims on its currency[1] .[2] These transactions include
payments for the country's exports and imports ofgoods, services, financial capital, and financial transfers.
It is prepared in a single currency, typically the domestic currency for the country concerned. Sources of
funds for a nation, such as exports or the receipts of loans and investments, are recorded as positive or
surplus items. Uses of funds, such as for imports or to invest in foreign countries, are recorded as negative
or deficit items.

When all components of the BOP accounts are included they must sum to zero with no overall surplus or
deficit. For example, if a country is importing more than it exports, its trade balance will be in deficit, but the
shortfall will have to be counterbalanced in other ways such as by funds earned from its foreign
investments, by running down central bank reserves or by receiving loans from other countries.

Special drawing rights

Special drawing rights (ISO 4217 currency code XDR, also abbreviated SDR) are supplementary foreign
exchange reserve assets defined and maintained by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The XDR is
the unit of account for the IMF, and is not a currency per se.[2] XDRs instead represent a claim to currency
held by IMF member countries for which they may be exchanged.[3] The XDR was created in 1969 to
supplement a shortfall of preferred foreign exchange reserve assets, namely gold and the U.S. dollar.

XDRs are allocated to countries by the IMF.[3] Private parties do not hold or use them. The amount of XDRs
in existence was around XDR 21.4 billion in August 2009. During the global financial crisis of 2009, an
additional XDR 182.6 billion were allocated to "provide liquidity to the global economic system and
supplement member countries official reserves". By October 2014, the amount of XDRs in existence was
XDR 204 billion.

The value of the XDR is based on a basket of key international currencies reviewed by IMF every five
years. The weights assigned to each currency in the XDR basket are adjusted to take into account their
current prominence in terms of international trade and national foreign exchange reserves. In the review
conducted in November 2015, the IMF decided that the Renminbi (Chinese Yuan) will be added to the basket
effective October 1, 2016. From that date, the XDR basket will consist of the following five currencies: U.S.
dollar 41.73%, Euro 30.93%, Chinese yuan 10.92%, Japanese yen 8.33%, British pound 8.09%.

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New Development Bank

The New Development Bank (NDB), formerly referred to as the BRICS Development Bank, is
a multilateral development bank established by the BRICS states (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South
Africa). According to the Agreement on the NDB, "the Bank shall support public or private projects
through loans, guarantees, equity participation and other financial instruments." Moreover, the NDB "shall
cooperate with international organizations and other financial entities, and provide technical assistance for
projects to be supported by the Bank."

The initial authorized capital of the bank is $100 bln divided into 1 mln shares having a par value of $100,000
each. The initial subscribed capital of the NDB is $50 bln divided into paid-in shares ($10 bln) and callable
shares ($40 bln). The initial subscribed capital of the bank was equally distributed among the founding
members. The Agreement on the NDB specifies that the voting power of each member will be equal to the
number of its subscribed shares in the capital stock of the bank.

The bank is headquartered in Shanghai, China. The first regional office of the NDB will be opened
in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The idea for setting up the bank was proposed by India at the 4th BRICS summit in 2012 held in Delhi. The
creation of a new development bank was the main theme of the meeting. BRICS leaders agreed to set up a
Development bank at the 5th BRICS summit held in Durban, South Africa on 27 March 2013. According to
Devex, the name of the bank is believed to have been proposed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

On 15 July 2014, the first day of the 6th BRICS summit held in Fortaleza, Brazil, the BRICS states signed
the Agreement on the New Development Bank, which makes provisions for the legal basis of the bank. In a
separate agreement, a reserve currency pool worth $100 bln was set up by BRICS nations. Documents on
cooperation between BRICS export credit agencies and an agreement of cooperation on innovation were
also signed.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and

Development

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (French: Organisation de
coopration et de dveloppement conomiques, OCDE) is an international economic organisation of 34
countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade. It is a forum of countries
describing themselves as committed to democracy and the market economy, providing a platform to
compare policy experiences, seeking answers to common problems, identify good practices and coordinate
domestic and international policies of its members.

In 1948, the OECD originated as the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC), led
by Robert Marjolin of France, to help administer the Marshall Plan (which was rejected by the Soviet
Union and its satellite states]). This would be achieved by allocating American financial aid and implementing
economic programs for the reconstruction of Europe after World War II. (Similar reconstruction aid was sent
to the war-torn Republic of China and post-war Korea, but not under the name "Marshall Plan".)

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In 1961, the OEEC was reformed into the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development by
the Convention on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and membership was
extended to non-European states. 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 at the Chteau de la Muette in Paris, France. The OECD is funded by
contributions from member states at varying rates. and had a total budget of EUR 363 million in 2015.

Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC, /opk/ OH-pek, or OPEP in several other
languages) is an intergovernmental organization of 13 nations, founded in 1960 in Baghdad by the first five
members, and headquartered since 1965 in Vienna. The 13 countries account for 40 percent of global oil
production and 73 percent of the world's "proven" oil reserves, giving OPEC a major influence on global oil
prices.

OPEC's stated mission is "to coordinate and unify the petroleum policies of its member countries and ensure
the stabilization of oil markets, in order to secure an efficient, economic and regular supply of petroleum to
consumers, a steady income to producers, and a fair return on capital for those investing in the petroleum
industry."

As

of

June

2016,

OPEC's

members

are Algeria, Angola,Ecuador, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia (the de
facto leader), United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela. Two-thirds of OPEC's oil production and reserves are
in its six Middle Eastern countries that surround the oil-rich Persian Gulf.

The formation of OPEC marked a turning point toward national sovereignty over natural resources, and
OPEC decisions have come to play a prominent role in the global oil market and international relations. The
effect can be particularly strong when wars or civil disorders lead to extended interruptions in supply. In the
1970s, restrictions in oil production led to a dramatic rise in oil prices and OPEC revenue and wealth, with
long-lasting and far-reaching consequences for the global economy. In the 1980s, OPEC started
setting production targets for its member nations; and generally when the production targets are reduced, oil
prices increase. In December 2014, "OPEC and the oil men" ranked as #3 on Lloyd's list of "the top 100
most influential people in the shipping industry" although their influence on international trade is periodically
challenged by the expansion of non-OPEC energy sources, and by the recurring temptation for individual
OPEC members to exceed production ceilings.

World Bank Group

The World Bank Group (WBG) is a family of five international organizations that make leveraged loans to
developing countries. It is the largest and most famous development bank in the world and is an observer at
the United Nations Development Group. The bank is based in Washington, D.C. and provided around $61
billion in loans and assistance to "developing" and transition countries in the 2014 fiscal year.[4] The bank's
stated mission is to achieve the twin goals of ending extreme poverty and building shared prosperity. Its five
organizations are the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the International

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Development Association (IDA), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Multilateral Investment
Guarantee Agency (MIGA) and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).

International Bank for Reconstruction and Development

The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) is an international financial
institution that offers loans to middle-income developing countries. The IBRD is the first of five member
institutions that compose the World Bank Group and is headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States.
It was established in 1944 with the mission of financing the reconstruction of European nations devastated
by World War II. The IBRD and its concessional lending arm, the International Development Association, are
collectively known as the World Bank as they share the same leadership and staff. Following the
reconstruction of Europe, the Bank's mandate expanded to advancing worldwide economic
development and eradicating poverty. The IBRD provides commercial-grade or concessional financing
to sovereign states to fund projects that seek to improve transportation and infrastructure, education,
domestic policy, environmental consciousness, energy investments, healthcare, access to food and potable
water, and access to improved sanitation.

International Development Association

The International Development Association (IDA) is an international financial institution which offers
concessional loans and grants to the world's poorest developing countries. The IDA is a member of the World
Bank Group and is headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States. It was established in 1960 to
complement the existing International Bank for Reconstruction and Development by lending to developing
countries which suffer from the lowest gross national income, from troubled creditworthiness, or from the
lowest per capita income. Together, the International Development Association and International Bank for
Reconstruction and Development are collectively generally known as the World Bank, as they follow the
same executive leadership and operate with the same staff.

The association shares the World Bank's mission of reducing poverty and aims to provide affordable
development financing to countries whose credit risk is so prohibitive that they cannot afford to borrow
commercially or from the Bank's other programs. The IDA's stated aim is to assist the poorest nations
in growing more quickly, equitably, and sustainably to reduce poverty. The IDA is the single largest provider
of funds to economic and human development projects in the world's poorest nations. From 2000 to 2010, it
financed projects which recruited and trained 3 million teachers, immunized 310 million children, funded
$792 million in loans to 120,000 small and medium enterprises, built or restored 118,000 kilometers of paved
roads, built or restored 1,600 bridges, and expanded access to improved water to 113 million people
and improved sanitation facilities to 5.8 million people. The IDA has issued a total $238 billion USD in loans
and grants since its launch in 1960. Thirty-six of the association's borrowing countries have graduated from
their eligibility for its concessional lending. However, eight of these countries have relapsed and have not regraduated.

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International Finance Corporation

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is an international financial institution that offers investment,
advisory, and asset management services to encourage private sector development in developing countries.
The IFC is a member of the World Bank Group and is headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States. It
was established in 1956 as the private sector arm of the World Bank Group to advance economic
development by investing in strictly for-profit and commercial projects that purport to reduce poverty and
promote development. The IFC's stated aim is to create opportunities for people to escape poverty and
achieve better living standards by mobilizing financial resources for private enterprise, promoting accessible
and competitive markets, supporting businesses and other private sector entities, and creating jobs and
delivering necessary services to those who are poverty-stricken or otherwise vulnerable. Since 2009, the
IFC has focused on a set of development goals that its projects are expected to target. Its goals are to
increase sustainable agriculture opportunities, improve health and education, increase access to financing
for microfinance and business clients, advance infrastructure, help small businesses grow revenues, and
invest in climate health.

The IFC is owned and governed by its member countries, but has its own executive leadership and staff that
conduct its normal business operations. It is a corporation whose shareholders are member governments
that provide paid-in capital and which have the right to vote on its matters. Originally more financially
integrated with the World Bank Group, the IFC was established separately and eventually became
authorized to operate as a financially autonomous entity and make independent investment decisions. It
offers an array of debt and equity financing services and helps companies face their risk exposures, while
refraining from participating in a management capacity. The corporation also offers advice to companies on
making decisions, evaluating their impact on the environment and society, and being responsible. It advises
governments on building infrastructure and partnerships to further support private sector development.

Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency

The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) is an international financial institution which
offers political risk insurance and credit enhancement guarantees. Such guarantees help investors
protect foreign direct investments against political and non-commercial risks in developing countries. MIGA
is a member of the World Bank Group and is headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States. It was
established in 1988 as an investment insurance facility to encourage confident investment in developing
countries.[2] MIGA's stated mission is "to promote foreign direct investment into developing countries to
support economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve people's lives". It targets projects that endeavor to
create new jobs, develop infrastructure, generate new tax revenues, and take advantage of natural resources
through sustainable policies and programs.

MIGA is owned and governed by its member states, but has its own executive leadership and staff which
carry out its daily operations. Its shareholders are member governments which provide paid-in capital and
have the right to vote on its matters. It insures long-term debt and equity investments as well as other assets
and contracts with long-term periods. The agency is assessed by the World Bank's Independent Evaluation
Group each year.

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International Centre for Settlement of Investment

Disputes

The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) is an international

arbitration institution established in 1965 for legal dispute resolution and conciliation between international
investors. The ICSID is part of and funded by the World Bank Group, headquartered in Washington, D.C.,
in the United States. It is an autonomous, multilateral specialized institution to encourage international flow
of investment and mitigate non-commercial risks by a treaty drafted by the International Bank for
Reconstruction and Development's executive directors and signed by member countries. As of May 2016,
there were 153 contracting member states agree to enforce and uphold arbitral awards in accordance with
the ICSID Convention. The center performs advisory activities and maintains several publications.

World Trade Organization

The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization which regulates international
trade. The WTO officially commenced on 1 January 1995 under the Marrakesh Agreement, signed by 123
nations on 15 April 1994, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which commenced
in 1948. The WTO deals with regulation of trade between participating countries by providing a framework
for negotiating trade agreements and a dispute resolution process aimed at enforcing participants'
adherence to WTO agreements, which are signed by representatives of member governments and ratified
by their parliaments. Most of the issues that the WTO focuses on derive from previous trade negotiations,
especially from the Uruguay Round (19861994).

The WTO is attempting to complete negotiations on the Doha Development Round, which was launched in
2001 with an explicit focus on developing countries. As of June 2012, the future of the Doha Round remained
uncertain: the work programme lists 21 subjects in which the original deadline of 1 January 2005 was missed,
and the round is still incomplete. The conflict between free trade on industrial goods and services but
retention of protectionism on farm subsidies to domestic agricultural sector (requested by developed
countries) and the substantiation of fair trade on agricultural products (requested by developing countries)
remain the major obstacles. This impasse has made it impossible to launch new WTO negotiations beyond
the Doha Development Round. As a result, there have been an increasing number of bilateral free trade
agreements between governments. As of July 2012, there were various negotiation groups in the WTO
system for the current agricultural trade negotiation which is in the condition of stalemate.

Law enforcement cooperation

International Criminal Court

The International Criminal Court (ICC or ICCt) is an intergovernmental organization and international
tribunal that sits in The Hague in the Netherlands. The ICC has the jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for
the international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. The ICC is intended to
complement existing national judicial systems and it may therefore only exercise its jurisdiction when certain
conditions are met, such as when national courts are unwilling or unable to prosecute criminals or when

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the United Nations Security Council or individual states refer investigations to the Court. The ICC began
functioning on 1 July 2002, the date that the Rome Statute entered into force. The Rome Statute is
a multilateral treaty which serves as the ICC's foundational and governing document. States which become
party to the Rome Statute, for example by ratifying it, become member states of the ICC. Currently, there
are 124 states which are party to the Rome Statute and therefore members of the ICC.

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