Other International Bodies

The UK belongs to many other international bodies, including: the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which regulates the international financial system and provides credit for member countries facing balance-of-payments difficulties; the World Bank, which provides loans to finance economic and social projects in developing countries; the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which promotes economic growth, support for less developed countries and worldwide trade expansion; and the World Trade Organisation. Other organisations to which Britain belongs or extends support include the regional development banks in Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America and Asia, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

2.8. Translate into English.

Европейский союз/Еўрапейскі саюз; Содружество наций/Садружнасць нацый; Организация Североатлантического договора/Арганізацыя Паўночна-атлантычнага дагавора; Большая восьмерка/Вялікая васьмёрка; Организация по безопасности и сотрудничеству в Европе/Арганізацыя па бяспецы і супрацоўніцтву ў Еўропе; Совет Европы/Савет Еўропы; Международный валютный фонд/Міжнародны валютны фонд; Всемирная торговая организация/Сусветная гандлёвая арганізацыя; Европейский банк реконструкции и развития/Еўрапейскі банк рэканструкцыі і развіцця

2.9. Make the following statements more factually correct.

1. The EU helps developing countries to achieve high levels of social and economic progress.

2. The Commonwealth is an economic association of independent states, all of which were once British or American dependencies, and includes almost one in four people in the world.

3. One of NATO’s stated functions is maintain international peace and security through promoting partnership, cooperation and dialogue among the nations of the world.

4. The Group of Eight meets annually to discuss economic and social issues.

5. The main areas of work of the OSCE are prevention of conflicts, observing elections and providing advice on human rights.

6. There are four major requirements for a country willing to join the Council of Europe.

2.10. Below you will find excerpts from the mission statements of four prominent international non-governmental organizations. Discuss the pieces and suggest what these organizations are.

Text 1

… is a worldwide campaigning movement that works to promote internationally recognized human rights

…'s vision is of a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. Our mission is to undertake research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of the rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience and expression, and freedom from discrimination, within the context of our work to promote all human rights.

… has more than a million members and supporters in over 140 countries and territories. … is impartial and independent of any government, political persuasion or religious creed. Our work is financed largely by subscriptions and donations from our worldwide membership.

… is a worldwide campaigning movement that works to promote internationally recognized human rights.

Text 2

WHO — More than 150 dedicated professionals work for … around the world. We are lawyers, journalists, academics, and country experts of many nationalities and diverse backgrounds. We often join forces with human rights groups from other countries to further our common goals. A growing cadre of volunteers supports us.

WHAT — … is the largest human rights organization based in the United States. … researchers conduct fact-finding investigations into human rights abuses in all regions of the world. … then publishes those findings in dozens of books and reports every year, generating extensive coverage in local and international media. This publicity helps to embarrass abusive governments in the eyes of their citizens and the world. … then meets with government officials to urge changes in policy and practice -- at the United Nations, the European Union, in Washington and in capitals around the world. In extreme circumstances, … presses for the withdrawal of military and economic support from governments that egregiously violate the rights of their people. In moments of crisis, … provides up-to-the-minute information about conflicts while they are underway. Refugee accounts, which were collected, synthesized and cross-corroborated by our researchers, helped shape the response of the international community to recent wars in Kosovo and Chechnya.

WHY - … believes that international standards of human rights apply to all people equally, and that sharp vigilance and timely protest can prevent the tragedies of the twentieth century from recurring. At …, we remain convinced that progress can be made when people of good will organize themselves to make it happen.

Text 3

… is the leading independent campaigning organization that uses non-violent direct action and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and to promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future.

… began in 1971, when a small but determined group of activists boarded an aging 80-foot boat, slowly making their way through the cold North Pacific waters off Alaska. Their mission was to "bear witness" to the destructive nuclear weapons testing planned for Amchitka island. Little did they know they had just created what was to become the largest environmental movement in the world.

For 30 years, … has tackled the most critical environmental issues. Today our work focuses on six major efforts:

• Save ancient forests.

• Stop global warming.

• Eliminate persistent organic pollutants (POPs).

• Protect the oceans.

• Eliminate the threat of genetic engineering.

• End the nuclear age.

… does not accept donations from government or corporations.

Our 250,000 members in the United States and 2.5 million members worldwide form the backbone of our organization.

Text 4

… is an association officially recognised as serving the public interest

More than a third of the world's people live in countries where there is no press freedom. … works constantly to restore their right to be informed. Thirty-one media professionals lost their lives in 2001 for doing what they were paid to do -- keeping us informed. Today, more than 120 journalists around the world are in prison simply for doing their job. In Nepal, Eritrea and China, they can spend years in jail just for using the "wrong" word or photo. … believes imprisoning or killing a journalist is like eliminating a key witness and threatens everyone's right to be informed. It has been fighting such practices for more than 17 years.