9

aim -- to facilitate the settlement of international disputes

members -- (80) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium,
Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile,
China, Colombia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican
Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany,
Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran,
Iraq, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon,
Luxembourg, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua,
Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal,
Romania, Russia, Senegal, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sri Lanka,
Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey,
Uganda, Ukraine, UK, US, Uruguay, Venezuela, Zaire, Zimbabwe

Population Commission

address -- c/o ECOSOC, United Nations, New York, NY 10017, USA

telephone -- [1] (212) 754 1234

established -- 3 October 1946

aim -- to deal with population matters of importance to the UN, as
part of Economic and Social Council organization

members -- (27) selected on a rotating basis from all regions

Rio Group (RG)

note -- formerly known as Grupo de los Ocho, established in December
1986

established -- NA 1988

aim -- to consult on regional Latin American issues

members -- (11) Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador,
Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela; note - Panama was expelled
in 1988

Second World

another term for the traditionally Marxist-Leninist states of the USSR
and Eastern Europe, with authoritarian governments and command
economies based on the Soviet model; the term is fading from use; see
centrally planned economies

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, 221787, 221794

FAX -- [977] (1) 227033

established -- 8 December 1985

aim -- to promote economic