Political unions of the countries of the world. International political and economic organizations. Some international organizations

An international organization is understood as an association of member states of this commonwealth that have concluded an agreement between themselves that complies with all norms of international law for the purpose of economic, political, cultural, military and other types of cooperation between its members.

Main features

A mandatory attribute of this phenomenon in the life of society is the presence of:

Features possessed by such commonwealths

The question often arises as to what characteristics international organizations should have. List of the main features of such communities:

Participation in the association of three or more states.

Compliance of the provisions on the creation of an alliance with international law.

Respect for the sovereignty of each member and non-interference in its internal affairs.

The principle of an international treaty is the basis of unification.

Purposeful cooperation in specific areas.

A clear structure with special organs, each of which performs certain functions.

Classification

There are two main types: intergovernmental and non-governmental. They differ from each other in that the former are based on the association of states or authorized bodies, and the latter (they are also called public) - on the union of entities from different countries that do not have the goal of political cooperation.

In addition, the international organizations listed below may also be:

Universal (participants from all over the world are involved) and regional (only for states of a certain area).

General (the areas of cooperation are extensive) and special, dedicated to only one aspect of relations (health, education, labor issues, etc.).

c) mixed unions.

So, as we see, there is a fairly developed system for classifying such institutions, which is associated with their prevalence and great influence on global political, economic and cultural processes.

International organizations of the world. List of most influential institutions

To date, there are a huge number of such associations that are active throughout the planet. These are both global organizations with a large number of participants like the UN, and less numerous ones: the Union for the Mediterranean, the South American Community of Nations and others. All of them have completely different areas of activity, ranging from culture to law enforcement, but the most popular are political and political. The list and their tasks are usually numerous. The following are the names and characteristics of the most influential institutions.

UN and its subsidiaries

One of the most developed and well-known among all commonwealths is It was founded back in 1945 to resolve post-war issues that were then on the agenda. Its fields of activity are: preservation of peace; upholding human rights; c As of mid-2015, 193 states from different regions of the planet are members of this organization.

Due to the fact that the needs of the world community increased over time and were not limited to purely humanitarian issues both immediately after the creation of the UN and throughout the second half of the 20th century, other more specialized international organizations appeared as its constituent parts. Their list is not limited to all known UNESCO, IAEA and IMF. There are also such divisions as the Postal Union and many others. There are 14 of them in total.

International non-governmental organizations: list, areas of activity, relevance

Among these, the most powerful in terms of the scale of distribution and its activity is, for example, the non-profit charitable organization Wikimedia Foundation, or the International Rescue Committee, which deals with refugee issues. In general, there are more than 100 such unions, and their areas of activity are extremely diverse. Science, education, combating racial or gender discrimination, healthcare, certain industries and much more - all this is done by specialized international non-governmental organizations. The Top 5 list also includes communities such as Partners in Health, Oxfam and BRAC.

Participation of our country in the life of the world community

The Russian Federation is a member of about twenty unions of various types (UN, CIS, BRICS, CSTO, etc.). In the country's foreign policy, priority is cooperation and entry into various international organizations. The list in Russia of those institutions with which the state would like to work is constantly growing. In three commonwealths, she is an observer (IOM, OAS and OIC), maintains an active dialogue with them and participates in the discussion of important issues. Particularly promising is the entry into international economic organizations. The list of them is long (OECD, WTO, UNCTAD, etc.).

international organizations) - 1) associations of states or associations of national societies (associations) of a non-governmental nature and individual members for consultations, coordination of activities, development and achievement of common goals in various areas of international life (political, economic, scientific and technical, social, cultural, military etc.); 2) one of the most important forms of multilateral cooperation between states.

Great Definition

Incomplete definition ↓

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

fr. organisation, from lat. organizo - I give a slender appearance, arrange) - one of the main organizational and legal forms of international cooperation in the modern world; voluntary organizations whose activities cover a variety of aspects of international relations: economic, political, cultural. The number of international organizations is steadily growing - if at the beginning of the 20th century. Since there were about 40 intergovernmental and 180 non-governmental organizations, there are currently about 300 and 5,000 respectively. The first international organization was the Universal Postal Union, established in 1875. Modern international organizations include: 1) regional organizations: the Council of Europe, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the League of Arab States (LAS), the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) , Organization of African Unity (OAU), Organization of American States (OAS); 2) organizations of an economic nature: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), etc.; 3) professional organizations: the International Organization of Journalists (IOJ), the International Political Science Association (IAPN), the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL); 4) demographic organizations: Women's International Democratic Federation (IDFW), World Youth Association (WWA); 5) organizations in the field of culture and sports: International Olympic Committee (IOC); 6) military-political organizations: the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Pacific Security Pact (ANZUS), etc.; 7) trade union organizations: the International Conference of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), the World Confederation of Labor (WCL), etc.; 8) various organizations in support of peace and international solidarity: the World Peace Council (WPC), the International Peace Institute in Vienna, etc.; 9) organizations for the protection of victims of wars, catastrophes and natural disasters: International Red Cross (ICC); 10) environmental organizations: Greenpeace, etc. The most significant role in the system of international relations is played by the United Nations (UN), established in 1945 in order to maintain the global security system. The UN Charter enshrined such principles of international cooperation as the sovereign equality of all its members, the resolution of international disputes by peaceful means, the renunciation of the use of force, and non-interference in the internal affairs of states. The structure of the UN consists of: 1) the UN Secretariat (headed by the Secretary General); 2) Security Council (15 countries, including 5 permanent members with veto power - Russia, USA, UK, France, China); 3) General Assembly (all member countries of the organization); 4) a number of organizations - structural units of the UN, including: WHO (World Health Organization), ILO (International Labor Organization), UNESCO (World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), IMF (International Monetary Fund), IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development), UNICEF (International Children's Fund), International Court of Justice.

international organization is an association of states, created in accordance with international law and on the basis of an international treaty, for the implementation of cooperation in the political, economic, cultural, scientific, technical, legal and other fields, which has the necessary system of bodies, rights and obligations derived from the rights and duties of states, and autonomous will, the scope of which is determined by the will of member states.

Comment

• contradicts the foundations of international law, since over the states - the primary subjects of this law - there is not and cannot be supreme power;
• vesting a number of organizations with managerial functions does not mean transferring to them part of the sovereignty of states or their sovereign rights. International organizations do not and cannot have sovereignty;
• obligatory direct execution by member states of decisions of international organizations is based on the provisions of constituent acts and no more;
• no international organization has the right to interfere in the internal affairs of a state without the consent of the latter, because otherwise it would mean a gross violation of the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of a state with negative consequences for such an organization;
• the possession of a “supranational” organization with the authority to create effective mechanisms for monitoring and enforcing compliance with binding rules is just one of the qualities of the legal personality of an organization.

Signs of an international organization:

Any international organization must have at least the following six features:

Establishment under international law

1) Creation in accordance with international law

This sign is, in fact, of decisive importance. Any international organization must be established on a legal basis. In particular, the establishment of any organization should not infringe on the recognized interests of an individual state and the international community as a whole. The constituent document of the organization must comply with the generally recognized principles and norms of international law. According to Art. 53 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties between States and International Organizations, a peremptory norm of general international law is a norm which is accepted and recognized by the international community of States as a whole as a norm from which no derogation is permitted and which can only be modified by a subsequent norm of general international law bearing the same character.

If an international organization has been created illegally or its activity is contrary to international law, then the constituent act of such an organization must be recognized as null and void and its operation terminated as soon as possible. An international treaty or any of its provisions is null and void if its execution involves any act that is illegal under international law.

Establishment based on an international treaty

2) Establishment based on an international treaty

As a rule, international organizations are created on the basis of an international treaty (convention, agreement, treatise, protocol, etc.).

The object of such an agreement is the behavior of the subjects (parties of the agreement) and the international organization itself. The parties to the founding act are sovereign states. However, in recent years, intergovernmental organizations have also become full members of international organizations. For example, the European Union is a full member of many international fisheries organizations.

International organizations may be created in accordance with the resolutions of other organizations with more general competence.

Implementation of cooperation in specific areas of activity

3) Implementation of cooperation in specific areas of activity

International organizations are created to coordinate the efforts of states in a particular area. They are designed to unite the efforts of states in the political (OSCE), military (NATO), scientific and technical (European Organization for Nuclear Research), economic (EU), monetary (IBRD, IMF), social (ILO) and in many other areas. At the same time, a number of organizations are authorized to coordinate the activities of states in almost all areas (UN, CIS, etc.).

International organizations become intermediaries between member states. States often refer to organizations for discussion and resolution of the most complex issues of international relations. International organizations, as it were, take over a significant number of issues on which relations between states had previously had a direct bilateral or multilateral character. However, not every organization can claim an equal position with states in the relevant areas of international relations. Any powers of such organizations are derived from the rights of the states themselves. Along with other forms of international communication (multilateral consultations, conferences, meetings, seminars, etc.), international organizations act as a body of cooperation on specific problems of international relations.

Availability of an appropriate organizational structure

4) Availability of an appropriate organizational structure

This sign is one of the important signs of the existence of an international organization. It seems to confirm the permanent nature of the organization and thus distinguishes it from numerous other forms of international cooperation.

Intergovernmental organizations have:

• headquarters;
• members represented by sovereign states;
• necessary system of principal and subsidiary organs.

The highest body is the session, convened once a year (sometimes once every two years). The executive bodies are councils. The administrative apparatus is headed by the executive secretary (general director). All organizations have permanent or temporary executive bodies with different legal status and competence.

The presence of the rights and obligations of the organization

5) The presence of the rights and obligations of the organization

It was emphasized above that the rights and obligations of the organization are derived from the rights and obligations of the member states. It depends on the parties and only on the parties that the given organization possesses exactly such (and not another) set of rights, that it is entrusted with the performance of these duties. No organization, without the consent of the member states, can take actions affecting the interests of its members. The rights and obligations of any organization are enshrined in a general form in its founding act, resolutions of higher and executive bodies, and in agreements between organizations. These documents enshrine the intentions of the Member States, which must then be implemented by the relevant international organization. States have the right to prohibit an organization from taking certain actions, and an organization cannot exceed its powers. For example, Art. 3 (5 "C") of the IAEA Statute prohibits the agency, in the performance of its functions related to the provision of assistance to its members, to be guided by political, economic, military or other requirements that are incompatible with the provisions of the Statute of this organization.

Independent international rights and obligations of the organization

6) Independent international rights and obligations of the organization

It is about the possession by an international organization of an autonomous will, distinct from the wills of the member states. This feature means that, within its competence, any organization has the right to independently choose the means and methods for fulfilling the rights and obligations assigned to it by the Member States. The latter, in a certain sense, does not care how the organization implements the activities entrusted to it or the statutory obligations in general. It is the organization itself, as a subject of international public and private law, that has the right to choose the most rational means and methods of activity. In this case, the member states exercise control over whether the organization is lawfully exercising its autonomous will.

Thus, international intergovernmental organization- this is a voluntary association of sovereign states or international organizations, created on the basis of an interstate agreement or a resolution of an international organization of general competence to coordinate the activities of states in a specific area of ​​cooperation, having an appropriate system of main and subsidiary bodies, having an autonomous will different from the wills of its members.

Classification of international organizations

Among the international organizations it is customary to single out:

1. by type of membership:
   • intergovernmental;
   • non-governmental;
2. around the participants:
   • universal - open to the participation of all states (UN, IAEA) or to the participation of public associations and individuals of all states (World Peace Council, International Association of Democratic Lawyers);
   • regional - whose members can be states or public associations and individuals of a certain geographical region (Organization of African Unity, Organization of American States, Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf);
   • interregional - organizations, membership in which is limited by a certain criterion that takes them beyond the scope of a regional organization, but does not allow them to become universal. In particular, participation in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is open only to oil-exporting states. Only Muslim states can be members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC);
3. by competence:
   • general competence - activities affect all spheres of relations between member states: political, economic, social, cultural and others (UN);
   • special competence - cooperation is limited to one special area (WHO, ILO), subdivided into political, economic, social, cultural, scientific, religious;
4. by the nature of powers:
   • interstate - regulate the cooperation of states, their decisions are advisory or binding for the participating states;
   • supranational - are vested with the right to make decisions directly binding individuals and legal entities of the Member States and acting on the territory of the states along with national laws;
5. depending on the procedure for admission to international organizations:
   • open - any state can become a member at its own discretion;
   • closed - admission to membership is made at the invitation of the original founders (NATO);
6. by structure:
   • with a simplified structure;
   • with a developed structure;
7. by way of creation:
   • international organizations created in the classical way - on the basis of an international treaty with subsequent ratification;
   • international organizations created on a different basis - declarations, joint statements.

Legal basis of international organizations

The basis for the functioning of international organizations is the sovereign will of the states that establish them and their members. Such an expression of will is embodied in an international treaty concluded by these states, which becomes both a regulator of the rights and obligations of states and a constituent act of an international organization. The contractual nature of the constituent acts of international organizations is enshrined in the 1986 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties between States and International Organizations.

The charters of international organizations and relevant conventions usually clearly express the idea of ​​their constituent character. Thus, the preamble to the UN Charter proclaims that the governments represented at the San Francisco Conference "have agreed to accept the present Charter of the United Nations and hereby establish an international organization called the United Nations...".

Constituent acts serve as the legal basis for international organizations, they proclaim their goals and principles, and serve as a criterion for the legitimacy of their decisions and activities. In the founding act, the states decide on the international legal personality of the organization.

In addition to the constituent act, international treaties affecting various aspects of the organization's activities, for example, those treaties that develop and specify the functions of the organization and the powers of its bodies, are essential for determining the legal status, competence and functioning of an international organization.

Constituent acts and other international treaties that serve as the legal basis for the creation and activities of international organizations also characterize such an aspect of the status of an organization as the exercise of the functions of a subject of national law as a legal entity. As a rule, these issues are regulated by special international legal acts.

The creation of an international organization is an international problem that can only be solved by coordinating the actions of states. States, by coordinating their positions and interests, determine the totality of the rights and obligations of the organization itself. Coordination of actions of the states at creation of the organization is carried out by them.

In the process of functioning of an international organization, the coordination of the activities of states acquires a different character, since it uses a special mechanism that is constantly operating and adapted for consideration and coordinated solution of problems.

The functioning of an international organization is reduced not only to relations between states, but also between the organization and states. These relations, due to the fact that states voluntarily agreed to certain restrictions, agreed to obey the decisions of an international organization, may have a subordinate nature. The specificity of such subordination relations lies in the fact that:

1. they depend on coordination relations, i.e., if the coordination of the activities of states within the framework of an international organization does not lead to a certain result, then subordinate relations do not arise;
2. they arise in connection with the achievement of a certain result through the functioning of an international organization. States agree to submit to the will of the organization due to the awareness of the need to take into account the interests of other states and the international community as a whole, in order to maintain such an order in international relations in which they themselves are interested.

Sovereign equality should be understood as legal equality. In the 1970 Declaration On the principles of international law concerning friendly relations and cooperation among states in accordance with the UN Charter, it is said that all states enjoy sovereign equality, they have the same rights and obligations, regardless of differences in economic and social, political or other nature. With regard to international organizations, this principle is enshrined in the constituent acts.

This principle means:

• all states have equal rights to participate in the creation of an international organization;
• every state, if it is not a member of an international organization, has the right to join it;
• all member states have the same rights to raise questions and discuss them within the organization;
• each member state has an equal right to represent and defend its interests in the bodies of the organization;
• when making decisions, each state has one vote, there are few organizations that work on the principle of the so-called weighted vote;
• The decision of an international organization applies to all members, unless otherwise stipulated in it.

Legal personality of international organizations

Legal personality is a property of a person, in the presence of which it acquires the qualities of a subject of law.

An international organization cannot be seen as a mere sum of member states, or even as their collective agent acting on behalf of all. In order to fulfill its active role, an organization must have a special legal personality, different from the mere summation of the legal personality of its members. Only under this premise does the problem of the impact of an international organization on its sphere make any sense.

Legal personality of an international organization includes the following four elements:

1. legal capacity, i.e. the ability to have rights and obligations;
2. legal capacity, i.e. the ability of the organization to exercise its rights and obligations by its actions;
3. the ability to participate in the process of international law-making;
4. ability to take legal responsibility for their actions.

One of the main attributes of the legal personality of international organizations is that they have their own will, which allows it to directly participate in international relations and successfully carry out its functions. Most Russian lawyers note that intergovernmental organizations have an autonomous will. Without its own will, without a certain set of rights and obligations, an international organization could not function normally and fulfill the tasks assigned to it. The independence of the will is manifested in the fact that after the organization is created by the states, it (the will) is already a new quality in comparison with the individual wills of the members of the organization. The will of an international organization is not the sum of the wills of the member states, nor is it the fusion of their wills. This will is "isolated" from the wills of other subjects of international law. The source of the will of an international organization is the constituent act as a product of the coordination of the wills of the founding states.

The most important features of the legal personality of international organizations are the following qualities:

1) Recognition of the quality of an international personality by the subjects of international law.

The essence of this criterion lies in the fact that member states and relevant international organizations recognize and undertake to respect the rights and obligations of the relevant intergovernmental organization, their competence, terms of reference, grant privileges and immunities to the organization and its employees, etc. According to the constituent acts, all intergovernmental organizations are legal entities. Member States shall vest them with legal capacity to the extent necessary for the performance of their functions.

2) The presence of separate rights and obligations.

Separate rights and obligations. This criterion of the legal personality of intergovernmental organizations means that organizations have rights and obligations that are different from those of States and can be exercised at the international level. For example, the UNESCO Constitution lists the following responsibilities of the organization:

1. promoting rapprochement and mutual understanding of peoples through the use of all available media;
2. encouraging the development of public education and the dissemination of culture; c) assistance in the preservation, increase and dissemination of knowledge.

3) The right to freely perform their functions.

The right to freely perform their functions. Each intergovernmental organization has its own constituent act (in the form of conventions, statutes or resolutions of an organization with more general powers), rules of procedure, financial rules and other documents that form the internal law of the organization. Most often, in the performance of their functions, intergovernmental organizations proceed from implied competence. In the performance of their functions, they enter into certain legal relations with non-member states. For example, the UN ensures that non-member states act in accordance with the principles set out in Art. 2 of the Charter, as it may be necessary for the maintenance of international peace and security.

The independence of intergovernmental organizations is expressed in the implementation of prescriptions of norms constituting the internal law of these organizations. They may establish any subsidiary bodies that are necessary for the performance of the functions of such organizations. Intergovernmental organizations may adopt rules of procedure and other administrative rules. Organizations have the right to remove the vote of any member who is in arrears in dues. Finally, intergovernmental organizations may ask their member for an explanation if he does not comply with the recommendations on the problems of their activities.

4) The right to conclude contracts.

The contractual legal capacity of international organizations can be attributed to the main criteria of international legal personality, since one of the characteristic features of the subject of international law is its ability to develop the norms of international law.

In the exercise of their powers, agreements of intergovernmental organizations are of a public law, private law or mixed nature. In principle, each organization can conclude international treaties, which follows from the content of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties between States and International Organizations or between International Organizations of 1986. In particular, the preamble to this Convention states that an international organization has such legal capacity to conclude treaties that necessary for the performance of its functions and the achievement of its objectives. According to Art. 6 of this Convention, the legal capacity of an international organization to conclude treaties is governed by the rules of that organization.

5) Participation in the creation of international law.

The law-making process of an international organization includes activities aimed at creating legal norms, as well as their further improvement, modification or cancellation. It should be emphasized that no international organization, including a universal one (for example, the UN, its specialized agencies), has "legislative" powers. This, in particular, means that any norm contained in the recommendations, rules and draft treaties adopted by an international organization must be recognized by the state, firstly, as an international legal norm, and secondly, as a norm binding on a given state.

The law-making of an international organization is not unlimited. The scope and type of lawmaking of the organization are strictly defined in its founding agreement. Since the charter of each organization is individual, the volume, types and directions of law-making activities of international organizations differ from each other. The specific scope of powers granted to an international organization in the field of lawmaking can only be clarified on the basis of an analysis of its constituent act.

In the process of creating norms governing relations between states, an international organization can play various roles. In particular, in the initial phases of the law-making process, an international organization may:

• be an initiator, proposing to conclude a certain interstate agreement;
• act as the author of the draft text of such an agreement;
• convene in the future a diplomatic conference of states in order to agree on the text of the treaty;
• itself to play the role of such a conference, carrying out the coordination of the text of the treaty and its approval in its intergovernmental body;
• after the conclusion of the contract, perform the functions of the depositary;
• enjoy certain powers in the field of interpretation or revision of the contract concluded with its participation.

International organizations play a significant role in the formation of customary norms of international law. The decisions of these organizations contribute to the emergence, formation and termination of the norms of custom.

6) The right to enjoy privileges and immunities.

Without privileges and immunities, the normal practical activity of any international organization is impossible. In some cases, the scope of privileges and immunities is determined by a special agreement, and in others - by national legislation. However, in general terms, the right to privileges and immunities is enshrined in the founding act of each organization. Thus, the UN enjoys on the territory of each of its members such privileges and immunities as are necessary to achieve its goals (Article 105 of the Charter). The property and assets of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), wherever located and whoever holds them, are immune from search, confiscation, expropriation or any other form of seizure or alienation by executive or legislative action (art. 47 of the Agreement on institution of the EBRD).

Any organization cannot invoke immunity in all cases when it, on its own initiative, enters into civil legal relations in the host country.

7) The right to ensure the implementation of international law.

Giving international organizations the authority to ensure the implementation of international law testifies to the independent nature of organizations in relation to member states and is one of the important signs of legal personality.

At the same time, the main means are the institutions of international control and responsibility, including the application of sanctions. Control functions are carried out in two ways:

• through the submission of reports by Member States;
• observation and examination of a controlled object or situation on the spot.

International legal sanctions that can be applied by international organizations can be divided into two groups:

1) sanctions, the implementation of which is permissible by all international organizations:

• suspension of membership in the organization;
• expulsion from the organization;
• denial of membership;
• exclusion from international communication on certain issues of cooperation.

2) sanctions, the powers to implement which have strictly defined organizations.

The application of sanctions assigned to the second group depends on the goals of the given organization. For example, the UN Security Council, in order to maintain or restore international peace and security, has the right to use coercive actions by air, sea or land forces. Such actions may include demonstrations, blockades and other operations by air, sea or land forces of UN members (Article 42 of the UN Charter)

In the event of a gross violation of the rules for the operation of nuclear facilities, the IAEA has the right to apply so-called corrective measures, up to issuing an order to suspend the operation of such a facility.
Intergovernmental organizations have been granted the right to take a direct part in resolving disputes that arise between them and international organizations and states. When resolving disputes, they have the right to resort to the same peaceful means of resolving disputes that are usually used by the primary subjects of international law - sovereign states.

8) International legal responsibility.

Acting as independent entities, international organizations are subjects of international legal responsibility. For example, they should be held accountable for the illegal actions of their officials. Organizations may become liable if they abuse their privileges and immunities. It should be assumed that political responsibility may arise in the event that an organization violates its functions, fails to comply with agreements concluded with other organizations and states, for interference in the internal affairs of subjects of international law.

Liability of organizations may arise in case of violation of the legal rights of their employees, experts, brute force, etc. They are also obliged to be liable to the governments where they are located, their headquarters, for illegal actions, for example, for unjustified alienation of land, non-payment utilities, violation of sanitary standards, etc.

international organization- a permanent association of an intergovernmental or non-governmental nature, created on the basis of an international agreement in order to promote the solution of international problems specified in the agreement. International organizations are characterized by:

- the presence of a constituent document;

— permanent or regular nature of the activity;

- using multilateral negotiations and discussion of problems as the main method of activity;

There are intergovernmental, non-governmental, global and regional international organizations.

United Nations is an international organization of states founded in 1945. in order to maintain and strengthen peace, security and development of international cooperation.

The principal organs of the UN are the UN General Assembly, the UN Security Council, the UN Economic and Social Council, the UN Trusteeship Council, the UN International Court of Justice and the UN Secretariat.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO, English: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) - established in 1946. a specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes the implementation of the goals of universal education, the development of culture, the preservation of the world's natural and cultural heritage, international scientific cooperation, and ensuring freedom of the press and communication.

European Economic Community (EEC)- the name of the European Union until 1994. The European Community was founded under the Treaty of Rome in 1957. as a common market of six European states.

European Union- economic association of 15 . A single internal market has been created in the EU, restrictions on the free movement of goods, capital, and labor between countries have been lifted, and a single monetary system has been formed with a single governing monetary institution.

Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries(OPEC, English: Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) is a cartel (association of entrepreneurs), formed in 1960. some oil-producing countries in order to coordinate the policy of oil production and control over world prices for crude oil. OPEC sets quotas for oil production.

World Trade Organization (WTO)- founded in 1995, a global international organization that deals with the rules of international trade. The WTO is based on agreements negotiated, signed and ratified by the majority of countries participating in international trade. The purpose of the WTO is to help producers of goods and services, exporters and importers in the conduct of their business. The WTO is the successor to the GATT.

Association of Southeastern States ()- founded in 1967 regional organization, which included, and. The goals of ASEAN are to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development of countries, establishing peace in the region.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization(NATO, English: North Atlantic Treaty Organization) - a military political alliance created on the initiative on the basis of the North Atlantic Treaty, signed in April 1949 in the United States,

International organizations - one of the most important forms of multilateral cooperation between states. They arise on the basis of an agreement between the participants. The activity of international organizations is regulated by the charter, their effectiveness depends on the degree of coordination between states. The main goals and objectives of all international organizations are the creation of a constructive multilateral base for international cooperation, the establishment of global and regional zones of peaceful coexistence. Today in the world there is a huge number of various blocs and unions of countries that can be combined into three groups: political, economic and mixed.

The main purpose of the activity political blocs - cooperation of the participating countries in the political and military spheres, participation in the creation of a collective defense system, cooperation in maintaining peace and security in their territories and in general in the world, coordination of efforts to solve military-political and legal problems.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization - NATO - military-political union of 18 countries, created on 05/04/1949 as part of the USA, Great Britain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Canada, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Denmark, Iceland; in 1952 Greece and Turkey joined it, in 1955 - Germany, in 1981 - Spain. In 1966, France withdrew from the military structure, in 1983 - Spain, and in 1999 the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary entered.

Target: ensuring the freedom and security of all members by political and military means in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter; common action and comprehensive cooperation to strengthen the security of participating States; ensuring a fair order in Europe based on common values, democracy and human rights. Headquarters - Brussels, Belgium).

Interparliamentary Union. An international governmental organization that brings together national parliamentary groups. Created in 1889 Target - unification of parliamentarians of all countries to strengthen peace and cooperation between states. Headquarters - Geneva, Switzerland).

Organization of African Unity - OAU. Created on 05/26/1963 at the conference of heads of state and government of African countries in Addis Ababa. Compound (52 African countries. Target: promoting unity and solidarity among African countries, intensifying and coordinating efforts to improve living standards; protection of sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence; elimination of all forms of colonialism; coordination of cooperation in the fields of politics, defense and security, economy, education, health and culture. Headquarters - Addis Ababa (Ethiopia).

ANZUS. The five-sided block of Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore. Target - promotion of collective defense in the Pacific region. Permanent headquarters no.

Organization of American States - OAS. A military-political union created in 1948 at the 9th Inter-American Conference in Bogota, which adopted the Charter of the OAS. Compound (35 countries. Target: maintaining peace and security in America; prevention and peaceful settlement of conflicts between participating States; organizing common actions to repel aggression; coordination of efforts to solve political, economic, legal problems; promotion of economic, social, scientific, technical and cultural progress of the participating countries. Headquarters - Washington (USA).

The strengthening of integration processes in the global economy has strengthened the status economic unions and groupings countries that aim to promote the economic development of the participating countries, improve the living standards of their population and protect the economic interests of these states on the world stage.

Amazon pact- the trade and economic bloc, created on the basis of the Agreement on Cooperation in the Amazon, gained strength in 1980. Compound (8 countries. Target: accelerated general development and rational use of the natural resources of the Amazon basin, protection of it from foreign exploitation, cooperation in the creation of infrastructure. Headquarters - Lima (Peru).

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development - OECD - was formed in 1961 as the successor to the Organization for European Economic Cooperation, formed with the aim of making the best use of American economic and financial assistance to the reconstruction of Europe (Marshall Plan) in cooperation with the European countries - recipients of this assistance. Compound (25 countries). Target : contribution to the development of the world economy by ensuring optimal economic growth, increasing employment and living standards, maintaining the financial stability of the participating states; promotion of economic and social welfare by coordinating the policies of the participating States; harmonization of OECD assistance to developing countries. Headquarters - Paris, France).

Arab Maghreb Union - UAM - established in 1989 compound included 5 countries: Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia. Target : assistance to the successful solution of issues of economic development, ensuring the high competitiveness of the goods of the countries of the region in the markets of the world. Headquarters - Rabat (Morocco).

Association of Caribbean States - ACS - founded by representatives of 25 countries and 12 territories at a conference in Cartagena in 1994. In compound included 24 countries. Target : promoting the economic integration of Caribbean countries. Headquarters - Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago).

Andean Pact - AP- trade and economic union, formed in 1969 by Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela. In 1976, Chile withdrew. Panama has been an associate member since 1969. Target : liberalization of regional trade and introduction of uniform external tariffs; creation of a common market; coordination of economic policy regarding foreign capital; development of industry, agriculture and infrastructure through common programs; mobilization of internal and external financial resources; balancing the economic influence of Brazil, Argentina and Mexico. Headquarters - Lima (Peru).

Visegrad Four formed in 1991 by Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Target - elimination of restrictions and customs borders in trade between members of the Quartet. Permanent headquarters no.

European Free Trade Association - EFTA - established in 1960 compound included 9 countries. Target - independent economic policy; duty-free trade among the participating countries while maintaining their own tariffs in relation to other countries. Headquarters - Geneva, Switzerland).

Latin American Integration Association - LAAI - formed on the basis of the Treaty of Montevideo II, signed by the participating countries, which came into force in 1981. compound included 11 countries. Target - Creation of a single Latin American market. Within the boundaries of LAAI, subregional groups remain: the Treaty of the La Plata Basin (1969), the Cartagena Agreement (1969), the Agreement on Cooperation between the Countries of the Amazon Zone (1978). Headquarters - Montevideo (Uruguay).

La Plata Group - trade and economic union formed on the basis of the Treaty on Economic Integration and General Development of the La Plata River Basin in 1969. compound included 5 countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay. Target: general economic development, use and protection of the resources of the La Plata basin. In 1986, a long-term economic cooperation program was signed between Argentina and Brazil - the "act of integration", to which Uruguay joined, and in 1991 - Paraguay. Headquarters - Buenos Aires, Argentina).

Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries - OPEC - organized in 1960 at a conference in Baghdad. The charter was adopted in 1965, and over time it experienced multiple changes. Compound (12 countries): Venezuela, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Indonesia, Libya, Algeria, Nigeria, UAE, Gabon. Target : coordination and unification of the oil policy of the member states; determination of the most effective means of protecting their interests; search for means to ensure price stability in the world oil markets; environmental protection. Controls up to 50% of world oil trade. Headquarters - Vienna, Austria).

North American Free Trade Association - NAFTA - the agreement on the creation was signed on December 17, 1992 in Washington, came into force on January 1, 1994. Compound : USA, Canada, Mexico. Target: creation of a free trade zone in North America for 15 years; measures are envisaged to liberalize the movement of goods, services, capital across borders with the gradual elimination of customs and investment barriers. In the future - the unification of all American states (similar to the EU in Europe). Permanent headquarters no.

The Black Sea Region for Economic Cooperation - CHRES - was established in 1990-1992 AT compound included 11 countries: Ukraine, Russia, Greece, Turkey, Albania, Romania, Bulgaria, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Armenia. Target: creation of a regime of free movement of goods, services and capital in order to expand industrial cooperation and common entrepreneurship; expansion of economic ties in the Azov-Black Sea region and nearby territories. It provides for common projects in the field of transport, television, energy, ecology, science and technology, agriculture, food industry, and the creation of a free economic zone. Possible location headquarters Chief Executive Committee - Istanbul (Turkey).

BENELUX - economic union created on the basis of the customs union. The agreement on the establishment was signed in 1958 for a period of 50 years, began to operate in 1960. Compound : Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg. Headquarters - Brussels, Belgium).

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation - APEC - established at the initiative of Australia in 1989 in the amount of 12 countries. In 2001, there were 21 countries. AT compound included: Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, USA, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Brunei, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Russia, Vietnam, Peru. Target : creation of APEC; easing mutual trade barriers; exchange of services and investments; expansion of cooperation in the field of trade, environmental protection, etc. Until 2010, it is planned to create an APEC Free Trade Zone. Permanent headquarters no.

To mixed blocks belong to integration groupings of countries whose goal is cooperation in several areas. The direction of cooperation is determined by the goals of creating the organization.

Association of Southeast Asian Nations - ASEAN - political and economic union established in 1967 in Bangkok. AT composition 9 countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar. In 2005, the President of Russia V.V. Putin attended the regular summit. Target: promotion of regional cooperation in the economic, social and cultural spheres with the aim of strengthening peace in the region; accelerating economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region through common action on the principle of equality and partnership; cooperation in agriculture, industry, trade, transport, communications in order to improve the living standards of the population; strengthening peace and stability, etc. Headquarters - Jakarta (Indonesia).

South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation - SAARC - political and economic union established in 1985 in Dhaka. Compound (7 countries): India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives. Target : Accelerating the economic, social and cultural development of the participating countries, establishing peace and stability in the region. In 1987, an agreement on the establishment of a regional food fund and a convention to combat terrorism were signed in Delhi. Headquarters - Kathmandu (Nepal).

Caribbean Community - CARICOM - political and economic organization for cooperation in the areas of trade, credit, currency relations, coordination of economic and foreign policy, creation of common facilities. Created in 1973 on the basis of the Chaguaramas Treaty (Trinidad and Tobago). AT compound included 13 countries. Target : political and economic cooperation; foreign policy coordination; economic convergence of the common customs regime; policy coordination in the areas of currency and credit, infrastructure and tourism, agriculture, industry and trade; cooperation in the fields of education and health. Headquarters - Georgetown (Guyana).

League of Arab States - Arab League - established in 1945 in Cairo on the basis of the Arab League pact. Compound (21 countries). Target: strengthening ties between participating States in various fields (economy, finance, transport, culture, health care); coordination of actions of the participating states to protect national security, ensure independence and sovereignty; prohibition of the use of force to settle disputes. Relations are based on the principles of respect for the existing regimes in other countries and the rejection of attempts to change them. Headquarters - Cairo (Egypt).

Organization "Islamic Conference" - OIC - established in 1971 at a conference of heads of state and government of Muslim countries in Rabbat (Morocco). Compound (50 countries. Target : promoting the strengthening of Muslim solidarity; protection of holy places; support for the struggle of all Muslims to secure independence and national rights; support for the struggle of the Palestinian people; cooperation in economic, social, cultural, scientific and other spheres of life. Headquarters - Jeddah (Saudi Arabia).

Commonwealth of Nations - a voluntary association of independent states, symbolized by the British monarch, recognized head of the Commonwealth. Created in 1947 Compound (51 countries). Target : regular consultations of countries on issues of economy, finance, science, education, military sphere; promoting the well-being of peoples. At meetings of the heads of state and government of the Commonwealth member states, the international situation, issues of regional development, socio-economic situation, cultural issues, as well as special programs of the Commonwealth are discussed. Headquarters - London, Great Britain).

Commonwealth of Independent States - CIS - political and economic union established by agreement of December 8, 1991 Compound (12 countries): Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine. The seat of the Executive Secretariat is Minsk (Belarus). CIS budget is formed from equal contributions from participating States. Target: formation of conditions for the stable development of countries in the interests of raising the living standards of the population; gradual creation of a common economic space based on market relations; creation of equal opportunities and guarantees for all economic entities; general implementation of economic projects; solution of economic problems; political, military, economic and cultural cooperation of the participating countries. Headquarters - Minsk, Belarus) .

United Nations - UN - established on October 24, 1945, in 2002 it had 190 members. Observers UN: Vatican, Palestine, Organization of African Unity, European Union, Organization of the Islamic Conference, International Committee of the Red Cross, etc. Officially not part of the UN one country is the Vatican. Target : support and strengthening of international security; development of relations between nations based on respect for the principles of equality and self-determination; international cooperation in solving world problems of a political, economic, social, cultural nature; promoting respect for human rights; transformation of the UN into a center for coordinating the efforts of nations and peoples to achieve common goals. Headquarters - New York, USA).

Main subsections The UN is as follows: General Assembly (GA) - the main body of the UN, which unites all its members (on the principle of "one state - one vote"). Security Council (SC) - a single body of the UN, which can make decisions binding on the members of the UN. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOR) - is responsible for economic and social cooperation and solves tasks related to the implementation of the GA recommendations (studies, reports, etc.). Coordinates the activities of the UN specialized agencies. Guardian Council - composed from the permanent members of the Security Council and resolves issues of US trusteeship over some of the islands of Micronesia.

International Court - the principal judicial and legal organ of the United Nations. Created in 1945, location - The Hague (Netherlands). The court decides disputes only between states. UN Secretariat - composed of the Secretary-General (elected for 5 years) and staff appointed by him, who are responsible for carrying out the day-to-day work of the UN. High Commissioner for Human Rights appointed by the Secretary General and responsible for the activities of the United Nations in the field of human rights. UN official languages - English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, French.

To specialized divisions of the UN relate: IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency ( headquarters - Vienna); WMO - World Metrology Organization (Geneva); WHO - World Health Organization (Geneva) ; WIPO - World Intellectual Property Organization (protects copyright in any area - Geneva ); UPU - Universal Postal Union ( Berne ); IMO - International Maritime Organization (marine safety and ocean protection - London ); ICAO - International Civil Aviation Organization ( Montreal ); ILO - The International Labour Organization ( Geneva ); IBRD - International Bank for Reconstruction and Development; IMF ; ITU - International Telecommunication Union (radio, telephone, telegraph - Geneva) ; IFAD - International Fund for Agricultural Development - Rome ; UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific, Cultural Organization - Paris;FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - Rome.