International organizations www.worldbank.org - World Bank
In its 'about' section, the World Bank advertises itself as helping countries "achieve sustainable growth by financing investment, mobilizing capital in international financial markets, and providing advisory services to businesses and governments." The World Bank advertises the 'success stories' that have been generated via its interventions on its website. However, for a thorough description of what it actually does, a website-surfer would have to look everywhere, given the presentation of the Bank as more of a charity vs. The lending institution that it actually is (which makes demands upon borrowers).
www.wto.org - World Trade Organization (WTO)
The WTO defines itself on its website as "an organization for trade opening. It is a forum for governments to negotiate trade agreements. It is a place for them to settle trade disputes. It operates a system of trade rules. Essentially, the WTO is a place where member governments try to sort out the trade problems they face with each other." The WTO thus presents itself as a nonpartisan organization which promotes peace and justice in trade. The website details the benefits its existence has generated for its members.
2. Regional Organizations, Free Trade Agreements and Bilaterals www.aseansec.org - Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
ASEAN is designed, according to its website to "promote economic growth, social progress and cultural development; cooperation; peace and stability and collaboration" between member states. It acts as an important counterweight...
Member states comprise nations such as Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam, all of whom are developing their economies and attempting to thrive in a region dominated by China and Japan.
www.comesa.int - Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)
This organization was developed in the wake of post-colonialism to improve the economies of newly independent African nations. More recently, the organization has identified too much state control of industry to be a lag upon development and has acted as a facilitator to simulate greater private industry. The organization strives to remove trade barriers to investment and promotes free trade based upon the principles of (as stated on the website): "market integration; production or project-directed integration, and development integration." However, there are a notable lack of success stories, which might unfortunately indicate the extent to which infighting has dominated the relationships between members in the region.
3. Other Inter-Governmental Associations www.g77.org -- Group of 77 (G77)
According to its website," The Group of 77 is the largest intergovernmental organization of developing countries in the United Nations, which provides the means for the countries of the South to articulate and promote their collective economic interests and enhance their joint negotiating capacity on all major international economic issues within the United Nations system, and promote South-South cooperation for development." The Group is…
