Worlds Important Organisations Notes for UPSC and SSC

UNESCO's World Heritage mission is to:

encourage countries to sign the World Heritage Convention and to ensure the protection of their natural and cultural heritage;

encourage States Parties to the Convention to nominate sites within their national territory for inclusion on the World Heritage List;

encourage States Parties to establish management plans and set up reporting systems on the state of conservation of their World Heritage sites;

help States Parties safeguard World Heritage properties by providing technical assistance and professional training;

provide emergency assistance for World Heritage sites in immediate danger;

support States Parties' public awareness-building activities for World Heritage conservation;

encourage participation of the local population in the preservation of their cultural and natural heritage;

encourage international cooperation in the conservation of our world's cultural and natural heritage.

List of Commonwealth Countries.

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Australia
• Bahamas
• Bangladesh
• Barbados
• Belize
• Bostwana
• Brunei
• Cameroon
• Canada
• Cyprus
• Dominica
• Gambia
• Ghana
• Grenada
• Guyana
• India
• Jamaica
• Kenya
• Kiribati
• Lesotho
• Malawi
• Malaysia
• Maldives
• Malta
• Mauritius
• Mozambique
• Namibia
• Nauru
• New Zealand
• Nigeria
• Pakistan
• Papua New Guinea
• Rwanda
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Saint Lucia
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Samoa
• Seychelles
• Sierra Leone
• Singapore
• Solomon Island
• South Africa
• Sri Lanka
• Swaziland
• Tanzania
• Tonga
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Tuvalu
• Uganda
• United Kingdom
• Vanuatu

OPEC Member Countries

1) Saudi Arabia

2) Iran

3) Iraq

4) Kuwait

5) Venezuela

6) Qatar

7) Indonesia

8) Libya

9) United Arab Emirates

10) Algeria

11) Nigeria

12) Angola

SAARC The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was established when its Charter was formally adopted on December 8, 1985 by the Heads of State or Government of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. In April 2007, at the Association's 14th summit, at New Delhi Afghanistan became its eighth member. Inaugural summit was held at Dhaka, Bangladesh on 7-8 December 1985. Although the SAARC Charter requires the heads of state or government to meet once a year, the summits have generally taken place approximately every eighteen months.

SAARC provides a platform for the peoples of South Asia to work together in a spirit of friendship, trust and understanding. It aims to accelerate the process of economic and social development in Member States.

 The SAARC Secretariat is based in Kathmandu, Nepal. It coordinates and monitors implementation of activities, prepares for and services meetings, and serves as a channel of communication between the Association and its Member States as well as other regional organizations.

The Secretariat is headed by the Secretary General, who is appointed by the Council of Ministers (External affairs ministers of member States) from Member States in alphabetical order for a three year term. The Secretary General is assisted by eight Directors on deputation from the Member States.

The SAFTA( South Asian Free Trade Area). The SAFTA Agreement was signed on 6 January 2004 during Twelfth SAARC Summit held in Islamabad; Pakistan and the Trade Liberalization Programme commenced from 1^st July 2006.Following the Agreement coming into force the SAFTA Ministerial Council (SMC) has been established comprising the Commerce Ministers of the Member States. The SAFTA Agreement states that  “the SMC shall meet at least once every year or more often as and when considered necessary by the Contracting States. Each Contracting State shall chair the SMC for a period of one year on rotational basis in alphabetical order.”

The European Union (EU) is an economic and political union of 27 member states which are located primarily in Europe. Its capital is Brussels, the capital of Belgium. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and the European Economic Community (EEC), formed by the Inner Six countries in 1951 and 1958 respectively. In the intervening years the community and its successors have grown in size by the accession of new member states and in power by the addition of policy areas to its remit. The Maastricht Treaty established the European Union under its current name in 1993.

The EU has developed a single market through a standardized system of laws which apply in all member states. The Schengen Area comprising 26 European countries have abolished passport and any other type of border control at their common borders. It mostly functions as a single country for international travel purposes, with a common visa policy. The Area is named after the Schengen Agreement. EU policies aim to ensure the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital, enact legislation in justice and home affairs, and maintain common policies on trade, agriculture, fisheries and regional development. A monetary union, the eurozone, was established in 1999 and is composed of 17 member states. Through the Common Foreign and Security Policy the EU has developed a role in external relations and defence. Permanent diplomatic missions have been established around the world. The EU is represented at the United Nations, the WTO, the G8 and the G-20.