Selected Multilateral MULTILATERAL INTERNATIONAL STATES PARTICIPATES Explanatory note: Descriptions of most of the organizations listed below may be found in the publication entitled United States Contributions to International Organizations, Fiscal Year 1987 (Department of State Publication 9507). The United States participates in the organizations named below in accordance with the provisions of treaties, other international agreements, congressional legislation, or executive arrangements. In some cases, no financial contribution is involved. Various commissions, councils, or committees subsidiary to the organizations listed here are not named separately on this list. These include the international bodies for narcotics control, which are subsidiary to the United States. Interparliamentary Union North Atlantic Ice Patrol North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Permanent International Association of VI. Special Voluntary Programs Convention on International Trade in Fund for the Protection of the World International Atomic Agency Technical Development (Specialized Agency) OAS Special Development Assistance OAS Special Multilateral Fund (Education and Science) OAS Special Projects Fund (Mar del PAHO Special Health Promotion Funds Fund United Nations Center for Human Settlements (HABITAT) United Nations Children's Fund United Nations Development Fund for United Nations Development Program United Nations High Commissioner for United Nations Relief and Works Agency United Nations Trust Fund for South Africa United Nations Voluntary Fund for the Victims of Torture United Nations Volunteers West African Rice Development Association (WARDA) African Development Bank The African Development Bank (AFDB) was formed in 1963 by 33 independent African countries to contribute, individually and jointly, to the economic and social progress of its regional members. In 1973, non-African countries joined with AFDB to establish the African Development Fund (AFDF) as the concessional lending affiliate of AFDB. The Fund loans only to the poorest African countries. Membership in the Bank was limited to 50 African nations until late 1982 when nonregional countries began to join the institution. The United States became a member of AFDF in 1976 by virtue of the African Development Fund Act (22 U.S.C. 290g nt.), and in February 1983 the United States became a member of AFDB by virtue of the African Development Bank Act (22 U.S.C. 290i nt.). Asian Development Bank Headquarters: 2330 Roxas Boulevard, Metro Manila, Philippines President: Masao Fujioka The Agreement establishing the Asian Development Bank came into effect on August 22, 1966, when it was ratified by 15 governments. The Bank commenced operations on December 19, 1966. The United States became a member by virtue of the Asian Development Bank Act of March 16, 1966 (22 U.S.C. 285). The purpose of the Bank is to foster economic growth and contribute to the acceleration of economic development of the developing member countries in Asia, collectively and individually. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Headquarters: Rome, Italy Director General: Edouard Saouma (Lebanon) Liaison Office for North America: Suite 300, 1001 Twenty-second Street NW., Washington, DC 20437. Phones: 202-653-2400 (Director), 202-653-2402 (FAO Library), 202-653-2398 (Administration), 202-653-2458 (Economics) North American Representative: Roger A. Sorenson The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) officially came into being on October 16, 1945, with the signing of its constitution by the delegates of 44 member nations meeting in Quebec, Canada. By December 1985 its membership had increased to 158 nations. FAO derives its authority and funds from its member governments, but works closely with the United Nations, of which it is an autonomous, specialized agency. The Organization's purpose, as set forth in the preamble to its constitution, is "raising levels of nutrition and standards of living of the peoples under their respective jurisdictions, securing improvements in the efficiency of the production and distribution of all food and agricultural products, bettering the condition of rural populations, and thus contributing toward an expanding world economy." Inter-American Defense Board 2600 Sixteenth Street NW., Washington, DC 20441. Phone, 202-939-6660 Chairman: Maj. Gen. Bernard Loeffke, USA The Inter-American Defense Board is a permanently constituted, international organization, autonomous within the inter-American system, composed of army, navy, and air officers appointed by the governments of American Republics. Its constitutional sources are: Resolution XXXIX of the Meeting of Foreign Ministers at Rio de Janeiro in January 1942; Resolution XXXIV of the Ninth International Conference of American States held in Bogotá, Colombia, in April 1948; and Resolution III of the Fourth Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, held in Washington, DC, March-April 1951. The Board studies and recommends to the governments of the American Republics measures necessary for close military collaboration in preparation for the collective self-defense of the American continents. Inter-American Development Bank Headquarters: 1300 New York Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20577. Phone, 202-6231000 President: Enrique V. Iglesias The Agreement Establishing the InterAmerican Development Bank came into effect in December 1959, when it was accepted by 19 Latin American Republics and the United States. The Bank commenced operations on October 1, 1960. The United States became a member by virtue of the Inter-American Development Bank Act (22 U.S.C. 283). Trinidad and Tobago became a member in 1967, Barbados and Jamaica in 1969, Canada in 1972, Guyana in 1976, the Bahamas in 1977, and Suriname in 1980. The Bank amended its Articles of Agreement on June 1, 1976, to enable the admission of nonregional countries. The countries of Belgium, Denmark, Federal Republic of Germany, Israel, Japan, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Yugoslavia became members in 1976; Austria, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Finland, and Sweden in 1977; Portugal in 1980; and Norway in 1986. The Bank's purpose is to promote the economic and social development of the regional developing member countries, individually and collectively. Intergovernmental Committee for Headquarters: 17 Route des Morillons, Grand- New York Office: Room 717, 1123 Chief of Mission: Richard E. Scott California Office: Suite D, 2173 Francisco Boulevard, San Rafael, CA 94901. Phone, 415-459-8035 Chief of Mission: James Gildea The Intergovernmental Committee for Migration (ICM), formerly the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration, was created in 1951 at a conference in Brussels sponsored by the Governments of the United States and Belgium. ICM is a technical, nonpolitical organization that plans and operates refugee resettlement, national migration, and emergency relief programs at the request of its member governments and in cooperation with other international organizations. ICM has three major objectives: the processing and movement of refugees to countries offering them permanent resettlement opportunities; the promotion of orderly migration to meet the specific needs of both emigration and immigration countries; and the transfer of technology through migration in order to promote the economic, educational, and social advancement of countries in the process of development, particularly in Latin America and Africa. ICM has a membership of 35 governments; 17 other governments have observer status. Operational offices are located in 40 countries, including some nonmember countries. International Atomic Energy Headquarters: Wagramerstrasse 5, Vienna, Director General: Dr. Hans Blix (Sweden) The Statute of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), opened for signature at United Nations Headquarters in New York from October 26, 1956, to January 24, 1957, was signed by the plenipotentiaries of the United States and 79 other governments, ratified by the President of the United States on July 29, 1957, and entered into force the same day. As of 1989, 113 nations had become members of the IAEA. The Agency seeks to accelerate and enlarge the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health, and prosperity worldwide. It ensures, through the international safeguards system, that assistance provided by it or at its request or under its supervision or control is not used in such a way as to further any military purpose. For further information, contact the Office of Nuclear Technology and Safeguards, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Department of State, Washington, DC 20520. Phone, 202-647-3310. International Bank for Reconstruction and Development Headquarters: 1818 H Street NW., Washington, DC 20433. Phone, 202–477– 1234 President: Barber B. Conable The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), also called the World Bank, officially came into existence on December 27, 1945, when the Articles of Agreement, formulated at the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference held at Bretton Woods, NH, in July 1944, were signed in Washington, DC, by 28 governments. As of June 30, 1988, 151 countries were members of IBRD. IBRD's purpose is to promote economic and social progress in developing nations by raising productivity so that their people may live a better and fuller life. It does this by lending funds, providing advice and serving as a catalyst to stimulate outside investments. IBRD's resources come primarily from funds raised in the world capital markets, its retained earnings, and repayments on its loans. International Development Association The International Development Association (IDA) came into existence on September 24, 1960, as an affiliate of IBRD. Membership of IDA is open to all member countries of IBRD, and by June 30, 1988, 137 countries had become members. IDA's resources consist of subscriptions and supplementary resources in the form of general replenishments, mostly from its 33 more industrialized and developed members; special contributions by its richer members; and transfers from the net earnings of IBRD. IDA's purposes are to promote economic development, increase productivity, and raise the standard of living in the least developed areas of the world. It does this by financing their developmental requirements on concessionary terms, which are more flexible and bear less heavily on the balance of payments than those of conventional loans, thereby furthering the objectives of IBRD and supplementing its activities. International Civil Aviation 1000 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, PQ The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations having a membership of 161 countries. It was created by the Convention on International Civil Aviation concluded at Chicago, IL, in December 1944, and the permanent organization came into being formally in April 1947. The Convention was ratified by the President of the United States on August 6, 1946. The Organization's purposes are to develop the principles and techniques of international air navigation and to foster the planning and development of international air transport; to ensure the safe and orderly growth of international civil aviation; to encourage the design and operation of aircraft for peaceful purposes; and to meet the needs of the peoples of the world for safe, regular, efficient, and economical air transport. For further information, contact the Office of Aviation Programs and Policy, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, Department of State, Washington, DC 20520. Phone, 202-6479341. The International Civil Aviation Organization has no office in Washington, DC. |