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 |
AsDB |
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 Iniative 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 |
Monetary and Economic 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 |
CY |
calendar year |
DC |
developed country |
Desertification |
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa |
DDT |
dichloro-diphenyl-trichloro-ethane |
DIA |
United States Defense Intelligence Agency |
DSN |
Defense Switched Network |
DWT |
deadweight ton |
EADB |
East African Development Bank |
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 |
GDP |
gross domestic product |
GMT |
Greenwich Mean Time |
GNP |
gross national product |
GRT |
gross register ton |
GSM |
global system for mobile cellular communications |
GUAM |
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 |
ICFTU |
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions |
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 |
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 |
ITU |
International Telecommunication Union |
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 Cooperative 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 |
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 |
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 |
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
note - see WToO for World Tourism Organization |
WToO |
World Tourism Organization |
ZC |
Zangger Committee |