Social Commission see Commission for Social Development _________________________________________________________________
socialist countries
in general, countries in which the government owns and plans the use of the major factors of production; note - the term is sometimes used incorrectly as a synonym for communist countries _________________________________________________________________
South a popular term for the poorer, less industrialized countries generally located south of the developed countries; the counterpart of the North; see less developed countries (LDCs) _________________________________________________________________
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) address - P. O. Box 4222, Kathmandu, Nepal telephone - [977] (1) 221785, 226350, 221792, 228029 FAX - [977] (1) 227033, 223991 established - 8 December 1985 aim - to promote economic, social, and cultural cooperation members - (7) Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka _________________________________________________________________
South Pacific Commission (SPC) see Pacific Community (SPC) _________________________________________________________________
South Pacific Forum (SPF) address - c/o Forum Secretariat, Ratu Sukuna Road, Private Mail Bag, Suva, Fiji telephone - [679] 312 600, 303 106 FAX - [679] 301 102, 305 573 established - 5 August 1971 aim - to promote regional cooperation in political matters members - (16) Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, NZ, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu _________________________________________________________________
South Pacific Regional Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement (Sparteca) address - c/o forum Secretariat, Ratu Sukuna Road GPO Box 856, Suva, Fiji telephone - [679] 312 600, 303 106 FAX - [679] 302 204 established - NA 1981 aim - to redress unequal trade relationships of Australia and New Zealand with small island economies in the Pacific region members - (16) Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, NZ, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu _________________________________________________________________
Southern African Customs Union (SACU) address - Director of Customs and Excise, Ministry of Finance, Private Bag 13295, Windhoek, Namibia established - 11 December 1969 aim - to promote free trade and cooperation in customs matters members - (5) Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland _________________________________________________________________
Southern African Development Community (SADC) note - evolved from the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC) address - Private Bag 0095, Gaborone, Botswana telephone - [267] (31) 351863, 351864, 351865 FAX - [267] (31) 372848 established - 17 August 1992 aim - to promote regional economic development and integration members - (14) Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe _________________________________________________________________