Appendix A: Abbreviations

Appendixes | Factbook Home Page

A
ABEDA
Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa

ACC
Arab Cooperation Council

ACCT
Agence de Cooperation Culturelle et Technique; see Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation; changed name in 1996 to Agence de la francophonie or Agency for the French-speaking Community

ACP
African, Caribbean, and Pacific Countries

AfDB
African Development Bank

AFESD
Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development

AG
Andean Group

Air Pollution
Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution

Air Pollution-Nitrogen
Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Oxides Transboundary Air Pollution Concerning the Control of Emissions of Nitrogen Oxides or Their Transboundary Fluxes

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
Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Organic Compounds Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution Concerning the Control of Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds or Their Transboundary Fluxes

AL
Arab League

ALADI
Asociacion Latinoamericana de Integracion; see Latin American Integration Association (LAIA)

AMF
Arab Monetary Fund

AMU
Arab Maghreb Union

Antarctic-Environmental Protocol
Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty

ANZUS
Australia-New Zealand-United States Security Treaty

APEC
Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation

Arabsat
Arab Satellite Communications Organization

AsDB
Asian Development Bank

ASEAN
Association of Southeast Asian Nations

Autodin
Automatic Digital Network
B
BAD
Banque Africaine de Developpement; see African Development Bank (AfDB)

BADEA
Banque Arabe de Developpement Economique en Afrique; see Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (ABEDA)

BCIE
Banco Centroamericano de Integracion Economico; see Central American Bank for Economic Integration (BCIE)

BDEAC
Banque de Developpment des Etats de l'Afrique Centrale; see Central African States Development Bank (BDEAC)

Benelux
Benelux Economic Union

BID
Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo; see Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)

Biodiversity
Convention on Biological Diversity

BIS
Bank for International Settlements

BOAD
Banque Ouest-Africaine de Developpement; see West African Development Bank (WADB)

BSEC
Black Sea Economic Cooperation Zone
C
C
Commonwealth

CACM
Central American Common Market

CAEU
Council of Arab Economic Unity

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

CEAO
Communaute Economique de l'Afrique de l'Ouest; see West African Economic Community (CEAO)

CEEAC
Communaute Economique des Etats de l'Afrique Centrale; see Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC)

CEI
Central European Initiative

CEMA
Council for Mutual Economic Assistance; also known as CMEA or Comecon

CEPGL
Communaute Economique des Pays des Grands Lacs; see Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL)

CERN
Conseil Europeen pour la Recherche Nucleaire; see European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)

CG
Contadora Group

c.i.f.
cost, insurance, and freight

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

CMEA
Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CEMA); also known as Comecon

COCOM
Coordinating Committee on Export Controls

Comecon
Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CEMA); also known as CMEA

Comsat
Communications Satellite Corporation

CP
Colombo Plan

CSCE
Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe; see Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)

CY
calendar year
D
DC
developed country

Desertification
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa

DSN
Defense Switched Network

DWT
deadweight ton
E
EADB
East African Development Bank

EAPC
Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council

EBRD
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

EC
European Community; see European Union (EU)

ECA
Economic Commission for Africa

ECAFE
Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East; see Economic and Social for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)

ECE
Economic Commission for Europe

ECLA
Economic Commission for Latin America; see Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)

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; see European Union (EU)

ECWA
Economic Commission for Western Asia; see Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)

EEC
European Economic Community; see European Union (EU)

EFTA
European Free Trade Association

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; see European Community (EC)

Eutelsat
European Telecommunications Satellite Organization

Ex-Im
Export-Import Bank of the United States
F
FAO
Food and Agriculture Organization

FAX
facsimile

f.o.b.
free on board

FLS
Front Line States

FRG
Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany); used for information dated before 3 October 1990 or CY91

FSU
former Soviet Union

FY
fiscal year (FY93/94, for example, began in calendar year 1993 and ended in calendar year 1994)

FYROM
The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

FZ
Franc Zone
G
G-2
Group of 2

G-3
Group of 3

G-5
Group of 5

G-6
Group of 6 (not to be confused with the Big Six)

G-7
Group of 7

G-8
Group of 8

G-9
Group of 9

G-10
Group of 10

G-11
Group of 11

G-15
Group of 15

G-19
Group of 19

G-24
Group of 24

G-30
Group of 30

G-33
Group of 33

G-77
Group of 77

GATT
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade; subsumed by the World Trade Organization (WTrO) on 1 January 1995

GCC
Gulf Cooperation Council

GDP
gross domestic product

GDR
German Democratic Republic (East Germany); used for information dated before 3 October 1990 or CY91

GNP
gross national product

GRT
gross register ton

GWP
gross world product
H
Hazardous Wastes
Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal

HF
high-frequency
I
IADB
Inter-American Development Bank

IAEA
International Atomic Energy Agency

IBEC
International Bank for Economic Cooperation

IBRD
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank)

ICAO
International Civil Aviation Organization

ICC
International Chamber of Commerce

ICEM
Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration; see International Organization for Migration (IOM)

ICFTU
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions; see World Confederation of Labor (WCL)

ICJ
International Court of Justice

ICM
Intergovernmental Committee for Migration; see International Organization for Migration (IOM)

ICRC
International Committee of the Red Cross

ICRM
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement

IDA
International Development Association

IDB
Islamic Development Bank

IEA
International Energy Agency

IFAD
International Fund for Agricultural Development

IFC
International Finance Corporation

IFCTU
International Federation of Christian Trade Unions

IFRCS
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

IGAD
Inter-Governmental Authority on Development

IGADD
Inter-Governmental Authority on Drought and Development

IHO
International Hydrographic Organization

IIB
International Investment Bank

ILO
International Labor Organization

IMCO
Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organization; see International Maritime Organization (IMO)

IMF
International Monetary Fund

IMO
International Maritime Organization

Inmarsat
International Mobile Satellite Organization

InOC
Indian Ocean Commission

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

ISO
International Organization for Standardization

ITU
International Telecommunication Union
K
kHz
kilohertz

km
kilometer

kW
kilowatt

kWh
kilowatt hour
L
LAES
Latin American Economic System

LAIA
Latin American Integration Association

LAS
League of Arab States; see Arab League (AL)

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

LORCS
League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies; see International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS)

LOS
see Law of the Sea
M
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
the Middle East Telecommunications Project of the International Telecommunications Union

Mercosur
Mercado Comun del Cono Sur; see Southern Cone Common Market

MHz
megahertz

MINURSO
United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara

MINUGUA
United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala

MIPONUH
United Nations Police Mission in Haiti

MONUA
United Nations Observer Mission in Angola

MTCR
Missile Technology Control Regime
N
NA
not available

NACC
North Atlantic Cooperation Council; see Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC)

NAM
Nonaligned Movement

NATO
North Atlantic Treaty Organization

NC
Nordic Council

NEA
Nuclear Energy Agency

NEGL
negligible

NIB
Nordic Investment Bank

NIC
newly industrializing country; see newly industrializing economy (NIE)

NIE
newly industrializing economy

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
O
OAPEC
Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries

OAS
Organization of American States

OAU
Organization of African Unity

ODA
official development assistance

OECD
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

OECS
Organization of Eastern Caribbean States

OIC
Organization of the Islamic Conference

ONUMOZ
see United Nations Operation in Mozambique (UNOMOZ)

ONUSAL
United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador

OOF
other official flows

OPANAL
Organismo para la Proscripcion de las Armas Nucleares en la America Latina y el Caribe; see Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean

OPEC
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries

OSCE
Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe

Ozone Layer Protection
Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer
P
PCA
Permanent Court of Arbitration

PDRY
People's Democratic Republic of Yemen Yemen (Aden) or South Yemen; used for information dated before 22 May 1990 or CY91

PFP
Partnership for Peace
R
Ramsar
see Wetlands

RG
Rio Group
S
SAARC
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation

SACU
Southern African Customs Union

SADC
Southern African Development Community

SADCC
Southern African Development Coordination Conference; see Southern African Development Community (SADC)

SELA
Sistema Economico Latinoamericana; see Latin American Economic System (LAES)

SFRY
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia; dissolved 5 December 1991

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
South Pacific Commission

SPF
South Pacific Forum

sq km
square kilometer

sq mi
square mile
T
TAT
Trans-Atlantic Telephone

Tropical Timber 83
International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1983

Tropical Timber 94
International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1994
U
UAE
United Arab Emirates

UDEAC
Union Douaniere et Economique de l'Afrique Centrale; see Central African Customs and Economic Union (UDEAC)

UEMOA
Union economique et monetaire Ouest africaine; see West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU)

UHF
ultra-high-frequency

UK
United Kingdom

UN
United Nations

UNAMIR
United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda

UNAVEM III
United Nations Angola Verification Mission III

UNCRO
United Nations Confidence Restoration Operation in Croatia

UNCTAD
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

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 Force in Cyprus

UNFPA
United Nations Fund for Population Activities; see UN Population Fund (UNFPA)

UNHCR
United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees

UNICEF
United Nations Children's Fund

UNIDO
United Nations Industrial Development Organization

UNIFIL
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon

UNIKOM
United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission

UNITAR
United Nations Institute for Training and Research

UNMIH
United Nations Mission in Haiti

UNMIBH
United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina

UNMOGIP
United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan

UNMOP
United Nations Mission of Observers in Prevlaka

UNMOT
United Nations Mission of Observers in Tajikistan

UNOMIG
United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia

UNOMIL
United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia

UNOMOZ
United Nations Operation in Mozambique

UNOMUR
United Nations Observer Mission Uganda-Rwanda

UNOSOM II
United Nations Operation in Somalia II

UNPREDEP
United Nations Preventive Deployment Force

UNPROFOR
United Nations Protection Force

UNRISD
United Nations Research Institute for Social Development

UNRWA
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East

UNSMIH
United Nations Support Mission in Haiti

UNTAC
United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia

UNTAES
United Nations Transitional Administration in Eastern Slavonia, Baranja, and Western Sirmium

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

USSR/EE
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics/Eastern Europe
V
VHF
very-high-frequency
W
WADB
West African Development Bank

WAEMU
West African Economic and Monetary Union

WCL
World Confederation of Labor

WCO
World Customs Organization; see Customs Cooperation Council

Wetlands
Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat

WEU
Western European Union

WFC
World Food Council

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
see WToO for World Tourism Organization or WTrO for World Trade Organization

WToO
World Tourism Organization

WTrO
World Trade Organization
Y
YAR
Yemen Arab Republic Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen; used for information dated before 22 May 1990 or CY91
Z
ZC
Zangger Committee