Politics of Trinidad and Tobago - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The politics of Trinidad and Tobago function within the framework of a unitary state

Unitary state

A unitary state is a state governed as one single unit in which the central government is supreme and any administrative divisions exercise only powers that their central government chooses to delegate...

regulated by a parliamentary democracy modelled on that of the UK

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, from which the country gained its independence in 1962. Under the 1976 republican

Republicanism

Republicanism is the ideology of governing a nation as a republic, where the head of state is appointed by means other than heredity, often elections. The exact meaning of republicanism varies depending on the cultural and historical context...

Constitution

A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...

, the British monarch was replaced as head of state

Head of State

A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...

by a President

President of Trinidad and Tobago

The President of Trinidad and Tobago is the head of state of Trinidad and Tobago, and the commander in chief of its armed forces. The office was established when the country became a republic in 1976, before which the head of state was Queen Elizabeth II...

chosen by an electoral college

Electoral college

An electoral college is a set of electors who are selected to elect a candidate to a particular office. Often these represent different organizations or entities, with each organization or entity represented by a particular number of electors or with votes weighted in a particular way...

composed of the members of the bicameral Parliament

Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago

The Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago is the legislative branch of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago. The Parliament is bicameral. It consists of the elected House of Representatives, which has 43 members elected for a five year term in single-seat constituencies, and the Senate which has 31...

, consisting of the Senate

Senate of Trinidad and Tobago

The Senate of Trinidad and Tobago is the appointed Upper House of the bicameral Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago. The Senate sits in the Red House in Port of Spain...

and the House of Representatives

House of Representatives of Trinidad and Tobago

The House of Representatives is the elected Lower House of the bicameral Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago. The House of Representatives sits in the Red House in Port of Spain. It has 41 members, each elected to represent single-seat constituencies...

.

The country has remained a member of the Commonwealth

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...

, and has retained the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council

Judicial Committee of the Privy Council

The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is one of the highest courts in the United Kingdom. Established by the Judicial Committee Act 1833 to hear appeals formerly heard by the King in Council The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) is one of the highest courts in the United...

in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

as its highest court of appeal.

The general direction and control of the government rests with 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 :...

, led by a Prime Minister. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are answerable (at least in theory) to the House of Representatives. The 41 members of the House are elected to terms of at least five years. Elections may be called earlier by the president at the request of the prime minister or after a vote of no confidence in the House of Representatives. In 1976, the voting age was reduced from 21 to 18. The Senate's 31 members are appointed by the President: 16 on the advice of the prime minister, six on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and nine independents selected by the President from among outstanding members of the community. Local government is through nine Regional Corporations

Regional Corporations and Municipalities of Trinidad and Tobago

-Trinidad:Historically, Trinidad was divided into eight counties.-Tobago:Tobago is governed locally by the Tobago House of Assembly.Historically, Tobago was divided into seven parishes . In 1768 each parish of Tobago had nominated representatives to the Tobago House of Assembly...

and five municipalities

Municipality

A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...

. Tobago was given a measure of self-government in 1980 and is governed by the Tobago House of Assembly

Tobago House of Assembly

The Tobago House of Assembly is the local government body responsible for the island of Tobago within the twin-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. The THA was established in 1980 to rectify some of the disparities in the relationship between the two islands, though a prior body using the same...

. In 1996, Parliament passed legislation which gave Tobago greater self-government. In 2005 Parliament approved a proposal by the independent Elections and Boundaries Commission

Elections and Boundaries Commission

The Belize Elections and Boundaries Commissision is the primary electoral body in Belize. It supervises all local and national elections. The Commission also establishes the boundaries of Belize's electoral divisions.-Formation and duties:...

to increase the number of seats in the House of Representatives from 36 to 41.

Party politics has generally run along ethnic lines, with most Afro-Trinidadians supporting the People's National Movement

People's National Movement

The People's National Movement is the present-day opposition political party in Trinidad and Tobago. Founded in 1955 by Eric Williams, it won the 1956 General Elections and went on to hold power for an unbroken 30 years. After the death of Williams in 1981 George Chambers led the party...

(PNM) and most Indo-Trinidadian

Indo-Trinidadian

Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonian are nationals of Trinidad and Tobago of Indian or other South Asian ancestry.Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonians has now become interchangeable with Indians or East Indians. These were people who were taken from India by the British either as workers or educated...

s supporting various Indian-majority parties, such as the current United National Congress

United National Congress

The United National Congress is one of the two major political parties in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and one of the parties in the current ruling coalition. It was founded by Basdeo Panday, a lawyer and former trade unionist. The UNC was formed as the result of a split in the ruling...

(UNC) or its predecessors. Most political parties, however, have sought to broaden their purview. In the run-up to the 2007 general election, a new political presence emerged called Congress of The People

Congress of the People (Trinidad and Tobago)

The Congress of the People is a political party in Trinidad and Tobago. It is led by Prakash Ramadhar . Its symbol is the "Circle of Circles".- History :...

(COP). Led by former Winston Dookeran

Winston Dookeran

Winston Dookeran is a Trinidad and Tobago politician and economist. He currently serves as Political Leader of the Congress of the People. His term ends on July 3, 2011 when internal elections will be held to select a political leader. At a press conference on May 28, 2011, Mr. Dookeran...

, the majority of this membership was formed from former UNC members. Despite gaining a significant though minroty share of the vote in various constituencies, the COP failed to capture a single seat.

An early general election was called on 16 April 2010, and was held on 24 May 2010. Two major entities contested the election: the incumbent PNM, and a coalition called the People's Partnership

People's Partnership

The People's Partnership is a political coalition in Trinidad and Tobago between five political parties: the United National Congress, the Congress of the People, the Tobago Organization of the People, the National Joint Action Committee and the Movement for Social Justice...

, comprising the UNC, COP, TOP (Tobago Organisation of the People), and two labour and non-governmental organisations:the National Joint Action Committee

National Joint Action Committee

The National Joint Action Committee is a black nationalist political party in Trinidad and Tobago.-History:The party was established in February 1969 by Makandal Daaga , who was dissatisfied with the fact that most businesses in Trinidad at the time were owned by the white minority...

and the Movement for Social Justice, led by UNC leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar. The People's Partnership won 29 seats and the majority, with Kamla Persad-Bissessar being sworn in as the country's first female Prime Minister on May 26, 2010. The PNM won the remaining 12 seats and comprises the opposition in parliament.

Executive branch

|President

President of Trinidad and Tobago

|George Maxwell Richards

George Maxwell Richards

George Maxwell Richards, TC, CM is the fourth President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. A chemical engineer by training, Richards was Principal of the St. Augustine Campus of the University of the West Indies in Trinidad in 1996. He previously worked for Shell Trinidad Ltd. before...

|Independent

Independent (politician)

In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...

|17 March 2003
|-
|Prime Minister
|Kamla Persad-Bissessar

Kamla Persad-Bissessar

Kamla Persad-Bissessar is the Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the seventh person to hold this position...

|People's Partnership

People's Partnership

|26 May 2010
|}
The President is elected by an electoral college, which consists of the members of the Senate and House of Representatives, for a five-year term. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President from among the members of Parliament; following legislative elections, the person with the most support among the elected members of the House of Representatives is usually appointed Prime Minister. The cabinet appointed from among the Members of Parliament which constitutes elected Members of the House of Representatives and appointed Members of the Senate

Election Results:
George Maxwell Richards elected president;

Questionb.Cabinet ministers of Trinidad and Tobago

Prime Minister: Kamla Persad-Bissesar
Attorney-General: Anand Ramlogan
Anand Ramlogan
Anand Ramlogan is a human rights attorney-at-law in Trinidad, and the Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago.. He is married to His Trinidadian Wife Nalini Ramlogan and has two kids, he is a graduate of Queen Mary and Westfield College in the University of London and University of Westminster...
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Communications: Dr. Surujrattan Rambachan
Surujrattan Rambachan
Dr. Surujrattan Rambachan is a Trinidad and Tobago politician, academic and cultural activist who is the current Foreign Minister of Trinidad and Tobago and deputy political leader of the United National Congress Party and member of parliament for Tabaquite...
Minister of Finance: Winston Dookeran
Winston Dookeran
Winston Dookeran is a Trinidad and Tobago politician and economist. He currently serves as Political Leader of the Congress of the People. His term ends on July 3, 2011 when internal elections will be held to select a political leader. At a press conference on May 28, 2011, Mr. Dookeran...
Minister of National Security: John Sandy
Minister of Trade and Industry: Stephen Cadiz
Stephen Cadiz
The Hon. Stephen Cadiz, Member of Parliament for Chaguanas East, assumed the portfolio of Minister of Trade and Industry on Wednesday 2 June 2010. A prominent businessman and social activist, Minister Cadiz heads the Ministry responsible for the country’s diversification drive, i.e...
Minister of Local Government: Chandresh Sharma
Minister of Education: Dr. Tim Gopeesingh
Minister of Works: Jack Warner
Minister of Transport: Devant Maharaj
Devant Maharaj
Devant Maharaj is a Trinidad and Tobago politician. He is a member of the United National Congress. On June 27, 2011 he became a member of the Senate of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and Minister of Transport following his appointment as Chairman of the Public Transport Corporation of...
Minister of Health: Dr. Fuad Khan
Fuad Khan
Dr. Fuad Khan is a Trinidad and Tobago politician. Since 1995 he has served as the Member of Parliament representing the constituency of San Juan/Barataria in the House of Representatives of Trinidad and Tobago. Elected on a United National Congress ticket he is currently an "Independent UNC...
Minister of Food Production, Land and Marine Affairs: Vasant Bharath
Minister of Public Administration: Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan
Minister of Justice: Herbert Volney
Minister of Tourism: Dr. Rupert Griffith
Minister of Community Development: Nizam Baksh
Minister of the Arts and Multiculturalism: Winston "Gypsy" Peters
Gypsy (calypsonian)
Winston Edward Peters, also known by his sobriquet Gypsy is a Trinidad and Tobago calypsonian and politician and currently serves as that country's Minister of the Arts and Multiculturalism....
Minister of Housing and the Environment: Dr. Roodal Moonilal
Minister of Planning and Development: Dr. Bhoendradatt Tewarie
Minister of Energy: Kevin Ramnarine
Minister of Labour: Errol MacLeod
Minister of the People and Social Development: Dr. Glen Ramadhardsingh
Minister of Public Utilities: Emmanuel George
Minister of Legal Affairs: Prakash Ramadhar
Minister ot Science, Technology and Tertiary Ed: Fazal Karim
Minister of Gender, Youth and Child Development: Verna St Rose-Greaves
Minister of Sports: Anil Roberts
Minister of Tobago Development: Vernella Alleyne-Toppin
Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister: Rodger Samuel
Minister in the Ministry of Finance: Dr. Delmond Baker
Minister in the Ministry of National Security: Collin Partap
Minister in the Ministry of Local Government: Rudranath Indarsingh
Minister in the Ministry of Education: Clifton De Coteau
Minister in the Ministry of the People and Social Development Dr. Lincoln Douglas
Minister in the Ministry of Works: Stacy Roopnarine
Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Communications: Nicole Dyer-Griffith
Minister in the Ministry of Gender, Youth and Child Development: Ramona Ramdial
Minister in the Ministry of Arts and Multiculturalism: Embau Moheni

Legislative branch

The Parliament of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago

Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago

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 Representatives

House of Representatives of Trinidad and Tobago

has 41 members, elected for a five year term in single-seat constituencies. The Senate

Senate of Trinidad and Tobago

The Senate of Trinidad and Tobago is the appointed Upper House of the bicameral Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago. The Senate sits in the Red House in Port of Spain...

has 31 members: 16 Government Senators appointed on the advice of the Prime Minister, six Opposition Senators appointed on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition and nine Independent Senators appointed by the President to represent other sectors of civil society.

The 15 member Tobago House of Assembly

Tobago House of Assembly

has limited autonomy with respect to Tobago

Tobago

Tobago is the smaller of the two main islands that make up the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located in the southern Caribbean, northeast of the island of Trinidad and southeast of Grenada. The island lies outside the hurricane belt...

Political parties and elections

note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly

Tobago House of Assembly

, with 15 members (12 elected) serving four-year terms; in the 2005 elections the PNM won.

Judicial branch

The country's highest court is the Court of Appeal, whose chief justice is appointed by the president after consultation with the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition

Opposition (parliamentary)

Parliamentary opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. Note that this article uses the term government as it is used in Parliamentary systems, i.e. meaning the administration or the cabinet rather than the state...

. The current Chief Justice of Trinidad and Tobago is Ivor Archie. Final appeal on some matters is decided by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council

Privy council

A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...

in London

London

. Trinidad and Tobago was chosen by its Caribbean

Caribbean

The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...

neighbours (Caricom

Caribbean Community

The Caribbean Community is an organisation of 15 Caribbean nations and dependencies. CARICOM's main purposes are to promote economic integration and cooperation among its members, to ensure that the benefits of integration are equitably shared, and to coordinate foreign policy...

) to be the headquarters site of the Caribbean Court of Justice

Caribbean Court of Justice

The Caribbean Court of Justice is the judicial institution of the Caribbean Community . Established in 2001, it is based in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago....

(CCJ) which was supposed to replace the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council

Judicial Committee of the Privy Council

in the fall of 2003. However, the government has been unable to pass legislation to effect this change.

Administrative divisions

Trinidad is divided in five Municipalities Arima

Arima

The Royal Borough of Arima is the fourth largest town in Trinidad and Tobago. Located east of the capital, Port of Spain, Arima supports the only organised indigenous community in the country, the Santa Rosa Carib Community and is the seat of the Carib Queen...

, Chaguanas

Chaguanas

The Borough of Chaguanas is the largest municipality 2000 census) and fastest-growing town in Trinidad and Tobago. Located in Central Trinidad about south of Port of Spain. It grew in size due to its proximity to the Woodford Lodge sugar refinery. It remained a minor town until the 1980s when it...

, Port of Spain

Port of Spain

Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population...

, Point Fortin

Point Fortin

Point Fortin, the smallest Borough in Trinidad and Tobago, is located in southwestern Trinidad, about southwest of San Fernando. After the discovery of petroleum in the area in 1906 the town grew into a major oil-producing centre. The town grew with the oil industry between the 1940s and 1980s,...

, San Fernando

San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago

The City of San Fernando with a population of 55,419 according to the 2000 census, is the larger of Trinidad and Tobago's two cities and the second largest municipality after Chaguanas. It occupies 18 km² and is located in the southwestern part of the island of Trinidad...

and nine Regional Corporations Couva

Couva

Couva is a town in west-central Trinidad, south of Chaguanas and north of Claxton Bay and San Fernando. The Greater Couva area includes the Point Lisas Industrial Estate and the Port of Point Lisas. Couva's southern boundary is at the town of California, and to the north Couva stretches to McBean...

-Tabaquite

Tabaquite

Tabaquite is a town in central Trinidad, north of Rio Claro and west of Navet.- Overview :Tabaquite is a primarily rural area and suffers from infrastructural neglect...

-Talparo

Talparo

Talparo is a rural community in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located in west-central Trinidad, and is administered by the Couva-Tabaquite-Talparo Regional Corporation.-References:...

, Diego Martin

Diego Martin

Diego Martin is a town in northwestern Trinidad, just north-west of the capital Port of Spain and east of Carenage. The Diego Martin Valley in the Northern Range was once filled with a number of small villages but is now a densely populated area. It was named after a Spanish explorer Don Diego...

, Penal

Penal

Peneral is a town in south Trinidad. It lies south of San Fernando and Debe, and north of Siparia. Originally a rice and cocoa producing area, Penal has grown into an important town in the past few years and is now a desirable place for corporate expansion...

-Debe

Debe

Debe is a town in south Trinidad located north of Penal and south of San Fernando. As the town of Debe has grown it has merged to some extent with Penal. Debe is an important town in the wholesale marketing of agricultural produce, and was formerly important in sugar cane production. Debe is...

, Princes Town

Princes Town

Princes Town is a town in southern Trinidad .Originally founded as the Amerindian Mission of Savana Grande, the town was renamed after the 1880 visit by Queen Victoria's grandsons, Prince Albert and Prince George...

, Rio Claro

Rio Claro, Trinidad and Tobago

Rio Claro is the largest town in southeastern Trinidad, in Trinidad and Tobago. Rio Claro lies east of Princes Town, west of Mayaro and northwest of Guayaguayare. It serves as the major commercial centre for southeastern Trinidad. It lies in a primarily agricultural area...

-Mayaro, San Juan-Laventille

Laventille

-Etymology:The name Laventille hearkens back to colonial times, especially when the French dominated the cultural traditions of the island. One etymological derivation of the name is due to the fact that the northeast trade winds come to this part of the Island of Trinidad before it reached any...

, Sangre Grande

Sangre Grande

Sangre Grande is the largest town in northeastern Trinidad, in Trinidad and Tobago. It is east of Arima and southwest of Toco. Sangre Grande is sometimes abbreviated to just "Grande". It is the seat of the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation. The town falls into the Toco/Sangre constituency of the...

, Siparia

Siparia

Siparia is a town in southern Trinidad, in Trinidad and Tobago, south of Penal and south-east of Fyzabad. Also called "The Sand City," it was originally a non-Mission Amerindian settlement. Siparia grew to be the administrative centre for County Saint Patrick, and later the Siparia Regional...

, and Tunapuna

Tunapuna

-Town:It is located between St. Augustine, Tacarigua and Trincity. Tunapuna is the largest town between San Juan and Arima. It is an important market and commercial centre, and is the seat of the Tunapuna-Piarco Regional Corporation...

-Piarco

Piarco

Piarco, a town in northern Trinidad, is the site of Piarco International Airport . It also includes the village of St. Helena. Piarco is the site of one of the few natural savannas in Trinidad and Tobago, the Piarco Savanna...

.

Local government in Tobago is handled by the Tobago House of Assembly

Tobago House of Assembly

Political pressure groups and leaders

Jamaat al Muslimeen

The Jamaat al Muslimeen is a Muslim organisation within the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago with a membership of predominantly Afro-Trinidadians....

(Yasin Abu Bakr

Yasin Abu Bakr

Yasin Abu Bakr, born Lennox Philip is the leader of the Jamaat al Muslimeen a Muslim group in Trinidad and Tobago. The group has long-standing links with Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi. Under the leadership of Abu Bakr and Bilaal Abdullah, the group staged an attempted coup d’état in 1990.Abu...

) (Leader of the islamist coup d'état

Coup d'état

A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...

attempt in 1990).

Chris Zambelis, "Jamaat al-Muslimeen on Trial in Trinidad and Tobago," Jamestown Foundation Terrorism Monitor, Volume 4, Issue 5, March 9, 2006.
Chris Zambelis, "Al-Qaeda's Inroads into the Caribbean," Jamestown Foundation Terrorism Monitor, Volume 3, Issue 20, October 21, 2005.
Chris Zambelis, "Radical Islam in Latin America," Jamestown Foundation Terrorism Monitor, Volume 3, Issue 23, December 2, 2005.

International organization participation

ACP

ACP countries

The African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States is a group of countries , created by the Georgetown Agreement in 1975. The group's main objectives are sustainable development and poverty reduction within its member states, as well as their greater integration into the world's economy...

, 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...

, Caricom

Caribbean Community

, CDB

Caribbean Development Bank

The Caribbean Development Bank is a financial institution which assists Caribbean nations in financing social and economic programs in its member countries...

, ECLAC

United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean

The United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean was established in 1948 to encourage economic cooperation among its member states. In 1984, a resolution was passed to include the countries of the Caribbean in the name...

, 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-24, 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...

, IADB

Inter-American Development Bank

The Inter-American Development Bank is the largest source of development financing for Latin America and the Caribbean...

, 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...

, ICCt

International Criminal Court

The International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of 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

, IHO

International Hydrographic Organization

The International Hydrographic Organization is the inter-governmental organisation representing the hydrographic community. It enjoys observer status at the UN and is the recognised competent authority on hydrographic surveying and nautical charting...

, 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...

, IMO

International Maritime Organization

The International Maritime Organization , formerly known as the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization , was established in Geneva in 1948, and came into force ten years later, meeting for the first time in 1959...

, Intelsat

Intelsat

Intelsat, Ltd. is a communications satellite services provider.Originally formed as International Telecommunications Satellite Organization , it was—from 1964 to 2001—an intergovernmental consortium owning and managing a constellation of communications satellites providing international broadcast...

, 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...

, ITU

International Telecommunication Union

The International Telecommunication Union is the specialized agency of the United Nations which is responsible for information and communication technologies...

, ITUC

International Trade Union Confederation

The International Trade Union Confederation is the world's largest trade union federation. It was formed on November 1, 2006 out of the merger of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and the World Confederation of Labour...

, LAES

Latin American Economic System

The Latin American and the Caribbean Economic System, officially known as Sistema Económico Latinoamericano y del Caribe , is an organization founded in 1975 to promote economic cooperation and social development between Latin American and the Caribbean countries...

, 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...

, OAS

Organization of American States

The Organization of American States is a regional international organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States...

, OPANAL

OPANAL

The OPANAL is an international organization which promotes nuclear disarmament...

, 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...

, 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...

, UNU

United Nations University

The United Nations University is an academic arm of the United Nations established in 1973, which serves purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. The UNU undertakes research into the pressing global problems of human survival, development and welfare that are the concern of...

, 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...

, WFTU

World Federation of Trade Unions

The World Federation of Trade Unions was established in 1945 to replace the International Federation of Trade Unions. Its mission was to bring together trade unions across the world in a single international organization, much like the United Nations...

, 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...

, 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...

External links

The Elections and Boundaries Commission (EB&C), Trinidad and Tobago

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.