Selection of Supranational Organizations
Facts & Figures
The table below describes a selection of supranational organizations. Countries join these types of organizations because they can provide mutually beneficial services, such as protection, trade, oversight, or even cultural activities or preservation.
| Organization | Description |
|---|---|
| African Union | The African Union works to promote economic development, fight poverty and corruption, and end the continent's many conflicts. |
| Arab League | The Arab League, officially known as the League of Arab States, is an association of Arab nations. Today, the league's mission is one of strengthening ties among members, attempting to settle disputes among Arab nations, ensuring their collective security, promoting their economic integration, and supporting development. |
| Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) | ASEAN is an organization of countries in Southeast Asia. Its mission is to promote economic development, unrestricted trade, international understanding, and peaceful relationships among its member countries. |
| Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) | The EEU is an international trade organization with three founding states: Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan. The defined mission of the EEU, according to the signed agreement of the member nations, is to allow for the free movement of trade, including goods, services, capital, and labor, as well as to raise competitiveness and cooperation between the individual nations' economies. |
| European Union (EU) | The EU is an organization of European nations that have relinquished some national sovereignty in return for collective representation on certain continental and global issues. The EU is the world's largest single economic market, within which people and goods can move freely across national borders. |
| Group of Twenty (G20) | The G20 is a group made up of the financial and political leaders of 19 countries and the European Union—the world's largest economies—that comes together to develop policies that promote international economic cooperation, growth, and stability. |
| International Criminal Court (ICC) | The ICC is the first-ever permanent international tribunal for cases of war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity. |
| International Monetary Fund (IMF) | The IMF is a specialized United Nations agency designed to stabilize international monetary exchange rates. |
| North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) | Established in 1949, NATO is an alliance of European and North American countries that have agreed to provide mutual defense, support, and cooperation. |
| United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) | UNESCO is a specialized agency within the United Nations Economic and Social Council. UNESCO promotes international collaboration in the spreading of knowledge, as well as cultural, educational, and scientific exchanges with the goal of encouraging peace and common welfare. |
| United Nations (UN) | The UN was established in the aftermath of World War II in an attempt to stabilize international relations and create a firm foundation for peace. In addition, the UN works on issues such as sustainable development, protection of the environment, aid to refugees, disaster relief, counterterrorism efforts, and the reduction of military forces and weapons. |
| United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) | The USMCA is a free trade agreement between Mexico, Canada, and the United States. It is the successor to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The terms of the USMCA aim to provide mutually beneficial trade arrangements between the three countries. |
| World Bank | The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), more commonly referred to as the World Bank, is a specialized agency of the United Nations created to provide capital for rebuilding those countries devastated by World War II and for the development programs of underdeveloped nations. |
| World Trade Organization (WTO) | The WTO is an international organization dealing with the global rules of trade between nations. |
[Source: ABC-CLIO]