aine

centrally planned economies : a term applied mainly to the
traditionally Communist states that looked to the former USSR for
leadership; most are now evolving toward more democratic and market-
oriented systems; also known formerly as the Second World or as the
Communist countries; through the 1980s, this group included Albania,
Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, GDR, Hungary, North
Korea, Laos, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, USSR,
Vietnam

Colombo Plan (CP): established - NA May 1950 proposal was adopted; 1
July 1951 commenced full operations

aim - to promote economic and social development in Asia and the
Pacific

members - (25) Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma,
Cambodia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Laos,
Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, NZ, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea,
Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, US, Vietnam

Commonwealth (C): note - also known as Commonwealth of Nations

established - 31 December 1931

aim - to foster multinational cooperation and assistance, as a
voluntary association that evolved from the British Empire

members - (53) Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Bangladesh,
Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brunei, Cameroon, Canada, Cyprus, Dominica,
Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kenya,
Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius,
Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, NZ, Nigeria, Pakistan (suspended), Papua
New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon
Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad
and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, UK, Vanuatu, Zambia; note - on 7 December
2003 Zimbabwe withdrew its membership from the Commonwealth

Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS): established - 8 December
1991; effective - 21 December 1991

aim - to coordinate intercommonwealth relations and to provide a
mechanism for the orderly dissolution of the USSR

members - (12) Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine,
Uzbekistan

Communist countries: traditionally the Marxist-Leninist states with
authoritarian governments and command economies based on the Soviet
model; most of the original and the successor states are no longer
Communist; see centrally planned economies

Coordinatin