the trusteeship system, either as independent states or as parts of such states. The Council functions under authority of the General Assembly. It considers reports from the member administering the Trust Territory, examines petitions from inhabitants of the Trust Territory, and provides for periodic inspection visits to the Trust Territory. The Council has held 52 regular sessions and a number of special sessions; it now holds one regular session a year. International Court of Justice The International Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. It has its seat at The Hague, the Netherlands. All members of the United Nations are ipso facto parties to the Statute of the Court. Nonmembers of the United Nations may become parties to the Statute of the Court on conditions prescribed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council. The jurisdiction of the Court comprises all cases that the parties refer to it and all matters specially provided for in the Charter of the United Nations or in treaties and conventions in force. The Court consists of 15 judges known as "members" of the Court. They are elected for 9-year terms by the General Assembly and the Security Council, voting independently; they may be reelected. Secretariat The Secretariat consists of a Secretary-General and "such staff as the Organization may require." The Secretary-General, who is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council, is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations. He acts in that capacity for the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, and the Trusteeship Council. Under the Charter, the Secretary-General "may bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter that in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security." Universal Postal Union International Bureau, Weltpostrasse 4, 3000 Bern 15, Switzerland Director General, International Bureau: Adwaldo Cardoso Botto de Barros The Universal Postal Union is a specialized agency of the United Nations. Its 169 members comprise practically every country of the world, including various territories and possessions. The Union was created by a postal convention signed at Bern in 1874, the latest revision of this convention having been made at Hamburg, Federal Republic of Germany, in 1984. The purpose of the Universal Postal Union has been to establish “a single postal territory for the reciprocal exchange of correspondence" among the peoples of the various countries of the world, to ensure the organization and improvement of the various postal services, and to encourage the development of international cooperation in this field. For further information, contact the Assistant Postmaster General, International Postal Affairs Department, U.S. Postal Service, Washington, DC 20260-6500, or the Bureau of International Organization Affairs, Department of State, Washington, DC 20520-0001. This organization has no office in Washington, DC. World Health Organization Headquarters: Avenue Appia, Geneva, Director General: Dr. Hiroshi Nakajima The International Health Conference, convened by the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations in New York in 1946, drafted the Constitution of the World Health Organization (WHO) and also established an 18-member Interim Commission that functioned until WHO officially came into being on April 7, 1948. The United States became a member on June 21, 1948, by a joint resolution of Congress. There are now 166 member states, 2 nonmember states, and 1 associate member. The objective of WHO is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health-physical, mental, and social. The Organization recognizes health as fundamental to the attainment of peace and security, dependent upon the fullest cooperation of individuals and states. World Meteorological Secretariat: Case postale No. 5, CH-1211, Secretary General: G.O.P. Obasi The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a specialized agency of the United Nations, has a membership of 161 countries and territories. Its predecessor, the International Meteorological Organization (IMO), was organized in 1878. In April 1951, the functions and assets of IMO were transferred to WMO in accordance with a Convention adopted in Washington in 1947. The Organization helps to facilitate worldwide cooperation in the establishment of networks of stations for making meteorological, hydrological, and other geophysical observations, and promotes the establishment and maintenance of meteorological centers charged with the provision of meteorological services. It also promotes the establishment and maintenance of systems for the rapid exchange of weather information and supports the standardization of meteorological observations in order to ensure the uniform publication of observations and statistics. The Organization continually searches for new ways to further the application of meteorology to aviation, shipping, water problems, agriculture, and other human activities, and encourages research and training in meteorology, while assisting in the coordination of international aspects of such research and training. Recently, WMO has undertaken two highly significant global programs in collaboration with two other agencies. Since the Chernobyl nuclear powerplant accident in 1986, WMO has worked with the International Agency for Atomic Energy to provide information relating to the transport of hazardous materials in the atmosphere. The Organization, jointly with the United Nations Environment Program, established the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 1988 to assess available scientific information on climate warming, to assess the environmental and socio-economic impacts of climate warming, and to formulate international response strategies. For further information, contact the Bureau of Selected Bilateral Organizations International Boundary Commission, United States and Canada Room 150, 425 I Street NW., Washington, DC 20001. Phone, 202-632-8058 United States Section: Commissioner: David C. Fischer Canadian Section: Commissioner: A.C. McEwen Engineer to the Commission: Noel Paquette The International Boundary Commission, United States and Canada, created under provisions of the treaties between the United States and Great Britain of April 21, 1906, April 11, 1908, and February 24, 1925, consists of a United States Commissioner, a Canadian Commissioner, and their assistants. The purpose of the Commission is to define, mark, and maintain the demarcation of the international boundary line between the United States and Canada. International Boundary and Water Commission, United States and Mexico United States Section: Suite C-310, 4171 N. Mesa Street, El Paso, TX 79902. Phone, 915534-6700 Commissioner: Narendra N. Gunaji Mexican Section: El Chamizal, Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico Commissioner: Carlos Santibanez Mata The International Boundary Commission was created pursuant to the Treaty of March 1, 1889, and its jurisdiction was extended by subsequent treaties. It was reconstituted as the International Boundary and Water Commission, United States and Mexico, by the Water Treaty of 1944 with expanded responsibilities and functions under the policy direction of the Department of State and the Mexican Secretariat of Foreign Relations. The United States Section, a Federal agency, also operates under various congressional acts. The Commission, consisting of the United States Section and the Mexican Section, is charged with implementing the provisions of existing treaties dealing with boundary and water matters affecting the two countries, to include preservation of the international boundary; distribution between the two countries of the waters of the boundary rivers, control of floods on the boundary rivers, and their regulation by joint storage works to enable utilization of the waters in the two countries; improvement of the quality of waters of the boundary rivers; sanitation measures; and the use of waters in the boundary section of the Rio Grande to jointly develop hydroelectric power. International Joint CommissionUnited States and Canada United States Section: 2001 S Street NW., Washington, DC 20440. Phone, 202-6736222 Chairman: Robert C. McEwen Commissioner: (Vacancy) Commissioner: Donald L. Totten Chairman: P. André Bissonnette Regional Office: 100 Ouellette Avenue, Windsor, ON N9A 6T3. Phone, 519-2567821 or 313-226-2170 Director: Alfred Duda The International Joint Commission was organized in 1911 pursuant to the Boundary Waters Treaty of January 11, 1909, between the United States and Great Britain. The purpose of the Commission is to prevent disputes regarding the use of boundary waters; to settle questions between the United States and Canada involving rights, obligations, or interests of either along the common frontier; and to make provisions for the adjustment and settlement of all such questions that may arise. The Regional Office monitors, evaluates, and encourages compliance with the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement of 1978. Joint Mexican-United States United States Section: Room 1108B, 1300 Chairman and U.S. Army Member: Maj. Gen. Mexican Section: Mexican Embassy Annex, 2829 Sixteenth Street NW., Washington, DC 20009. Phone, 202-234-5492 Chairman and Army-Air Member: Maj. Gen. Ricardo Maldonado The Joint Mexican-United States Defense Commission was established on February 27, 1942, by the Presidents of Mexico and of the United States, the latter action by Executive Order 9080 (3 CFR, 19381943 Comp., p. 1102). The Commission's purpose is to study problems relating to the common defense of the United States and Mexico, to consider broad plans for the defense of Mexico and areas adjacent to the United States, and to propose to the respective governments measures that, in its opinion, should be adopted. Permanent Joint Board on Defense-United States and Canada 1108C Commonwealth Building, 1300 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22209. Phone, 202694-5401 United States Section: Chairman: John Rousselot Military Secretary: Lt. Col. Edward A. Bannon (Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) Canadian Section: Chairman: Patrick D. Corfton Military Secretary: Lt. Col. Sydney Rennick (Department of National Defence) The Permanent Joint Board on Defense was set up by the United States and Canada in pursuance of a joint announcement of the President and the Prime Minister, dated August 17, 1940, at Ogdensburg, NY, for the purpose of carrying out studies relating to sea, land, and air problems, including personnel and materiel, and to consider, in the broad sense, the defense of the northern half of the Western Hemisphere. Appendixes APPENDIX A: Standard Federal Regions and Federal Executive Boards Standard Federal Regions Standard Federal administrative regions were established to achieve more uniformity in the location and geographic jurisdiction of Federal field offices. Standard regions are a basis for promoting more systematic coordination among agencies and Federal, State, and local governments and for securing management improvements and economies through greater interagency and intergovernmental cooperation. OMB Circular A-105, Standard Federal Regions, provides further guidance on the policies and requirements governing standard administrative regions. Boundaries were drawn and regional office locations designated for 10 regions, and agencies are required to adopt the uniform system when changes are made or new offices established. A map showing the standard boundaries is printed on the following page. The regional structures of agencies not conforming to the uniform regional system can be found in the tables accompanying their descriptions, when provided by the agency. For further information, contact the Management Improvement Division, Office of Management and Budget, Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 20503. Phone, 202-395-6107. Federal Executive Boards Federal Executive Boards (FEB's) were established by Presidential directive (a memorandum for heads of Federal departments and agencies dated Nov. 13, 1961) to improve internal Federal management practices and to provide a central focus for Federal participation in civic affairs in major metropolitan centers of Federal activity. They carry out their functions under the supervision and control of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Federal Executive Boards are composed of heads of Federal field offices in the metropolitan area. A Chairman is elected annually from among the membership to provide overall leadership to the Board's operations. Committees and task forces carry out interagency projects consistent with the Board's missions. Federal Executive Boards serve as a means for disseminating information within the Federal Government and for promoting discussion of Federal policies and activities of importance to all Federal executives in the field. Currently, Federal Executive Boards are located in 26 metropolitan areas that are important centers of Federal activity. These areas are: Albuquerque-Santa Fe, Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Denver, Detroit, HonoluluPacific, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland, St. Louis, San Francisco, Seattle, and the Twin Cities (MinneapolisSt. Paul). Federal Executive Associations, Councils, or Committees have been locally organized in over 100 other metropolitan areas to perform functions similar to the Federal Executive Boards but on a lesser scale of organization and activity. For further information, contact the Assistant for Regional Operations, Office of Personnel Management, Room 5518, 1900 E Street NW., Washington, DC 20415. Phone, 202-632-6101. |