International Governments and Non-Governmental Organizations
This guide provides information about governments and government information created in and about other countries, as well as sources for international organizations that provide information and data on countries throughout the world.
Reference Sources on Governments Around the World
- U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact SheetsBackground Notes include facts about the land, people, history, government, political conditions, economy, and foreign relations of independent states, some dependencies, and areas of special sovereignty.
- CIA Work FactbookThe CIA: World Factbook provides information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 world entities.
- Guide to Law Online: Nations of the World (Library of Congress)The Guide to Law Online is an annotated collection of links to free online legal materials and pertinent resources in the Library of Congress catalog, organized by jurisdiction.
- List of National governments compiled by the Northwest UniversityLists websites for national governments around the world, including some ministries and departments.
- Statistical Abstracts of the World This link opens in a new windowThis resource aggregates the statistical abstracts of more than 50 countries and makes the content available through a single-search interface. These statistical abstracts are generally issued by the national statistical offices of foreign governments and contain country-level data not easily found elsewhere. Also includes data from the United Nations Demographic Yearbook, World Development Indicators, and Key Figures on Europe.
[Coverage: 1878-2012]
- Europa World PlusNot just Europe, Europa World Plus has economic, political, historical, and geographic profiles of 250+ countries and global regions. Includes sections on Africa South of the Sahara, Central and south-eastern Europe, Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia, Far East and Australasia, Middle East and North Africa, South America, Central America, and the Caribbean, South Asia, USA and Canada, as well as, Western Europe.
- Eurostat This link opens in a new windowEurostat is the statistical agency for the European Union. The site provides access to data (monthly, quarterly, and annual data) from 1960 onwards. Topics include: general statistics, regional statistics, economy and finance, agriculture and fisheries, environment and energy, population and social conditions, services and transport and intra- extra- EU trade statistics. Coverage is Europe.
- China Data Online This link opens in a new windowChina Data Online is the primary data source for China studies. It includes (1) China Statistical Databases; and (2) China Census Databases; It provides easy access to the various statistical yearbooks published by the National Bureau of Statistics of China, comprehensive statistics, and Census data of economy and population at national, provincial, city, county, and even township levels.
- EPS China Statistics This link opens in a new windowA collection of dozens of data sets covering a wide variety of topics and regions of China. The data sets are organized into the following groups.
Domestic Census; Key Industries; Financial Market;Macro-Economy; Society and People's Livelihood; Industrial Economy; Trade and Foreign Economy; Region & Counties - China Geo-Explorer II This link opens in a new windowChina Geo-Explorer II "fully integrates different data sources from government statistics, population census and economics census of China at different levels (province, city, county, township and ZIP code) into a spatial system with more than 6,000 comparable variables for easy access." Among other features, it permits the export of GIS shapefiles. China Geo-Explorer II provides access to demographic and business data, maps and reports for Mainland China at various administrative levels, and access to efficient data integration for spatial and non-spatial data (custom radii, administrative units, spatial boundaries). It is a tool for quick and accurate location analysis and spatial assessment, and a tool for identifying spatial patterns and trends. The database can generate easy-to-use and customized reports, dynamic charts, tables and maps. Data can be exported to PDF, Excel, Word, or Shape files.
International Organizations
Here is a selection of specialized resources that will help you find research published by intergovernmental organization such as the United Nations and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
The UC Davis Library collects documents from the United Nations, the World Bank, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. While the University Library has legacy collections of International Governments Organizations (IGOs) in paper copy, a large number of our current IGO collection is available through online subscriptions or databases. IGO documents both in paper copy and online are represented in the UC Davis Library catalog
United Nations: affiliates and information sources
- United NationsThe United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization to promote international co-operation. The UN Charter stipulates that each primary organ of the UN can establish various specialized agencies to fulfill its duties. Some best-known agencies are the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Food and Agriculture Organization, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), the World Bank, and the World Health Organization (WHO).
- United Nations ODS (Official Document System)The United Nations Official Document System comprises the full text of all United Nations parliamentary documents, including resolutions and decisions.
- UN Data This link opens in a new windowThe United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) brings UN statistical databases within easy reach of users through a single entry point to search and download a variety of statistical resources of the UN system.
- Food and Agriculture OrganizationThe Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and debate policy.
- UNESCOUNESCO promotes collaboration among nations through education, science and culture in order to further universal respect for justice, for the rule of law and for the human rights and fundamental freedoms.
- World Health OrganizationThe World Health Organization, the United Nations specialized agency for health, was established on 7 April 1948. WHO’s objective is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. Health is defined as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
- World Bank eLibraryThe World Bank eLibrary contains the full collection of all World Bank publications and research including: Books published since the 1990s; all World Bank Economic Review (WBER) and World Bank Research Observer (WBRO) since 1996; all Development Outreach issues; and all Policy Research Working Papers since 1995.
- International Monetary Fund (IMF) eLibraryThe IMF is an international organization of 184 member countries. It was established to promote international monetary cooperation, exchange stability, and orderly exchange arrangements; to foster economic growth and high levels of employment; and to provide temporary financial assistance to countries to help ease balance of payments adjustment.
- World Trade OrganizationThe World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. At its heart are the WTO agreements, negotiated and signed by the bulk of the world’s trading nations and ratified in their parliaments. The goal is to help producers of goods and services, exporters, and importers conduct their business.
- World Intellectual Property OrganizationThe World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) WIPO is the global forum for intellectual property (IP) services, policy, information and cooperation.
- International Atomic Energy AgencyThe International Atomic Energy Agency serves as the world’s intergovernmental forum for scientific and technical co-operation in the nuclear field, and as the international inspectorate for the application of nuclear safeguards and verification measures covering civilian nuclear programs.
- UN Sustainability GoalsThe Sustainable Development Goals are a call for action by all countries – poor, rich and middle-income – to promote prosperity while protecting the planet. They recognize that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that build economic growth and address a range of social needs including education, health, social protection, and job opportunities, while tackling climate change and environmental protection.
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development sites
- OECDThe Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international organisation of thirty countries that accept the principles of representative democracy and free-market economy. The mandate of the OECD is broad, covering economic, environmental, and social issues.
- OECD iLibrary This link opens in a new windowOECD iLibrary is OECD’s Online Library for Books, Papers and Statistics and the gateway to OECD’s analysis and data. It replaces SourceOECD, and hosts all content so users can find - and cite - tables and databases as easily as articles or chapters.
[Coverage: 1998-present, plus retrospective statistical data]
Regional Organizations
- Organization of American StatesMade up of 35 member states, the OAS is the region’s premier political forum for multilateral dialogue and action. With four official languages — English, Spanish, French and Portuguese — the Organization reflects the rich diversity of peoples and cultures across the Americas.
- African UnionThe African Union (AU) is a continental body consisting of the 55 member states that make up the countries of the African Continent. It was officially launched in 2002 as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU, 1963-1999).
- Asian Development Bank This link opens in a new windowADB is an international development finance institution whose mission is to help its developing member countries reduce poverty and improve the quality of life of their people.
- European UnionThe European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe.
- Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)ASEAN is a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia, which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, military, educational, and sociocultural integration between its members and countries in Asia-Pacific.