established-12 August 1980
effective-18 March 1981
aim-to promote freer regional trade
members-(11) Argentina, Bolivia,
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay,
Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela
observers-(16) Commission of the European Communities, Costa
Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras,
Inter-American Development Bank, Italy, Nicaragua,
Organization of American States, Panama, Portugal,
Spain, United Nations Development Program, United
Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the
Caribbean
League of Arab States (LAS) see Arab League (AL)
League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
(LORCS)
established-5 May 1919
aim-to provide humanitarian aid in peacetime
members-(148) Afghanistan, Albania,
Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Austria, The
Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium,
Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria,
Burkina, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada,
Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile,
China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire,
Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica,
Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador,
Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, The Gambia,
Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea,
Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary,
Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland,
Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, North Korea,
South Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho,
Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg,
Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania,
Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco,
Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua,
Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New
Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland,
Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia,
Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,
San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone,
Singapore, Slovakia, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan,
Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand,
Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UAE, UK,
US, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, Western Samoa, Yemen,
Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe
associate members-(2) Equatorial Guinea, Gabon
least developed countries (LLDCs) that subgroup of the less developed countries (LDCs) initially identified by the UN General Assembly in 1971 as having no significant economic growth, per capita GNPs/GDPs normally less than $500, and low literacy rates; also known as the undeveloped countries. The 42 LLDCs are: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Burkina, Burma, Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Laos, Lesotho, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Western Samoa, Yemen