Conejos, Jeorjeane Andrea F.

21-00026

The Contemporary World

20 Regional Organizations

1. African Union
The African Union (AU) is a continental union consisting of 55 member states
located on the continent of Africa. The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte,
Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling for the establishment of the African Union. The
intention of the AU was to replace the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), established
on 25 May 1963 in Addis Ababa by 32 signatory governments; the OAU was disbanded
on 9 July 2002. The most important decisions of the AU are made by the Assembly of the
African Union, a semi-annual meeting of the heads of state and government of its member
states.
2. Association of Southeast Asian Nations
ASEAN is a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia,
which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political,
security, military, educational, and sociocultural integration between its members and other
countries in Asia. ASEAN's primary objective was to accelerate economic growth and
through that social progress and cultural development. A secondary objective was to
promote regional peace and stability based on the rule of law and the principle of United
Nations charter. With some of the fastest growing economies in the world, ASEAN has
broadened its objective beyond the economic and social spheres.
3. Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation founded in the wake of
World War II to uphold human rights, democracy, and the rule of law in Europe. Founded
in 1949, it has 47 member states, with a population of approximately 820 million, and
operates with an annual budget of approximately 500 million euros.
4. European Union
The European Union is a political and economic union of 27 member states that are
located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of 4,233,255.3 km² and an estimated
total population of about 447 million.
5. League of Arab States
Formally the League of Arab, League of Arab States is a regional organization in
the Arab world, which is located in Northern Africa, Western Africa, Eastern Africa, and
Western Asia. The Arab League was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945 initially with six
members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan (renamed Jordan in 1949), Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and
Syria. Yemen joined as a member on 5 May 1945. Currently, the League has 22 members,
but Syria's participation has been suspended since November 2011.
The League's main goal is to "draw closer the relations between member states and
co-ordinate collaboration between them, to safeguard their independence and sovereignty,
and to consider in a general way the affairs and interests of the Arab countries". The
organization has received a relatively low level of cooperation throughout its history.
6. Organization of American States
The Organization of American States is an international organization that was
founded on 30 April 1948 for the purposes of solidarity and co-operation among its
member states within the Americas. Headquartered in the US capital, Washington, D.C.,
the OAS has 34 members, which are independent states in the Americas.
7. Asian Development Bank
The Asian Development Bank is a regional development bank established on 19
December 1966, which is headquartered in the Ortigas Center located in the city of
Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines. The company also maintains 31 field offices
around the world to promote social and economic development in Asia.
8. European Economic Area
The European Economic Area was established via the Agreement on the European
Economic Area, an international agreement which enables the extension of the European
Union's single market to member states of the European Free Trade Association.
9. Nordic Council
The Nordic Council is the official body for formal inter-parliamentary Nordic
cooperation among the Nordic countries. Formed in 1952, it has 87 representatives from
Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden as well as from the autonomous areas of
the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Aland.
10. European Free Trade Association
The European Free Trade Association is a regional trade organization and free trade
area consisting of four European states: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
11. Asian Cooperation Dialogue
The Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) is an intergovernmental organization
created on 18 June 2002 to promote Asian cooperation at a continental level and to help
integrate separate regional organizations such as the ASEAN, the Gulf Cooperation
Council, the Eurasian Economic Union, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and the
SAARC. It is the first international organization to cover the whole of Asia. Its secretariat
is in Kuwait.
12. Organisation of Islamic Corporation
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, formerly the Organisation of the Islamic
Conference, is an intergovernmental organization founded in 1969, consisting of 57
member states.
13. Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation
The Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation is a regional
international organization focusing on multilateral political and economic initiatives aimed
at fostering cooperation, peace, stability and prosperity in the Black Sea region.
14. Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is an intergovernmental
organization of 13 countries. Founded on 14 September 1960 in Baghdad by the first five
members, it has since 1965 been headquartered in Vienna, Austria, although Austria is not
an OPEC member state.
15. Council of the Baltic Sea States
The Council of the Baltic Sea States is a regional intergovernmental organisation
working on three priority areas: Regional Identity, Safe & Secure Region and Sustainable
& Prosperous Region.
16. Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR)
Mercosur, Mercosul, or Ñemby Ñemuha, officially Southern Common Market, is
a South American trade bloc established by the Treaty of Asunción in 1991 and Protocol
of Ouro Preto in 1994. Its full members are Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
17. Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, also known as the Shanghai Pact, is a
transcontinental political, economic, and security alliance. In terms of geographic scope
and population, it is the world's largest regional organization, covering approx.
18. Commonwealth of Independent States
The Commonwealth of Independent States is a regional intergovernmental
organization in Eastern Europe and Asia. It was formed following the dissolution of the
Soviet Union in 1991. It covers an area of 20,368,759 km² and has an estimated population
of 239,796,010.
19. Economic Cooperation Organization
The Economic Cooperation Organization or ECO is an Asian political and
economic intergovernmental organization which was founded in 1985 in Tehran by the
leaders of Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey. It provides a platform to discuss ways to improve
development and promote trade and investment opportunities.
20. Collective Security Treaty Organization
The Collective Security Treaty Organization is an intergovernmental military
alliance in Eurasia. CSTO consists of select post-Soviet states. The treaty had its origins to
the Soviet Armed Forces, which was gradually replaced by the United Armed Forces of
the Commonwealth of Independent States.