The following is a list of the major existing intergovernmental organizations (IGOs). For a more complete listing, see the Yearbook of International Organizations, which includes c25,000 international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), excluding for-profit enterprises, about 5,000 IGOs, and lists dormant and dead organizations as well as those in operation (figures as of the 49th edition, 2012/13).
Sl No. | Organization Name | Purpose | Members | Secretary General/Head | HQ | Founded in |
1 | United Nations (UN) | To facilitate cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace | 193 Member States | Ban-Ki-Moon (South Korea) | New York City, USA | 1945 |
2 | United Nations Security Council (UNSC) | To maintain international peace and security | 15 Member states (5 Permanent) | NA (Changes every month) | New York City, USA | 1946 |
3 | EU (European Union) | To improve economic, technological, social co-operation among the European Countries | 27 European Countries | HQ- Brussels,Belgium | 1993 | |
4 | Commonwealth of Nations | To improve co-operation among the nations which were formerly part of the British Empire. | 54 Countries | Kamalesh Sharma (India) | Marlborough House, London | 1952 |
5 | OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) | To handle issues such as arms control, human rights, freedom of the press and fair elections | 56 Countries, 12 Partners | Lamberto Zannier (Italy) | Vienna, Austria | 1973 (as CSCE) Renamed as OSCE in 1995 |
6 | SAARC (South Asian association for Regional cooperation) | To improve economic, technological, social, and cultural development among the South Asian nations | 8 South Asian Countries | Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed (Maldives) | Kathmandu, Nepal | 1985 |
7 | World Bank | To promote foreign investment, international trade and facilitate capital investment. | 187 Countries | Robert B. Zoellick (USA) | Washington DC | 1944 |
8 | International Monetary Fund (IMF) | To promote international economic cooperation and focus on exchange rate and the balance of payments | 187 Countries | Christine Lagarde (France) | Washington DC | 1944 |
9 | WTO (world trade organization) | To supervise and liberalize international trade. | 153 Countries | Pascal Lamy (France) | Geneva , Switzerland | 1995 |
10 | NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) | Intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty | 28 Countries | Anders Fogh Rasmussen (Denmark) | Brussels,Belgium | 1949 |
11 | OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) | To decide the production and supply of crude oil by the member countries | 12 Countries | Abdalla Salem el-Badri (Libya) | Vienna, Austria | 1960 |
12 | OECD (organization for Economic cooperation and development) | To stimulate economic progress and world trade. | 34 Countries | Jose Angel Gurria (Mexico) | Paris,France | 1948 |
13 | APEC (asian pacific economic cooperation) | To promote free trade and economic cooperation throughout the Asia-Pacific region | 21 Countries | HQ- singapore | 1989 | |
14 | SCO (shanghai cooperation organization) | To promote intergovernmental mutual security | 6 Countries | Muratbek Imanaliev(Kyragyzstan) | Beijing,China | 1996 |