United Nations Headquarters in Geneva by John Samuel.

International Information

We’ve included some potentially useful links here, but this is, of course, not a complete list. For more resources, email askalibrarian@clarkson.edu. 

International Organizations

Business & Economics
  • World Bank – The World Bank Group has two goals: to end extreme poverty and promote shared prosperity in a sustainable way
  • International Chamber of Commerce – ICC is the institutional representative of more than 45 million companies in over 100 countries. 
Government, Culture & Education
  • United Nations – The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945.  It is currently made up of 193 Member States.  The mission and work of the United Nations are guided by the purposes and principles contained in its founding Charter. Due to the powers vested in its Charter and its unique international character, the United Nations can take action on the issues confronting humanity in the 21st century, such as peace and security, climate change, sustainable development, human rights, disarmament, terrorism, humanitarian and health emergencies, gender equality, governance, food production, and more.
  • UNESCO – UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization – UNESCO seeks to build peace through international cooperation in Education, the Sciences and Culture. UNESCO’s programmes contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals defined in Agenda 2030, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015.
  • UNICEF – UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, to defend their rights, and to help them fulfil their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.
  • IDEA – The Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance – “We advance democracy worldwide, as a universal human aspiration and an enabler of sustainable development, through support to the building, strengthening and safeguarding of democratic political institutions and processes at all levels.”
  • The Commonwealth – The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 54 independent countries. Our member governments have agreed to shared goals like development, democracy and peace. The Commonwealth’s roots go back to the British Empire. But today any country can join. 
Science, Environment & Health
  • CERN – “At CERN, we probe the fundamental structure of particles that make up everything around us. We do so using the world’s largest and most complex scientific instruments. At CERN, our work helps to uncover what the universe is made of and how it works. We do this by providing a unique range of particle accelerator facilities to researchers, to advance the boundaries of human knowledge.”
  • WHO – WHO works worldwide to promote health, keep the world safe, and serve the vulnerable. The WHO’s goal is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage, to protect a billion more people from health emergencies, and provide a further billion people with better health and well-being.
  • International Committee of the Red Cross – Established in 1863, the ICRC operates worldwide, helping people affected by conflict and armed violence and promoting the laws that protect victims of war. An independent and neutral organization, its mandate stems essentially from the Geneva Conventions of 1949.
  • International Renewable Energy Agency – Supporting countries in their transition to a sustainable energy future
  • International Union for the Conservation of Nature – IUCN is a membership Union composed of both government and civil society organizations. It harnesses the experience, resources and reach of its more than 1,400 Member organizations and the input of more than 17,000 experts. This diversity and vast expertise makes IUCN the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it.
  • International Seabed Authority – Made up of 167 Member States, and the European Union, the International Seabed Authority is mandated under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea to organize, regulate and control all mineral-related activities in the international seabed area for the benefit of mankind as a whole.
  • International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea  – The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea is an independent judicial body established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to adjudicate disputes arising out of the interpretation and application of the Convention. The Tribunal is composed of 21 independent members, elected from among persons enjoying the highest reputation for fairness and integrity and of recognized competence in the field of the law of the sea.
Military & Defense
  • NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) – NATO’s purpose is to guarantee the freedom and security of its members through political and military means. NATO promotes democratic values and enables members to consult and cooperate on defence and security-related issues. NATO is committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes. If diplomatic efforts fail, it has the military power to undertake crisis-management operations.
Law & Justice
  • International Court of Justice – The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN). It was established in June 1945 by the Charter of the United Nations and began work in April 1946.
  •  International Development Law Organization – IDLO is the only global intergovernmental organization exclusively devoted to promoting the rule of law and sustainable development. Experience working in more than 90 countries around the world with various legal systems. 
  • INTERPOL – The International Criminal Police Organization is an inter-governmental organization of 194 member countries. INTERPOL enables them to share and access data on crimes and criminals, and offers a range of technical and operational support.
  • International Criminal Court – The International Criminal Court (ICC) investigates and, where warranted, tries individuals charged with the gravest crimes of concern to the international community: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression.

Research & Resources

Databases

HeinOnline – International

HeinOnline – General

  • HeinOnline – HeinOnline is a premier online database containing more than 158 million pages and 200,000 titles of historical and government documents in a fully searchable, image-based format.

Regional Information & Resources

For a more extensive list of international and regional organizations click here.

Canada & North America

North America 
  • Organization of American States – The Organization was established in order to achieve among its member states—as stipulated in Article 1 of the Charter—”an order of peace and justice, to promote their solidarity, to strengthen their collaboration, and to defend their sovereignty, their territorial integrity, and their independence.
  • CIA World Factbook – North America – Bermuda, Canada, Clipperton Island, Greenland, Mexico, Saint Pierre & Miquleon, and the United States
Canada
  • Canada – The official government webpage of Canada
  • Statistics Canada  – Statistics Canada is the national statistical office. The agency ensures Canadians have the key information on Canada’s economy, society and environment.
  • Library and Archives of Canada – LAC acquires, processes, preserves and provides access to our documentary heritage and serves as the continuing memory of the Government of Canada and its institutions.

South & Central America

  • Organization of American States – The Organization was established in order to achieve among its member states—as stipulated in Article 1 of the Charter—”an order of peace and justice, to promote their solidarity, to strengthen their collaboration, and to defend their sovereignty, their territorial integrity, and their independence.
  • Inter-American Development Bank – “Through financial and technical support for countries working to reduce poverty and inequality, we help improve health and education, and advance infrastructure. Our aim is to achieve development in a sustainable, climate-friendly way.”  
  • Central American Bank for Economic Integration – The Bank’s objective shall be to promote the economic integration and the balanced economic and social development of the Central American region. 
  • Partners in Population & Development – Partners in Population and Development (PPD) is an intergovernmental initiative created specifically for the purpose of expanding and improving South-to-South collaboration in the fields of reproductive health, population, and development. PPD was launched at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), when ten developing countries from Asia, Africa and Latin America formed an intergovernmental alliance.
  • CARICOM – CARICOM promotes and supports a unified Caribbean Community that is inclusive, resilient, competitive; sharing in economic, social and cultural prosperity.
  • CIA World Factbook – South America – Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Falkland Islands, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, South Georgia, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela
  • CIA World Factbook Central America – Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic. El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Montserrat, Navassa, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Sint Maarten, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos, and British Virgin Islands

Asia

  • South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation – The objectives of the Association as outlined in the SAARC Charter are: to promote the welfare of the peoples of South Asia and to improve their quality of life; to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region and to provide all individuals the opportunity to live in dignity and to realize their full potentials; to promote and strengthen collective self-reliance among the countries of South Asia; to contribute to mutual trust, understanding and appreciation of one another’s problems; to promote active collaboration and mutual assistance in the economic, social, cultural, technical and scientific fields; to strengthen cooperation with other developing countries; to strengthen cooperation among themselves in international forums on matters of common interests; and to cooperate with international and regional organizations with similar aims and purposes.
  • Asian Development Bank – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) envisions a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty in the region.
  • Eurasian Development Bank  – The Eurasian Development Bank (the “EDB” or the “Bank”) is an international financial institution established to promote economic growth in its member states, extend trade and economic ties among them, and support integration in Eurasia through investment.
  • Union for the Mediterranean – The Union for the Mediterranean is an intergovernmental institution bringing together 42 countries to promote dialogue and cooperation in the Euro-Mediterranean region
  • Partners in Population & Development – Partners in Population and Development (PPD) is an intergovernmental initiative created specifically for the purpose of expanding and improving South-to-South collaboration in the fields of reproductive health, population, and development. PPD was launched at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), when ten developing countries from Asia, Africa and Latin America formed an intergovernmental alliance.
  • CIA World Factbook East & South East Asia – Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Paracel Islands, Philippines, Singapore, Spratly Islands, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam
  • CIA World Factbook – South Asia – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, British Indian Ocean, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka 

Europe & The European Union

  • European Union – The official website of the European Union. 
  • Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations – The European Union (EU) has Delegations accredited to the UN. Their role is to coordinate the EU’s day-to-day relations with the UN. The Delegations also report back to EU headquarters in Brussels on the UN’s activities. Their reports feed into the political agenda in Brussels. In addition, the Delegations work closely with EU countries which have a presence at UN offices.
  • Council of Europe – The Council of Europe advocates freedom of expression and of the media, freedom of assembly, equality, and the protection of minorities. The Council of Europe promotes human rights through international conventions, such as the Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence and the Convention on Cybercrime.
  • Central European Initiative – The Central European Initiative (CEI) was founded in Budapest in 1989. It is a regional intergovernmental forum committed to supporting European integration and sustainable development through cooperation between and among its Member States and with the European Union, international and regional organizations as well as with other public or private institutions and non-governmental organizations. 
  • Eurasian Development Bank  – The Eurasian Development Bank (the “EDB” or the “Bank”) is an international financial institution established to promote economic growth in its member states, extend trade and economic ties among them, and support integration in Eurasia through investment.
  • Union for the Mediterranean – The Union for the Mediterranean is an intergovernmental institution bringing together 42 countries to promote dialogue and cooperation in the Euro-Mediterranean region 
  • European Public Law Organization  – The EPLO is an international organization dedicated to the creation and dissemination of knowledge in the area of Public Law lato sensu and Governance, including but not limited to, inter alia, national, comparative and European public law, human rights law and environmental law and the promotion of European values for a better generation of lawyers and democratic institutions worldwide.
  • CIA World Factbook – Europe – Akrotiri, Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Dhekelia, Estonia, European Union, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guernsey, The Holy See, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Jan Mayen, Jersey, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Svalbard, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, and United Kingdom

Africa

  • African Union – “An Integrated, Prosperous and Peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena.” 
  • African Development Bank Group – The overarching objective of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group is to spur sustainable economic development and social progress in its regional member countries (RMCs), thus contributing to poverty reduction.
  • Economic Community of West African States – Established on May 28 1975 via the treaty of Lagos, ECOWAS is a 15-member regional group with a mandate of promoting economic integration in all fields of activity of the constituting countries.
  • Economic Community of Central African States – The Economic Community of Central African States -CEEAC- mobilizes all its resources and energy to make Central Africa a region of peace, prosperity and solidarity based on a unified economic and political space where each citizen moves freely in order to ‘thus ensures sustainable and balanced development.
  • Southern African Development Community – The main objectives of SADC are to achieve development, peace and security, and economic growth, to alleviate poverty, enhance the standard and quality of life of the peoples of Southern Africa, and support the socially disadvantaged through regional integration, built on democratic principles and equitable and sustainable development.
  • East African Community – The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of six (6) Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
  • Partners in Population & Development – Partners in Population and Development (PPD) is an intergovernmental initiative created specifically for the purpose of expanding and improving South-to-South collaboration in the fields of reproductive health, population, and development. PPD was launched at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), when ten developing countries from Asia, Africa and Latin America formed an intergovernmental alliance.
  • CIA World Factbook – Africa – Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Saint Helena Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe 

The Middle East

  • League of Arab States – Founded in March 1945, the League of Arab States (or Arab League) is a loose confederation of twenty-two Arab nations whose broad mission is to improve coordination among its members on matters of common interest. (From the Council on Foreign Relations)
  • Organization of Islamic Cooperation – The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is the second largest organization after the United Nations with a membership of 57 states spread over four continents. The Organization is the collective voice of the Muslim world. It endeavors to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world.
  • Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) – The mission of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is to coordinate and unify the petroleum policies of its Member Countries and ensure the stabilization of oil markets in order to secure an efficient, economic and regular supply of petroleum to consumers, a steady income to producers and a fair return on capital for those investing in the petroleum industry.”
  • Union for the Mediterranean – The Union for the Mediterranean is an intergovernmental institution bringing together 42 countries to promote dialogue and cooperation in the Euro-Mediterranean region
  • OPEC Fund for International Development – “The OPEC Fund’s work is people-centered, focusing on projects that meet basic needs – such as food, energy, clean water and sanitation, healthcare and education – with the aim of encouraging self-reliance and inspiring hope for the future.” 
  • CIA World Factbook – The Middle East – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Gaza Strip, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, West Bank, and Yemen

Oceania

  • Pacific Islands Forum – The Forum’s Pacific Vision is for a region of peace, harmony, security, social inclusion and prosperity, so that all Pacific people can lead free, healthy, and productive lives.
  • CIA World Factbook – Oceania – American Samoa, Ashmore & Cartier Islands, Australia, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Cook Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Pitcairn Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, US Pacific Island Wildlife Refuge, Vanatu, Wake Island, and Wallis & Futuna

Finding Aids

For general searching of government information, see our finding aids page.

See Also