| Abbreviation |
Expansion |
Abbreviation
with link |
| ABEDA |
Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa |
ABEDA |
| ACC |
Arab Cooperation Council |
ACC |
| ACCT |
Agency for the French-Speaking Community |
ACCT |
| ACP Group |
African, Caribbean, and Pacific Group of States |
ACP Group |
| AfDB |
African Development Bank |
AfDB |
| AFESD |
Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development |
AFESD |
| Air Pollution |
Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution |
Air Pollution |
| Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides
| Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution Concerning the Control of Emissions of Nitrogen Oxides or Control of Emissions of Nitrogen Oxides or Their Transboundary Fluxes
| Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides
|
| Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants
| Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution on Persistent Organic Pollutants
| Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants
|
| 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 85
|
| Air Pollution-Sulphur 94
| Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution on Further Reduction of Sulphur Emissions
| Air Pollution-Sulphur 94
|
| Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds
| Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution Concerning the Control of Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds or Their Transboundary Fluxes
| Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds
|
| AL |
Arab League |
AL |
| AMF |
Arab Monetary Fund |
AMF |
| AMU |
Arab Maghreb Union |
AMU |
| Antarctic-Environmental Protocol |
Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty |
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol |
| Antarctic-Marine Living Resources |
Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources |
Antarctic-Marine Living Resources |
| Antarctic Seals |
Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Seals |
Antarctic Seals |
| ANZUS |
Australia-New Zealand-United States Security Treaty |
ANZUS |
| Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation|APEC |
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation |
APEC |
| Arabsat |
Arab Satellite Communications Organization |
Arabsat |
| ARF |
ASEAN Regional Forum
| ARF |
| AsDB |
Asian Development Bank |
AsDB |
| ASEAN |
Association of Southeast Asian Nations |
ASEAN |
| AU |
African Union |
AU |
| Autodin |
Automatic Digital Network |
Autodin |
| bbl/day |
barrels per day |
bbl/day |
| BCIE |
Central American Bank for Economic Integration |
BCIE |
| BDEAC |
Central African States Development Bank |
BDEAC |
| Benelux |
Benelux Economic Union |
Benelux |
| BGN |
United States Board on Geographic Names |
BGN |
| Biodiversity |
Convention on Biological Diversity |
Biodiversity |
| BIS |
Bank for International Settlements |
BIS |
| BSEC |
Black Sea Economic Cooperation Zone |
BSEC |
| C |
Commonwealth of Nations |
C |
| CACM |
Central American Common Market |
CACM |
| CAEU |
Council of Arab Economic Unity |
CAEU |
| CAN |
Andean Community of Nations |
CAN |
| Caricom |
Caribbean Community and Common Market |
Caricom |
| CB |
citizen’s band mobile radio communications |
CB |
| CBSS |
Council of the Baltic Sea States |
CBSS |
| CCC |
Customs Cooperation Council (name changed to World Customs Organization in 1994)
| CCC |
| CDB |
Caribbean Development Bank |
CDB |
| Council of Europe|CE |
Council of Europe |
CE |
| CEI |
Central European Initiative |
CEI |
| CEMA
| Council for Mutual Economic Assistance; also known as CMEA or Comecon |
CEMA
|
| CEMAC |
Monetary and Economic Community of Central Africa |
CEMAC |
| CEPGL |
Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries |
CEPGL |
| CEPT |
Conference Europeanne des Postes et Telecommunications |
CEPT |
| CERN |
European Organization for Nuclear Research |
CERN |
| c.i.f. |
Cost, Insurance and Freight |
c.i.f. |
| CIS |
Commonwealth of Independent States |
CIS |
| CITES |
see Endangered Species
| CITES |
| Climate Change
| United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change |
Climate Change
|
| Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change |
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
| COCOM |
Coordinating Committee on Export Controls |
COCOM |
| COMESA |
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa |
COMESA |
| Comsat |
Communications Satellite Corporation |
Comsat |
| CP |
Colombo Plan |
CP |
| CY |
calendar year |
CY |
| DC |
developed country |
DC |
| Desertification |
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa
| Desertification |
| DDT |
dichloro-diphenyl-trichloro-ethane |
DDT |
| DIA |
United States Defense Intelligence Agency |
DIA |
| DSN |
Defense Switched Network
| DSN |
| DWT |
deadweight ton |
DWT |
| EADB |
East African Development Bank |
EADB |
| EAPC |
Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council |
EAPC |
| EAS |
East Asia Summit |
EAS |
| EBRD |
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development |
EBRD |
| EC |
European Community |
EC |
| ECA |
Economic Commission for Africa |
ECA |
| ECE |
Economic Commission for Europe |
ECE |
| ECLAC |
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean |
ECLAC |
| ECO |
Economic Cooperation Organization |
ECO |
| ECOSOC |
Economic and Social Council |
ECOSOC |
| ECOWAS |
Economic Community of West African States |
ECOWAS |
| ECSC |
European Coal and Steel Community |
ECSC |
| EEC |
European Economic Community
| EEC |
| EFTA |
European Free Trade Association |
EFTA |
| EEZ |
exclusive economic zone |
EEZ |
| EIB |
European Investment Bank |
EIB |
| EMU |
Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union |
EMU |
| Endangered Species |
Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES)
| Endangered Species |
| Entente |
Council of the Entente |
Entente |
| Environmental Modification |
Convention on the Prohibition of Military or any other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques
| Environmental Modification |
| ESA |
European Space Agency |
ESA |
| ESCAP |
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific |
ESCAP |
| ESCWA |
Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia |
ESCWA |
| est. |
estimate |
est. |
| EU |
European Union |
EU |
| Euratom |
European Atomic Energy Community |
Euratom |
| Eutelsat |
European Telecommunications Satellite Organization |
Eutelsat |
| Ex-Im |
Export-Import Bank of the United States |
Ex-Im |
| FAO |
Food and Agriculture Organization |
FAO |
| FAX |
facsimile |
FAX |
| f.o.b. |
free on board |
f.o.b. |
| FOC |
flags of convenience |
FOC |
| FLS |
Front Line States |
FLS |
| FRG |
Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany); used for information dated before 3 October 1990 or CY91
| FRG |
| FSU |
former Soviet Union |
FSU |
| FY |
fiscal year |
FY |
| FYROM |
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia |
FYROM |
| FZ |
Franc Zone |
FZ |
| G-2 |
Group of 2 |
G-2 |
| G-3 |
Group of 3 |
G-3 |
| G-5 |
Group of 5 |
G-5 |
| G-6 |
Group of 6 |
G-6 |
| G-7 |
Group of 7 |
G-7 |
| G-8 |
Group of 8 |
G-8 |
| G-9 |
Group of 9 |
G-9 |
| G-10 |
Group of 10 |
G-10 |
| G-11 |
Group of 11 |
G-11 |
| G-15 |
Group of 15 |
G-15 |
| G-19 |
Group of 19 |
G-19 |
| G-24 |
Group of 24 |
G-24 |
| G-30 |
Group of 30 |
G-30 |
| G-33 |
Group of 33 |
G-33 |
| G-77 |
Group of 77 |
G-77 |
| GATT |
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade; now WTrO |
GATT |
| GCC |
Gulf Cooperation Council |
GCC |
| GDP
| gross domestic product |
GDP
|
| GDR |
German Democratic Republic (East Germany); used for information dated before 3 October 1990 or CY91
| GDR |
| GNP |
gross national product |
GNP |
| GRT |
gross register ton |
GRT |
| GSM |
global system for mobile cellular communications |
GSM |
| GUUAM |
acronym for member states - Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Moldova |
GUUAM |
| GWP |
gross world product |
GWP |
| Habitat |
United Nations Center for Human Settlements |
Habitat |
| Hazardous Wastes |
Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal |
Hazardous Wastes |
| HF |
high-frequency |
HF |
| HIV/AIDS |
human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome |
HIV/AIDS |
| IADB |
Inter-American Development Bank |
IADB |
| IAEA
| International Atomic Energy Agency |
IAEA
|
| IANA |
Internet Assigned Numbers Authority |
IANA |
| IBEC |
International Bank for Economic Cooperation |
IBEC |
| IBRD |
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank)
| IBRD |
| ICAO |
International Civil Aviation Organization |
ICAO |
| ICC |
International Chamber of Commerce |
ICC |
| International Criminal Court|ICCt |
International Criminal Court |
ICCt |
| ICFTU |
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions |
ICFTU |
| ICJ |
International Court of Justice (World Court)
| ICJ |
| ICRC |
International Committee of the Red Cross |
ICRC |
| ICRM |
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement |
ICRM |
| ICSID |
International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes |
ICSID |
| ICTR |
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda |
ICTR |
| ICTY |
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia |
ICTY |
| IDA |
International Development Association |
IDA |
| IDB |
Islamic Development Bank |
IDB |
| IEA |
International Energy Agency |
IEA |
| IFAD |
International Fund for Agricultural Development |
IFAD |
| IFC |
International Finance Corporation |
IFC |
| IFCTU |
International Federation of Christian Trade Unions |
IFCTU |
| IFRCS |
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies |
IFRCS |
| IGAD |
Inter-Governmental Authority on Development |
IGAD |
| IGADD |
Inter-Governmental Authority on Drought and Development |
IGADD |
| IHO |
International Hydrographic Organization |
IHO |
| IIB |
International Investment Bank |
IIB |
| ILO |
International Labour Organization |
ILO |
| IMF |
International Monetary Fund |
IMF |
| IMO |
International Maritime Organization |
IMO |
| Inmarsat |
International Mobile Satellite Organization |
Inmarsat |
| InOC |
Indian Ocean Commission |
InOC |
| INSTRAW |
International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women |
INSTRAW |
| Intelsat |
International Telecommunications Satellite Organization |
Intelsat |
| Interpol |
International Criminal Police Organization |
Interpol |
| Intersputnik |
International Organization of Space Communications |
Intersputnik |
| IOC |
International Olympic Committee |
IOC |
| IOM |
International Organization for Migration |
IOM |
| ISO |
International Organization for Standardization |
ISO |
| ISP |
Internet Service Provider |
ISP |
| ITU |
International Telecommunication Union |
ITU |
| kHz |
kilohertz |
kHz |
| km |
kilometer |
km |
| kW |
kilowatt |
kW |
| kWh |
kilowatt hour |
kWh |
| LAES |
Latin American Economic System |
LAES |
| LAIA |
Latin American Integration Association |
LAIA |
| LAS |
League of Arab States |
LAS |
| Law of the Sea |
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOS)
| Law of the Sea |
| LDC |
less developed country |
LDC |
| LLDC |
least developed country |
LLDC |
| London Convention |
see Marine Dumping
| London Convention |
| LOS |
see Law of the Sea
| LOS |
| m |
meter |
m |
| Marecs |
Maritime European Communications Satellite |
Marecs |
| Marine Dumping |
Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping Wastes and Other Matter |
Marine Dumping |
| Marine Life Conservation |
Convention on Fishing and Conservation of Living Resources of the High Seas |
Marine Life Conservation |
| MARPOL |
MARPOL 73/78 / Protocol of 1978 Relating to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships, 1973
| MARPOL |
| Medarabtel |
Middle East Telecommunications Project of the International Telecommunications Union |
Medarabtel |
| Mercosur |
Southern Cone Common Market |
Mercosur |
| MHz |
megahertz |
MHz |
| MICAH |
International Civilian Support Mission in Haiti |
MICAH |
| MIGA |
Multilateral Investment Geographic Agency |
MIGA |
| MINURSO |
United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara |
MINURSO |
| MINUSTAH |
United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti |
MINUSTAH |
| MONUC |
United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo |
MONUC |
| NA |
not available |
NA |
| NAFTA |
North American Free Trade Agreement |
NAFTA |
| NAM |
Nonaligned Movement |
NAM |
| NATO |
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation |
NATO |
| NC |
Nordic Council |
NC |
| NEA |
Nuclear Energy Agency |
NEA |
| NEGL |
negligible |
NEGL |
| NGA |
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency |
NGA |
| NIB |
Nordic Investment Bank |
NIB |
| NIC |
newly industrializing country |
NIC |
| NIE |
newly industrializing economy |
NIE |
| NIS |
new independent states |
NIS |
| NM |
nautical mile |
NM |
| NMT |
Nordic Mobile Telephone |
NMT |
| NSG |
Nuclear Suppliers Group |
NSG |
| Nuclear Test Ban |
Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapons Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space, and Under Water
| Nuclear Test Ban |
| NZ |
New Zealand |
NZ |
| OAPEC |
Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries |
OAPEC |
| OAS |
Organization of American States |
OAS |
| OAU |
Organization of African Unity |
OAU |
| ODA |
official development assistance |
ODA |
| ODF |
Official Development Finance |
ODF |
| OECD |
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development |
OECD |
| OECS |
Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States |
OECS |
| OHCHR |
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights |
OHCHR |
| OIC |
Organization of the Islamic Conference |
OIC |
| ONUB |
United Nations Operation in Burundi |
ONUB |
| OOF |
other official flows |
OOF |
| OPANAL |
Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean |
OPANAL |
| OPCW |
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons |
OPCW |
| OPEC |
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries |
OPEC |
| OSCE |
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe |
OSCE |
| Ozone Layer Protection |
Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer |
Ozone Layer Protection |
| PCA |
Permanent Court of Arbitration |
PCA |
| PDRY |
People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (Yemen (Aden)) or South Yemen; used for information dated before 22 May 1990 or CY91
| PDRY |
| PFP |
Partnership for Peace |
PFP |
| PIF |
Pacific Islands Forum |
PIF |
| PPP |
purchasing power parity |
PPP |
| Ramsar |
see Wetlands
| Ramsar |
| Rio Group|RG |
Rio Group |
RG |
| SAARC |
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation |
SAARC |
| SAASA |
Servicios Aereos Amazonicos SA (Air support in Peru 1973-1980) |
SAASA |
| SACU |
Southern African Customs Union |
SACU |
| SACEP |
South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme
| SACEP |
| SADC |
Southern African Development Community |
SADC |
| SAFE |
South African Far East Cable |
SAFE |
| SCO |
Shanghai Cooperative Organization |
SCO |
| SFRY |
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia |
SFRY |
| SHF |
super-high-frequency |
SHF |
| Ship Pollution |
Protocol of 1978 Relating to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 (MARPOL)
| Ship Pollution |
| Sparteca |
South Pacific Regional Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement |
Sparteca |
| SPC |
Secretariat of the Pacific Community |
SPC |
| SPF |
South Pacific Forum |
SPF |
| km² |
square kilometer |
km² |
| sq mi |
square mile |
sq mi |
| TAT |
Trans-Atlantic Telephone |
TAT |
| Tropical Timber 83 |
International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1983 |
Tropical Timber 83 |
| Tropical Timber 94 |
International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1994 |
Tropical Timber 94 |
| UAE |
United Arab Emirates |
UAE |
| UDEAC |
Central African Customs and Economic Union |
UDEAC |
| Ultra high frequency|UHF |
ultra-high-frequency |
UHF |
| United Kingdom|UK |
United Kingdom |
UK |
| UN
| United Nations |
UN
|
| UNAMIR |
United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda
| UNAMIR |
| UNAMSIL |
United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone |
UNAMSIL |
| UNAVEM III |
United Nations Angola Verification Mission III |
UNAVEM III |
| UNCLOS |
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, also known as LOS |
UNCLOS |
| UNCRO |
United Nations Confidence Restoration Operation in Croatia |
UNCRO |
| UNCTAD |
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development |
UNCTAD |
| UNDCP |
United Nations Drug Control Programme |
UNDCP |
| UNDOF |
United Nations Disengagement Observer Force |
UNDOF |
| UNDP |
United Nations Development Programme |
UNDP |
| UNEP |
United Nations Environment Programme |
UNEP |
| UNESCO |
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization |
UNESCO |
| UNFICYP |
United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus |
UNFICYP |
| UNFPA |
United Nations Population Fund |
UNFPA |
| UNHCR |
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees |
UNHCR |
| UNHCRHR |
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights |
UNHCRHR |
| UNICEF |
United Nations Children's Fund |
UNICEF |
| UNICEP |
United Nations International Comparison Programme |
UNICEP |
| UNICRI |
United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute |
UNICRI |
| UNIDIR |
United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research |
UNIDIR |
| UNIDO |
United Nations Industrial Development Organization |
UNIDO |
| UNIFIL |
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon |
UNIFIL |
| UNIKOM |
United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission |
UNIKOM |
| UNITAR |
United Nations Institute for Training and Research |
UNITAR |
| UNMEE |
United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea |
UNMEE |
| UNMIBH |
United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina |
UNMIBH |
| UNMIK |
United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo |
UNMIK |
| UNMIL |
United Nations Mission in Liberia |
UNMIL |
| UNMIS |
United Nations Mission in the Sudan |
UNMIS |
| UNMISET |
United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor |
UNMISET |
| UNMOGIP |
United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan |
UNMOGIP |
| UNMOP |
United Nations Mission of Observers in Prevlaka |
UNMOP |
| UNMOT |
United Nations Mission of Observers in Tajikistan |
UNMOT |
| UNMOVIC |
United Nations Monitoring and Verification Commission |
UNMOVIC |
| UNOMIG |
United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia |
UNOMIG |
| UNOCI |
United Nations Operation in Cote d'Ivoire |
UNOCI |
| UNOMSIL |
United Nations Mission of Observers in Sierra Leone |
UNOMSIL |
| UNOPS |
United Nations Office of Project Services |
UNOPS |
| UNRISD |
United Nations Research Institute for Social Development |
UNRISD |
| UNRWA |
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East |
UNRWA |
| UNSC |
United Nations Security Council |
UNSC |
| UNSMIH |
United Nations Support Mission in Haiti |
UNSMIH |
| UNSSC |
United Nations System Staff College |
UNSSC |
| UNTAET |
United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor |
UNTAET |
| UNTSO |
United Nations Truce Supervision Organization |
UNTSO |
| UNU |
United Nations University |
UNU |
| UPU |
Universal Postal Union |
UPU |
| United States|U.S. |
United States |
U.S. |
| USSR |
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (Soviet Union); used for information dated before 25 December 1991 |
USSR |
| USSR/EE |
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics/Eastern Europe |
USSR/EE |
| UV |
ultra violet |
UV |
| VHF |
very-high-frequency |
VHF |
| VSAT |
very small aperture terminal |
VSAT |
| WADB |
West African Development Bank |
WADB |
| WAEMU |
West African Economic and Monetary Union |
WAEMU |
| WCL |
World Confederation of Labour |
WCL |
| WCO |
World Customs Organization (new name for CCC as of 1994)
| WCO |
| Wetlands |
Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially As Waterfowl Habitat |
Wetlands |
| WEU |
Western European Union |
WEU |
| WFC |
World Food Council |
WFC |
| WFP |
World Food Programme |
WFP |
| WFTU |
World Federation of Trade Unions |
WFTU |
| Whaling |
International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling |
Whaling |
| WHO |
World Health Organization |
WHO |
| WIPO |
World Intellectual Property Organization |
WIPO |
| WMO |
World Meteorological Organization |
WMO |
| WP |
Warsaw Pact |
WP |
| WTO |
see WToO for World Tourism Organization or WTrO for World Trade Organization
| WTO |
| WToO |
World Tourism Organization |
WToO |
| WTrO |
World Trade Organization |
WTrO |
| YAR |
Yemen Arab Republic Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen; used for information dated before 22 May 1990 or CY91
| YAR |
| ZC |
Zangger Committee |
ZC |
"List of abbreviations in the CIA World Factbook".