AP World Independent Reads: Global Organizations
Global Organizations
The African Union by
Based in Addis Abba, Ethiopia, the Africa Union, established in July 2002, is the successor to the Organization of African Unity, created in 1963. The AU aims include promoting democracy, human rights, and sustainable economic development across Africa, especially by increasing foreign investment through the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). With an elaborate organizational structure roughly modeled on the European Union, the African Union is comprised of a Pan-African Parliament, a Commission, a Court of Justice (human rights abuses), and an Executive Council served by a Permanent Representatives Committee, and additional councils and specialized bodies.
Call Number: 341.249 BADISBN: 9780791095430Publication Date: 2008-08-30
The Arab League by
Unlike other regional organizations such as the European Union, which are founded on geography, the League of Arab States, or Arab League, is based on a shared culture and rooted in a common language. Established 1945, it seeks to help Arab countries coordinate their policies, gain a united political voice in the world, and develop toward a better common future. The league's constitution provides for the coordination of political, educational, financial, legal, security, cultural, social, and communications affairs. The Arab League is also charged with co-coordinating commercial relationships, passports, visas, and health issues.
Call Number: 341.247 TOFISBN: 9780791095652Publication Date: 2008-08-30
The European Union by
The European Union, initially called the European Economic Community, was born after World War II out of determination to avoid another catastrophic war on the European continent. Six countries - Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg - signed the founding Treaty of Rome in 1957. In its 50th anniversary in 2007, the EU now boasts 27 national states, including 10 new democracies that were formerly under the Communist umbrella. With a total population of 492,852 million, the EU has become the largest economy in the world with a GDP of $13 trillion, and is currently a major participant in global politics and economics.
Call Number: 341.242 KAHISBN: 9780791095386Publication Date: 2008-08-30
Global Organizations
The International Atomic Energy Agency by
In 1957, the International Atomic Energy Agency was established for the safe, secure, and peaceful use of nuclear technology. The IAEA is best known for its inspections of suspected nuclear weapons facilities across the world, but the agency has a host of responsibilities. Whether it is encouraging the use of nuclear energy, setting safety standards for radiation exposure, or using radiation to stamp out dangerous pests, the IAEA has an impact across the planet. Once an autonomous organization, the IAEA is now a part of the United Nations and is often referred to by the media as the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog. In 2005, the agency shared the Nobel Peace Prize with its director, Mohamed ElBaradei, for its ongoing efforts to combat nuclear weapons proliferation. ""The International Atomic Energy Agency"" examines the roles of this global agency, from the inspectors who searched for traces of nuclear material in Iraq and North Korea to the fight against agricultural pests in Africa.
Call Number: 327.174 OLWISBN: 9780791098387Publication Date: 2008-12-30
The Organization of American States by
The Organization of American States is an international organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., whose members are the 35 nation-states of the Americas. Its historic goals are to strengthen peace and security, to consolidate representative democracy, to provide for collective defense, to eradicate poverty, and to promote economic, social, and cultural development. The organization is currently working on a treaty that will establish a hemispheric free-trade area. Though it has often been seen as an arm of U.S. foreign policy, most observers regard the United States' influence as waning within the organization.
Call Number: 341.245 BLOISBN: 9780791095447Publication Date: 2008-08-30
The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries by
In September 1960, representatives from Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela gathered in Baghdad, Iraq. By the time the meeting concluded, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) had formed. Its goal was to defend the price of oil and eliminate price fluctuations, with 'due regard being given at all times to the interests of oil-producing nations and to the necessity of securing a steady income for them.' The history of OPEC reflects the growing importance of oil in the global economy. ""The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries"" explores how oil moves from the ground to the gas pump, how the price of that oil is determined, and oil's role in international politics and in the countries where it is discovered. OPEC's history, structure, successes and failures in fulfilling its mission, and the ways in which it has used oil as a tool of foreign policy are also discussed.
Call Number: 382.422 WAGISBN: 9781604131024Publication Date: 2008-12-30
Global Organizations
The World Health Organization by
Established in 1948 to promote 'the highest possible level of health' in all peoples, the World Health Organization provides a clearinghouse for information on the latest developments in disease and healthcare. Based in Geneva, Switzerland, this public health agency of the United Nations establishes international sanitary standards and quarantine measures, sponsors measures for the control of epidemic and endemic disease, including immunization campaigns and assistance in providing sources of pure water, and encourages the strengthening of public health programs in member nations. With 193 members, the WHO encompasses nearly all the U.N. member nations.
Call Number: 362.1 PREISBN: 9780791098394Publication Date: 2009-07-30
The United Nations by
Founded at the end of World War II in 1945, the United Nations was created to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations on equal terms, and encourage international cooperation in solving intractable human problems. With more than 190 member states, the United Nations seeks to enhance economic and social development, support human rights and other humanitarian affairs, create and uphold international law, and work toward world peace and security.
Call Number: 341.23 BOOISBN: 9780791095409Publication Date: 2008-05-30
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) by
The United Nations Children's Fund, or UNICEF, was originally created to provide relief for children in countries devastated by the destruction of World War II. After 1950, UNICEF turned to focus on general programs for the improvement of children's welfare worldwide, and in 1965, it was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace for its humanitarian efforts. The organization concentrates on areas in which relatively small expenditures can have a significant impact on the lives of the most disadvantaged children in developing countries, such as the prevention and treatment of disease, child healthcare, malnutrition, illiteracy, and other welfare services.
Call Number: 362.7 VERISBN: 9780791095669Publication Date: 2009-07-30
Global Organizations
The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund by
Established during the rebuilding period after World War II, the World Bank and International Monetary Fund often work in concert to address the challenges of global poverty and development by providing loans and other financial assistance to developing nations. In addition to providing an accessible and succinct overview of the history and operations of these global organizations, ""The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund"" relates the work of these organizations to such timely issues as debt servicing; gender equality; microcredit; HIV/AIDS awareness, treatment, and prevention programs; and the Millennium Development Goals. A key resource for those who want to know more about global citizenship, this new book profiles leaders and community groups that are making positive changes to address poverty and underdevelopment. Ideas for effective and active global citizenship are also highlighted in this title.
Call Number: 332.153 LORISBN: 9780791095393Publication Date: 2009-01-30
The World Trade Organization by
Based in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Trade Organization is the successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, which was founded following the Second World War. Established in January 1995, the WTO aims to improve the welfare of the people of its member states by lowering trade barriers and providing a platform for negotiation of trade. Specifically, it sets rules for trade on a global level to ensure that trade flows as smoothly, predictably, and freely as possible. With 151 member nations and 32 observers, the WTO serves as a multilateral negotiating forum to set trade rules and settle disputes among nations. ""The World Trade Organization"" details the history and mission of this international body.
Call Number: 382 REIISBN: 9780791095423Publication Date: 2009-07-30
