The 2010 CIA World Factbook

by United States. Central Intelligence Agency

W

Warsaw Pact (WP)

established 14 May 1955 to promote mutual defense; members met 1 July 1991 to dissolve the alliance; member states at the time of dissolution were: Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the USSR; earlier members included German Democratic Republic (GDR) and Albania

West African Development Bank (WADB)

note - also known as Banque Ouest-Africaine de Developpement (BOAD); is a financial institution of WAEMU established - 14 November 1973 aim - to promote regional economic development and integration regional members - (8) Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo

West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU)

note - also known as Union Economique et Monetaire Ouest Africaine (UEMOA) established - 1 August 1994 aim - to increase competitiveness of members' economic markets; to create a common market members - (8) Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo

Western European Union (WEU)

established 23 October 1954; effective - 6 May 1955; aim to provide mutual defense and to move toward political unification; 10 members: Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK; 6 associate members: Czech Republic, Hungary, Iceland, Norway, Poland, Turkey; 7 associate partners: Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia; 5 observers: Austria, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Sweden; note - to cease existence completely by June 2011

World Bank Group

includes International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Development Association (IDA), International Finance Corporation (IFC), and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA)

World Confederation of Labor (WCL)

established 19 June 1920 as the International Federation of Christian
Trade Unions (IFCTU), renamed 4 October 1968; aim was to promote the
trade union movement; on 31 October 2006 it merged with the
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) to form the
International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC); members were (105
national organizations) Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Austria,
Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina
Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile,
Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo,
Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, French
Guiana, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guinea,
Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran,
Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta,
Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal,
Netherlands, Nicaragua, Niger, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru,
Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Rwanda, Saint
Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe,
Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa,
Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Togo,
Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine, US, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia,
Zimbabwe

World Customs Organization (WCO)

note - began as the Customs Cooperation Council (CCC) established - 15
December 1950 aim - to promote international cooperation in customs
matters members - (178) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra,
Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The
Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize,
Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana,
Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia,
Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile,
China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of
the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, EC, Ecuador, Egypt, El
Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The
Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-
Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India,
Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan,
Kazakhstan, Kenya, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia,
Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau,
Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta,
Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco,
Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria,
Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru,
Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint
Lucia, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia,
Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa,
Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria,
Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and
Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US,
Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia,
Zimbabwe

World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU)

established - 3 October 1945 aim - to promote the trade union movement
members - (in 2010 there were 109 participating nations and the
Palestine Liberation Organization; the nations were not listed); (in
2009 there were 125 nations and the Palestine Liberation Organization)
Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia,
Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus,
Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia,
Cameroon, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador,
Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, The Gambia,
Ghana, Greece, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana,
Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Japan,
Jordan, Kazakhstan, North Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon,
Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali,
Martinique, Mauritius, Mexico, Mozambique, Nepal, New Caledonia, NZ,
Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru,
Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Romania, Russia,
Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Solomon
Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Syria,
Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia,
Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu,
Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe, Palestine Liberation Organization

World Food Program (WFP)

established - 24 November 1961 aim - to provide food aid in support of economic development or disaster relief; an ECOSOC organization members - (36) selected on a rotating basis from all regions

World Health Organization (WHO)

established - 22 July 1946; effective - 7 April 1948 aim - to deal with health matters worldwide; a UN specialized agency members - (193) includes all UN member countries except Liechtenstein (191 total); plus Cook Islands and Niue

World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

established - 14 July 1967; effective - 26 April 1970 aim - to furnish protection for literary, artistic, and scientific works; a UN specialized agency members - (184) includes all UN member countries except Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu, Vanuatu (183 total); plus Holy See

World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

established - 11 October 1947; effective - 4 April 1951 aim - to sponsor meteorological cooperation; a UN specialized agency members - (183) includes all UN member countries except Andorra, Equatorial Guinea, Grenada, Liechtenstein, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Tuvalu (181 total); plus Cook Islands and Niue

World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

established - 2 January 1975 aim - to promote tourism as a means of
contributing to economic development, international understanding, and
peace members - (154) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola,
Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas,
Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi,
Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad,
Chile, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of
the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador,
Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, France, Gabon, The Gambia,
Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau,
Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy,
Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, North Korea, South Korea,
Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Lithuania,
Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta,
Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro,
Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Niger,
Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay,
Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda,
San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia,
Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri
Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania,
Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda,
Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen,
Zambia, Zimbabwe associate members - (6) Aruba, Flanders, Hong Kong,
Macau, Madeira Islands, Puerto Rico observers - (1 plus Palestine
Liberation Organization) Holy See, Palestine Liberation Organization

World Trade Organization (WTO)

note - succeeded General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT)
established - 15 April 1994; effective - 1 January 1995 aim - to
provide a forum to resolve trade conflicts between members and to carry
on negotiations with the goal of further lowering and/or eliminating
tariffs and other trade barriers members - (153) Albania, Angola,
Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahrain,
Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana,
Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia,
Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile,
China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the
Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador,
Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, EU, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The
Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea,
Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland,
India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan,
Kenya, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lesotho, Liechtenstein,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia,
Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova,
Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ,
Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New
Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania,
Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia,
Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname,
Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo,
Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK,
US, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe observers - (31)
Afghanistan, Algeria, Andorra, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Belarus,
Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Comoros, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia,
Holy See, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya,
Montenegro, Russia, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Serbia, Seychelles,
Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Yemen; note - with the
exception of the Holy See, an observer must start accession
negotiations within five years of becoming observers