Iceland and International Organizations
Iceland has, since the Icelandic Republic was established in 1944, been active in international forums and is strongly committed to multilateral cooperation wherever possible. Indeed, since the foundation of the Republic, multilateral cooperation has been the cornerstone of Iceland’s foreign policy. Iceland became a member of the United Nations in 1946. Iceland is a member of most of the Specialized Agencies and other autonomous bodies of the United Nations and emphasizes the value of regional co-operation.
The following is a list of principal international organizations and bodies of which Iceland is a member, and related organizations, many of which Icelandic government agencies belong to.
| I. United Nations, specialized agencies and related bodies |
Abbrev.
|
Head-quarters
|
Member since
|
| United Nations www.un.org |
UN
|
New York
|
1946
|
| Food and Agriculture Organization www.fao.org |
FAO
|
Rome
|
1945
|
| International Atomic Energy Authority www.iaea.org |
IAEA
|
Vienna
|
1957
|
| International Civil Aviation Organization www.icao.org |
ICAO
|
Montreal
|
1944
|
| International Labour Organization www.ilo.org |
ILO
|
Geneva
|
1945
|
| International Maritime Organization www.imo.org |
IMO
|
London
|
1960
|
| International Seabed Authority www.isa.org.jm |
ISA
|
Kingston
|
1994
|
| International Telecommunications Union www.itu.ch |
ITU
|
Geneva
|
1949
|
| International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea www.itlos.org |
ITLOS
|
Hamburg
|
1996
|
| United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization www.unesco.org |
UNESCO
|
Paris
|
1964
|
| Universal Postal Union www.upu.int |
UPU
|
Berne
|
1874
|
| World Health Organization www.who.ch |
WHO
|
Geneva
|
1948
|
| World Intellectual Property Organization www.wipo.org |
WIPO
|
Geneva
|
1986
|
| World Meteorological Organization www.wmo.ch |
WMO
|
Geneva
|
1950
|
| World Trade Organization www.wto.org |
WTO
|
Geneva
|
1968
(Associate 1964) |
| United Nations Programs etc. |
Abbrev.
|
Head-quarters
|
Member since
|
|
ICTR
|
Arusha
|
---
|
|
ICTY
|
Haag
|
---
|
|
IFAD
|
Rome
|
---
|
|
UNFCCC
|
Bonn
|
---
|
|
UNODC
|
Vienna
|
---
|
|
OCHA
|
New York/
Geneva |
---
|
|
UNCCD
|
Geneva
|
---
|
|
UNU
|
Tokyo
|
---
|
|
UNUFTP
|
Reykjavík
|
---
|
|
UNUGTP
|
Reykjavík
|
---
|
|
UNVFVT
|
Geneva
|
---
|
|
|
UNICEF
|
New York
|
---
|
|
UNIFEM
|
New York
|
---
|
|
---
|
---
|
---
|
|
UNDP
|
New York
|
---
|
|
UNEP
|
Nairobi
|
---
|
|
UNHCR
|
Geneva
|
---
|
|
---
|
---
|
---
|
|
UNFPA
|
New York
|
---
|
|
UNRWA
|
Gaza/
Amman |
---
|
|
WFP
|
Geneva
|
---
|
| II. World Bank and related bodies |
Abbrev.
|
Head-quarters
|
Member since
|
| International Bank for Reconstruction and Development www.worldbank.org |
IBRD
|
Washington
|
1945
|
| International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes www.worldbank.org/icsid |
ICSID
|
Washington
|
1966
|
| International Development Association www.worldbank.org/ida |
IDA
|
Washington
|
1961
|
| International Finance Corporation www.ifc.org |
IFC
|
Washington
|
1956
|
| International Monetary Fund www.imf.org |
IMF
|
Washington
|
1945
|
| Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency www.miga.org |
MIGA
|
Washington
|
1998
|
| III. Other international organizations and bodies |
Abbrev.
|
Head-quarters
|
Member since
|
| Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (Preparatory Commission), www.ctbto.org |
CTBTO
|
Vienna
|
(2000)
|
| International Council for the Exploration of the Sea www.ices.dk |
ICES
|
Copenhagen
|
1938
|
| International Criminal Police Organization www.interpol.int |
INTERPOL
|
Lyon
|
1971
|
| International Exhibitions Bureau (Bureau International d'Expositions) www.bie-paris.org/ |
BIE
|
Paris
|
1999
|
| International Hydrographic Organization www.iho.shom.fr |
IHO
|
Monte Carlo
|
1970
|
| International Maritime Satellite Organization www.inmarsat.com |
INMARSAT
|
London
|
1991
|
| International Telecommunications Satellite Organization www.itso.int |
ITSO
|
Washington
|
1975
|
| International Customs Tariffs Bureau www.bitd.org |
BITD
|
Brussels
|
1891
|
| Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons www.opcw.org |
OPCW
|
Haag
|
1997
|
| Permanent Court of Arbitration www.pca-cpa.org |
PCA
|
Haag
|
1955
|
| World Customs Organization www.wcoomd.org |
WCO
|
Brussels
|
1950
|
| IV. Nordic institutions |
Abbrev.
|
Head-quarters
|
Member since
|
| Nordic Council www.norden.org |
NR
|
Copenhagen
|
1952
|
| Nordic Council of Ministers www.norden.org |
NMR
|
Copenhagen
|
1952
|
| Nordic Cultural Fund www.nordiskkulturfond.dk |
NK
|
Copenhagen
|
1915%
|
| Nordic Development Fund www.ndf.fi |
NDF
|
Helsinki
|
1989
|
| Nordic Environment Finance Corporation www.nefco.fi |
NEFCO
|
Helsinki
|
1990
|
| Nordic Industrial Fund www.nordicinnovation.net |
NI
|
Oslo
|
1973
|
| Nordic Investment Bank www.nibank.org |
NIB
|
Helsinki
|
1915%
|
| Nordic Project Export Fund www.nopef.com |
NOPEF
|
Helsinki
|
1982
|
| West-Nordic Council www.vestnordisk.is |
VNR
|
Reykjavík
|
1985
|
| V. Other regional organizations and bodies |
Abbrev.
|
Head-quarters
|
Member since
|
| Arctic Council www.arctic-council.org/ |
AC
|
(Changeable)
|
1996
|
|
CAFF
|
Akureyri
|
1996
|
|
PAME
|
Akureyri
|
1999
|
| Barents Euro-Arctic Council www.beac.st |
BEAC
|
(Changeable)
|
1991
|
| Council of Europe www.coe.int |
COE
|
Strassbourg
|
1950
|
|
ECML
|
Graz
|
1998
|
|
FEMP
|
Strassbourg
|
---
|
|
|
EAO
|
Strassbourg
|
1992
|
|
EURIMAGES
|
Strassbourg
|
---
|
|
| Council of the Baltic Sea States www.baltinfo.org |
CBSS
|
Stockholm
|
1995
|
| European Bank for Reconstruction and Development www.ebrd.com |
EBRD
|
London
|
1991
|
| European Free Trade Association www.efta.int |
EFTA
|
Geneva
|
1970
|
|
---
|
Luxembourg
|
1994
|
|
EFTA-DF
|
Brussels
|
1994
|
|
EFTA-IFP
|
Genva
|
1977
|
|
ESA
|
Brussels
|
1994
|
| European Telecommunications Satellite Organization www.eutelsat.org |
EUTELSAT
|
Paris
|
1987
|
| North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission www.nammco.no |
NAMMCO
|
Trondheim
|
1992
|
| North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization www.nasco.net |
NASCO
|
Edinborough
|
1983
|
| North Atlantic Treaty Organization www.nato.int |
NATO
|
Brussels
|
1949
|
|
---
|
---
|
---
|
| North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission www.neafc.org |
NEAFC
|
London
|
1982
|
| Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization www.nafo.int |
NAFO
|
Darmouth
|
1979
|
| Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development www.oecd.org |
OECD
|
Paris
|
1961
|
| Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe www.osce.org |
OSCE
|
Vienna
|
1972
|
|
---
|
---
|
---
|
| Western European Union www.weu.int |
WEU
|
Brussels
|
1993
(Associate) |
| Related organizations |
Abbrev.
|
Head-quarters
|
Member since
|
| Audiovisual Eureka www.aveureka.org/ |
AE
|
Brussels
|
1995
|
| Australia Group projects.sipri.se/ |
AG
|
(Changeable)
|
1993
|
| Bank for International Settlements www.bis.org |
BIS
|
Basel
|
---
|
| Conference on International Trade in Endangered Species www.cites.org |
CITES
|
Geneva
|
2000
|
| Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic www.ospar.org |
OSPAR
|
London
|
1998
|
| European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization www.cenelec.org |
CENELEC
|
Brussels
|
1988
|
| European Committee for Standardization www.cenorm.be |
CEN
|
Brussels
|
1988
|
| European Molecular Biology Organisation www.embo.org |
EMBO
|
Heidelberg
|
---
|
| European Union europa.eu.int |
EU
|
Brussels
|
Not a member
|
| International Astronomical Union www.iau.org |
IAU
|
Paris
|
1988
|
| International Commission on Missing Persons www.ic-mp.org/ |
---
|
---
|
---
|
| International Committee of the Red Cross www.icrc.org |
ICRC
|
Geneva
|
---
|
| International Electrotechnical Commission www.iec.ch |
IEC
|
Geneva
|
1998
(Associate) |
| International Parliamentarians Union www.ipu.org |
IPU
|
Geneva
|
1951
|
| International Standards Organization www.iso.ch |
ISO
|
Geneva
|
1992
|
| International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics www.iugg.org |
IUGG
|
Toulouse
|
1967
|
| International Union of Geological Sciences www.iugs.org |
IUGS
|
Trondheim
|
1962
|
| Missile Technology Control Regime www.fas.org |
MTCR
|
(Changeable)
|
1993
|
| Scientific Committee on Solar-Terrestrial Physics www.ngdc.noaa.gov/stp/ |
SCOSTEP
|
(Changeable)
|
1978
(1969) |
| World Conservation Union iucn.org |
IUCN
|
Gland
|
1973
|
| World Energy Council, www.worldenergy.org |
WEC
|
London
|
1949
|
