Politics of Swaziland
Encyclopedia
Swaziland is governed under a form of constitutional monarchy
, in which political power is shared by the king and parliament. Swaziland
today is foremost ruled by a monarch
, although for all of its administrative history prior to British colonization in 1903, it might have more properly been called a diarchy
.
, legislative, and judicial powers. History is short, however, and in Swaziland's case is punctuated with a 65 year reign (including a 23 year regency) of Sobhuza II of Swaziland
. The Ngwenyama (King, lion, representing the hardness as expressed in thunder) is a hereditary leader, rules the country, with the assistance of a council of ministers and a national legislature. The Ndlovukati (Senior Queen, preferentially the mother of the king, she-elephant, representing softness as in water) is in charge of national rituals, and acts as regent if her counterpart Ngwenyama dies and the heir has not performed royal adulthood rituals or is indisposed. If the king's mother is no longer living, one of the king's wives may act as Ndlovukati. In Sobhuza II's case, his grandmother theNdlovukati Labotsibeni Mdluli
was regent from his choice as infant heir in 1899 following the death of his father Bhunu until his accession to full authority in 1922, when his mother Lomawa Ndwandwe became the ndlovukati. Later in his long reign three other women became senior queen, when an ndlovukati" died, another was appointed from among his senior wives.
The king and the senior queen rule together in theory, and did so in practice up until the reign of Sobhuza II, making the term "monarchy" somewhat misleading historically. Before colonization the senior queen acted as a check and counterweight to the king's power, both through her direct control of some military forces and her control of rainmaking medicines and rites and of key aspects of the Ncwala national ritual that annually binds the fate of the king and the nation together. British policy and the strength of Sobhuza II's personality shifted power decisively toward the king and away from the senior queen during his long reign.
During a period of intense succession struggles following the death of Sobhuza II, the Ndlovukati was assisted by Prince Sozisa Dlamini
, the holder of a novel office, the Authorised Person, in-Libandla, and then was deposed and the mother of the heir, now King Mswati III was made ndlovukati prior to his full accession. Subsequently the constitution was revised to provide that where the Regent and the Authorised Person are not in agreement on any matter, the matter shall be referred to Bantfwabenkhosi (princes) and chiefs.
The King, according to the new constitution, is also Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces. He and in-Libandla have legal immunity.
King Mswati III is often criticized for living so lavishly in a nation that is afflicted by one of the world's highest HIV
infection rates. His fleet of luxury cars, and the millions spent towards refurbishing his numerous wives' luxury mansions, are at odds with the approximately 34 percent of the nation that stand unemployed, nearly 70 percent of which live on less than a dollar a day, and with around 49 percent of adults who suffer from HIV.
|Mswati III
|rowspan=2|
|25 April 1986
|-
|Prime Minister
|Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini
|16 October 2008
|}
In general practice, however, the monarch's power is delegated through a dualistic system: modern, statutory bodies, like the cabinet
, and less formal traditional government structures. At present, parliament
consists of a 82-seat House of Assembly
(55 members are elected through popular vote; the Attorney General as an ex-officio member; 10 are appointed by the king and four women elected from each one of the administrative regions) and 30-seat Senate
(10 members are appointed by the House of Assembly, and 20 are appointed by the king, whom at least the half must be women). The king must approve legislation passed by parliament before it becomes law. The prime minister
, who is head of government is appointed by the king from among the members of the House on recommendations of the King's Advisory Council and the cabinet, which is recommended by the prime minister and approved by the king, exercises executive authority.
has two chambers
: the House of Assembly
has 82 members, 55 members elected out of candidates nominated by traditional local councils, the Attorney-General as an ex-official member, 4 women elected for each of the regions and 10 appointed members; balloting is done on a nonparty basis; candidates for election are nominated by the local council of each constituency and for each constituency the three candidates with the most votes in the first round of voting are narrowed to a single winner by a second round, and the Senate
has 30 non-partisan members, 10 members elected by the House of Assembly and 20 appointed members, with at least half of them being women, as is required by law.
. Most opposition politicians boycotted the elections.
, the father of the current King Mswati III. The decree gave absolute power to the monarchy and banned organised political opposition to royal rule.
A new constitution was promulgated 13 October 1978, but was not formally presented to the people.
In 2001 King Mswati III appointed a committee to draft a new constitution. The draft was released for comment in May 2003, and was strongly criticised by civil society organizations in Swaziland, as well as by Amnesty International
and the International Bar Association
, among others.
Amnesty international
listed the following criticisms of the draft constitution of 2003:
A new draft was placed before the largely advisory parliament on November 4, 2004.http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2841.htm&e=10313 The draft reportedly is substantially the same as the version issued in 2003.
Swaziland's two largest political organisations, the People's United Democratic Movement
(PUDEMO) and the Ngwane National Liberatory Congress
(NNLC), together with labour unions, challenged the 2004 draft constitution in the Swaziland's High Court. However, in March 2005 the court upheld a ban on opposition political parties, citing the 1973 State of Emergency decree of King Sobhuza II. "It remains the duty and function of the court to uphold and apply the laws of the land, and especially so when constitutional issues are decided", the court ruled. The applicants indicated that they intended to pursue their case in the Court of Appeal.http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/ead2e6afece47c637a40a4fb76df3b18.htm&e=10313
Trade unions in the country have organized repeated strikes to protest against the lack of labour and political rights and the draft constitution. This included a general strike on 25 and 26 January 2005, although reportedly not widely heeded. http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=68&art_id=qw1106814062464B224
, Lubombo, Manzini
, Shiselweni
), each with an administrator appointed by the king. Parallel to the government structure is the traditional system consisting of the king and his advisers, traditional courts, and 55 tinkhundla
(subregional districts in which traditional chiefs are grouped).
(SACU) which the U.S. began negotiating a Free Trade Agreement with in May 2003. The other members of SACU are Botswana
, Namibia
, Lesotho
and South Africa
.
Swaziland is further member of ACP, AfDB
, C
, ECA
, FAO
, G-77
, IBRD
, ICAO
, ICFTU
, ICRM
, IDA
, IFAD
, IFC
, IFRCS
, ILO
, IMF
, Interpol
, IOC, ISO
(correspondent), ITU
, NAM
, OAU, OPCW
, PCA
, SACU
, SADC
, UN
, UNCTAD
, UNESCO
, UNIDO
, UPU
, WCO
, WHO
, WIPO
, WMO
, WToO
, WTrO
Constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified or blended constitution...
, in which political power is shared by the king and parliament. Swaziland
Swaziland
Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
today is foremost ruled by a monarch
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
, although for all of its administrative history prior to British colonization in 1903, it might have more properly been called a diarchy
Diarchy
Diarchy , from the Greek δι- "twice" and αρχια, "rule", is a form of government in which two individuals, the diarchs, are the heads of state. In most diarchies, the diarchs hold their position for life and pass the responsibilities and power of the position to their children or family when they...
.
Monarchy
According to current Swazi law and custom, the monarch holds supreme executiveExecutive (government)
Executive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...
, legislative, and judicial powers. History is short, however, and in Swaziland's case is punctuated with a 65 year reign (including a 23 year regency) of Sobhuza II of Swaziland
Sobhuza II of Swaziland
Ngwenyama Sobhuza II was the Paramount Chief and later King of Swaziland. He was the son of Ngwane V.-Biography:...
. The Ngwenyama (King, lion, representing the hardness as expressed in thunder) is a hereditary leader, rules the country, with the assistance of a council of ministers and a national legislature. The Ndlovukati (Senior Queen, preferentially the mother of the king, she-elephant, representing softness as in water) is in charge of national rituals, and acts as regent if her counterpart Ngwenyama dies and the heir has not performed royal adulthood rituals or is indisposed. If the king's mother is no longer living, one of the king's wives may act as Ndlovukati. In Sobhuza II's case, his grandmother theNdlovukati Labotsibeni Mdluli
Labotsibeni Mdluli
Labotsibeni Mdluli also known as Gwamile, was daughter of Chief Mvelase Mdluli and wife of Ngwenyama Mbandzeni. She was royal regent, ruling Swaziland from the death of her son Bhunu on 1899 until the accession to the throne of her grandson Sobhuza II on 1921....
was regent from his choice as infant heir in 1899 following the death of his father Bhunu until his accession to full authority in 1922, when his mother Lomawa Ndwandwe became the ndlovukati. Later in his long reign three other women became senior queen, when an ndlovukati" died, another was appointed from among his senior wives.
The king and the senior queen rule together in theory, and did so in practice up until the reign of Sobhuza II, making the term "monarchy" somewhat misleading historically. Before colonization the senior queen acted as a check and counterweight to the king's power, both through her direct control of some military forces and her control of rainmaking medicines and rites and of key aspects of the Ncwala national ritual that annually binds the fate of the king and the nation together. British policy and the strength of Sobhuza II's personality shifted power decisively toward the king and away from the senior queen during his long reign.
During a period of intense succession struggles following the death of Sobhuza II, the Ndlovukati was assisted by Prince Sozisa Dlamini
Prince Sozisa Dlamini
Prince Sozisa Dlamini of Swaziland , was Chief of Gundvwini. He became the Authorized Person of Swaziland from 1982 to 1985 after the death of King Sobhuza II, and in 1983 was briefly the acting Regent of the country, after he deposed Queen Dzeliwe. From 1983 he was Authorized Person to the new...
, the holder of a novel office, the Authorised Person, in-Libandla, and then was deposed and the mother of the heir, now King Mswati III was made ndlovukati prior to his full accession. Subsequently the constitution was revised to provide that where the Regent and the Authorised Person are not in agreement on any matter, the matter shall be referred to Bantfwabenkhosi (princes) and chiefs.
The King, according to the new constitution, is also Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces. He and in-Libandla have legal immunity.
Male succession
Succession is chosen in relation to the status of the potential king's mother. Ndlovukazi is chosen by the Royal Council after the King's death, she will be from an unrelated family. Within the aristocracy, the first wife is never the main wife — a second wife who has a higher pedigree will take precedence. The Royal family line, the Dlamini's, never intermarry; the King is always a Dlamini, the Queen Mother is never a Dlamini. The king is not followed by blood brothers. He is "Nkosi Dlamini" and is expected to unify his position by choosing wives from all sectors of the community. The balance of power lies between the King and the Queen Mother. The Royal Council plays a key role in the selection of the successor to the throne. Much of this tradition remains secret (or undetermined) — but it is rumoured that the new king must be single, and is usually a minor. His wives are important.Polygyny
A Swazi king's first two wives are chosen for him by the national councillors. These two have special functions in rituals and their sons can never claim kingship. The first wife must be a member of the Matsebula clan, the second of the Motsa clan. According to tradition, he can only marry his fiancées after they have fallen pregnant, proving they can bear heirs. Until then, they are Liphovela.King Mswati III is often criticized for living so lavishly in a nation that is afflicted by one of the world's highest HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
infection rates. His fleet of luxury cars, and the millions spent towards refurbishing his numerous wives' luxury mansions, are at odds with the approximately 34 percent of the nation that stand unemployed, nearly 70 percent of which live on less than a dollar a day, and with around 49 percent of adults who suffer from HIV.
Executive branch
|King|Mswati III
Mswati III of Swaziland
Mswati III is the King of Swaziland and head of the Swazi Royal Family. In 1986, he succeeded his father Sobhuza II as ruler of the southern African kingdom...
|rowspan=2|
|25 April 1986
|-
|Prime Minister
|Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini
Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini
Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini is Prime Minister of Swaziland. He was Prime Minister from 1996 to 2003 and has held the position again since October 2008....
|16 October 2008
|}
In general practice, however, the monarch's power is delegated through a dualistic system: modern, statutory bodies, like the cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
, and less formal traditional government structures. At present, parliament
Parliament of Swaziland
The Parliament of Swaziland consists of two chambers:*The Senate *The House of Assembly The Houses of Parliament are located in Lobamba.-External links:*...
consists of a 82-seat House of Assembly
House of Assembly of Swaziland
The House of Assembly of Swaziland is the lower chamber of the country's bicameral Parliament.There are a total of 55 single-member constituencies corresponding to the tinkhundlas . 14 tinkhundlas are located in Hhohho District, 11 in Lubombo District, 16 in Manzini District, and 14 in Shiselweni...
(55 members are elected through popular vote; the Attorney General as an ex-officio member; 10 are appointed by the king and four women elected from each one of the administrative regions) and 30-seat Senate
Senate of Swaziland
The Senate of Swaziland is the upper chamber of the country's bicameral Parliament.The Senate has a total of 30 members. 20 members are appointed by the King of Swaziland, while the remaining 10 are elected by the House of Assembly. These members were last elected on 31 October 2003...
(10 members are appointed by the House of Assembly, and 20 are appointed by the king, whom at least the half must be women). The king must approve legislation passed by parliament before it becomes law. The prime minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
, who is head of government is appointed by the king from among the members of the House on recommendations of the King's Advisory Council and the cabinet, which is recommended by the prime minister and approved by the king, exercises executive authority.
Legislative branch
Parliament, the LibandlaParliament of Swaziland
The Parliament of Swaziland consists of two chambers:*The Senate *The House of Assembly The Houses of Parliament are located in Lobamba.-External links:*...
has two chambers
Bicameralism
In the government, bicameralism is the practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. Thus, a bicameral parliament or bicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of two chambers or houses....
: the House of Assembly
House of Assembly of Swaziland
The House of Assembly of Swaziland is the lower chamber of the country's bicameral Parliament.There are a total of 55 single-member constituencies corresponding to the tinkhundlas . 14 tinkhundlas are located in Hhohho District, 11 in Lubombo District, 16 in Manzini District, and 14 in Shiselweni...
has 82 members, 55 members elected out of candidates nominated by traditional local councils, the Attorney-General as an ex-official member, 4 women elected for each of the regions and 10 appointed members; balloting is done on a nonparty basis; candidates for election are nominated by the local council of each constituency and for each constituency the three candidates with the most votes in the first round of voting are narrowed to a single winner by a second round, and the Senate
Senate of Swaziland
The Senate of Swaziland is the upper chamber of the country's bicameral Parliament.The Senate has a total of 30 members. 20 members are appointed by the King of Swaziland, while the remaining 10 are elected by the House of Assembly. These members were last elected on 31 October 2003...
has 30 non-partisan members, 10 members elected by the House of Assembly and 20 appointed members, with at least half of them being women, as is required by law.
Political parties and elections
Political parties are banned by the constitution promulgated on 13 October 1978; illegal parties are prohibited from holding large public gatherings. At the last elections, 18 October 2003, only non-partisans were elected. One of them is a member of the opposition Ngwane National Liberatory CongressNgwane National Liberatory Congress
The Ngwane National Liberatory Congress is a political party in Swaziland. It was founded on 12 April 1963 as a breakaway party from the Swaziland Progressive Party led by Dr. JJ Nquku...
. Most opposition politicians boycotted the elections.
| Members | Seats |
|---|---|
| Independents nominated by traditional local councils | 55 |
| Attorney-General | 1 |
| women elected for each region | 4 |
| Appointed members | 10 |
| Total | 82 |
Constitution
The 2005 constitution is currently in force.http://indexmundi.com/swaziland/constitution.html The constitution of 6 September 1968 was suspended 12 April 1973 by a State of Emergency decree imposed by King Sobhuza IISobhuza II of Swaziland
Ngwenyama Sobhuza II was the Paramount Chief and later King of Swaziland. He was the son of Ngwane V.-Biography:...
, the father of the current King Mswati III. The decree gave absolute power to the monarchy and banned organised political opposition to royal rule.
A new constitution was promulgated 13 October 1978, but was not formally presented to the people.
In 2001 King Mswati III appointed a committee to draft a new constitution. The draft was released for comment in May 2003, and was strongly criticised by civil society organizations in Swaziland, as well as by Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
and the International Bar Association
International Bar Association
The International Bar Association is an international association of lawyers and lawyers' associations. The IBA's stated purpose is to promote an exchange of information between legal associations worldwide, support the independence of the judiciary and the right of lawyers to practice their...
, among others.
Amnesty international
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
listed the following criticisms of the draft constitution of 2003:
- failure to protect fully the rights to freedom of conscience, belief, expression, opinion, peaceful assembly and association;
- failure to protect fully the right to life by, for instance, allowing law enforcement officials to use lethal force in situations where there is no threat to life posed to police or others;
- failure to include economic and social rights as rights enforceable by the courts;
- only partial protection of the rights of women, with for instance girls and young women not protected against forced marriage; and
- weak actual protection for the impartiality and independence of the judiciary, particularly regarding the selection, appointment, tenure and dismissal of judges.
A new draft was placed before the largely advisory parliament on November 4, 2004.http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2841.htm&e=10313 The draft reportedly is substantially the same as the version issued in 2003.
Swaziland's two largest political organisations, the People's United Democratic Movement
People's United Democratic Movement
The People's United Democratic Movement is the largest opposition party in Swaziland. Formed in 1983, it is led by pro-democracy activist Mario Masuku...
(PUDEMO) and the Ngwane National Liberatory Congress
Ngwane National Liberatory Congress
The Ngwane National Liberatory Congress is a political party in Swaziland. It was founded on 12 April 1963 as a breakaway party from the Swaziland Progressive Party led by Dr. JJ Nquku...
(NNLC), together with labour unions, challenged the 2004 draft constitution in the Swaziland's High Court. However, in March 2005 the court upheld a ban on opposition political parties, citing the 1973 State of Emergency decree of King Sobhuza II. "It remains the duty and function of the court to uphold and apply the laws of the land, and especially so when constitutional issues are decided", the court ruled. The applicants indicated that they intended to pursue their case in the Court of Appeal.http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/ead2e6afece47c637a40a4fb76df3b18.htm&e=10313
Trade unions in the country have organized repeated strikes to protest against the lack of labour and political rights and the draft constitution. This included a general strike on 25 and 26 January 2005, although reportedly not widely heeded. http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=68&art_id=qw1106814062464B224
Administrative divisions
For local administration Swaziland is divided into four regions (HhohhoHhohho
Hhohho is a district of Swaziland, located in the northwest of the country. It has an area of 3,569 km² and a population of 270,000 , and is divided into 14 tinkhundla. The administrative center is the national capital of Mbabane. It borders Lubombo District in the southeast and Manzini District...
, Lubombo, Manzini
Manzini District
Manzini is a district of Swaziland, located in the center-west of the country. It has an area of 5,068 km² and a population of 292,000 , and is divided into 16 tinkhundla. Its administrative center is Manzini. It borders all three other districts: Hhohho in the north, Lubombo in the east, and...
, Shiselweni
Shiselweni
Shiselweni is a district of Swaziland, located in the southwest of the country. It has an area of 3,790 km² and a population of 217,000 , and is divided into 14 tinkhundla. Its administrative center is Nhlangano. It borders Lubombo District in the northeast and Manzini District in the northwest....
), each with an administrator appointed by the king. Parallel to the government structure is the traditional system consisting of the king and his advisers, traditional courts, and 55 tinkhundla
Tinkhundla
In Swaziland, an inkhundla is an administrative subdivision smaller than a district, but larger than an umphakatsi...
(subregional districts in which traditional chiefs are grouped).
Foreign relations
Swaziland is a member of the Southern African Customs UnionSouthern African Customs Union
The Southern African Customs Union is a customs union among five countries of Southern Africa: Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland.-History:SACU is the oldest still existing customs union in the world...
(SACU) which the U.S. began negotiating a Free Trade Agreement with in May 2003. The other members of SACU are Botswana
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
, Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
, Lesotho
Lesotho
Lesotho , officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country and enclave, surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. It is just over in size with a population of approximately 2,067,000. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. Lesotho is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The name...
and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Swaziland is further member of ACP, AfDB
African Development Bank
The African Development Bank Group is a development bank established in 1964 with the intention of promoting economic and social development in Africa...
, C
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
, ECA
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa was established in 1958 by the United Nations Economic and Social Council to encourage economic cooperation among its member states following a recommendation of the United Nations General Assembly.It is one of five regional commissions.The ECA...
, FAO
Food and Agriculture Organization
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and...
, G-77
Group of 77
The Group of 77 at the United Nations is a loose coalition of developing nations, designed to promote its members' collective economic interests and create an enhanced joint negotiating capacity in the United Nations. There were 77 founding members of the organization, but the organization has...
, IBRD
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development is one of five institutions that compose the World Bank Group. The IBRD is an international organization whose original mission was to finance the reconstruction of nations devastated by World War II. Now, its mission has expanded to fight...
, ICAO
International Civil Aviation Organization
The International Civil Aviation Organization , pronounced , , is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth...
, ICFTU
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions was an international trade union. It came into being on 7 December 1949 following a split within the World Federation of Trade Unions , and was dissolved on 31 October 2006 when it merged with the World Confederation of Labour to form the...
, ICRM
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an international humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide which was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and to prevent and alleviate human...
, IDA
International Development Association
The International Development Association , is the part of the World Bank that helps the world’s poorest countries. It complements the World Bank's other lending arm — the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development — which serves middle-income countries with capital investment and...
, IFAD
International Fund for Agricultural Development
The International Fund for Agricultural Development , a specialized agency of the United Nations, was established as an international financial institution in 1977 as one of the major outcomes of the 1974 World Food Conference. IFAD is dedicated to eradicating rural poverty in developing countries...
, IFC
International Finance Corporation
The International Finance Corporation promotes sustainable private sector investment in developing countries.IFC is a member of the World Bank Group and is headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States....
, IFRCS
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an international humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide which was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and to prevent and alleviate human...
, ILO
International Labour Organization
The International Labour Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that deals with labour issues pertaining to international labour standards. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland. Its secretariat — the people who are employed by it throughout the world — is known as the...
, IMF
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
, Interpol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
, IOC, ISO
International Organization for Standardization
The International Organization for Standardization , widely known as ISO, is an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations. Founded on February 23, 1947, the organization promulgates worldwide proprietary, industrial and commercial...
(correspondent), ITU
International Telecommunication Union
The International Telecommunication Union is the specialized agency of the United Nations which is responsible for information and communication technologies...
, NAM
Non-Aligned Movement
The Non-Aligned Movement is a group of states considering themselves not aligned formally with or against any major power bloc. As of 2011, the movement had 120 members and 17 observer countries...
, OAU, OPCW
Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is an intergovernmental organization, located in The Hague, Netherlands. The organization promotes and verifies the adherence to the Chemical Weapons Convention which prohibits of the use of chemical weapons and requires their destruction...
, PCA
Permanent Court of Arbitration
The Permanent Court of Arbitration , is an international organization based in The Hague in the Netherlands.-History:The court was established in 1899 as one of the acts of the first Hague Peace Conference, which makes it the oldest institution for international dispute resolution.The creation of...
, SACU
Southern African Customs Union
The Southern African Customs Union is a customs union among five countries of Southern Africa: Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland.-History:SACU is the oldest still existing customs union in the world...
, SADC
Southern African Development Community
The Southern African Development Community is an inter-governmental organization headquartered in Gaborone, Botswana. Its goal is to further socio-economic cooperation and integration as well as political and security cooperation among 15 southern African states...
, UN
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, UNCTAD
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development was established in 1964 as a permanent intergovernmental body. It is the principal organ of the United Nations General Assembly dealing with trade, investment, and development issues....
, UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
, UNIDO
United Nations Industrial Development Organization
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization , French/Spanish acronym ONUDI, is a specialized agency in the United Nations system, headquartered in Vienna, Austria...
, UPU
Universal Postal Union
The Universal Postal Union is an international organization that coordinates postal policies among member nations, in addition to the worldwide postal system. The UPU contains four bodies consisting of the Congress, the Council of Administration , the Postal Operations Council and the...
, WCO
World Customs Organization
The World Customs Organization is an intergovernmental organization headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. With its worldwide membership, the WCO is recognized as the voice of the global customs community...
, WHO
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
, WIPO
World Intellectual Property Organization
The World Intellectual Property Organization is one of the 17 specialized agencies of the United Nations. WIPO was created in 1967 "to encourage creative activity, to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world"....
, WMO
World Meteorological Organization
The World Meteorological Organization is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 189 Member States and Territories. It originated from the International Meteorological Organization , which was founded in 1873...
, WToO
World Tourism Organization
The World Tourism Organization , based in Madrid, Spain, is a United Nations agency dealing with questions relating to tourism. It compiles the World Tourism rankings. The World Tourism Organization is a significant global body, concerned with the collection and collation of statistical information...
, WTrO
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , which commenced in 1948...