International Civil Aviation Organization The International Civil Aviation Organization(ICAO),a specialized agency of the United Nations,is respon- sible for establishing international standards and recommended practices and procedures for the technical, economic,and legal aspects of international civil aviation operations.ICAO's strategic objectives include enhancing global aviation safety and security and the efficiency of aviation operations,minimizing the adverse effect of global civil aviation on the environment,maintaining the continuity of aviation operations, and strengthening laws governing international civil aviation. For more information,see www.icao.int/. International Labour Organization The International Labour Organization(ILO),a specialized agency of the United Nations,seeks the promo- tion of social justice and internationally recognized human and labor rights.As part of its mandate,the ILO maintains an extensive statistical publication program. For more information,see www.ilo.org/. International Monetary Fund The International Monetary Fund(IMF)was established to promote international monetary cooperation, facilitate the expansion and balanced growth of international trade,promote exchange rate stability,help establish a multilateral payments system,make the general resources of the IMF temporarily available to 1日 its members under adequate safeguards,and shorten the duration and lessen the degree of disequilibrium in the international balance of payments of members. For more information,see www.imf.org/. International Telecommunication Union The International Telecommunication Union(ITU),a specialized agency of the United Nations,covers all aspects of telecommunication,from setting standards that facilitate seamless interworking of equip- ment and systems on a global basis to adopting operational procedures for the vast and growing array of wireless services and designing programs to improve telecommunication infrastructure in the devel- oping world.The ITU is also a catalyst for forging development partnerships between government and private industry For more information,see www.itu.int/. National Science Foundation The National Science Foundation (NSF)is an independent U.S.government agency whose mission is to promote the progress of science;to advance the national health,prosperity,and welfare;and to secure the national defense.It is responsible for promoting science and engineering through almost 20,000 research and education projects.In addition,the NSF fosters the exchange of scientific information among scien- tists and engineers in the United States and other countries,supports programs to strengthen scientific and engineering research potential,and evaluates the impact of research on industrial development and general welfare. For more information,see www.nsf.gov/. 2007 World Development Indicators xiii2007 World Development Indicators xiii International Civil Aviation Organization The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a specialized agency of the United Nations, is respon￾sible for establishing international standards and recommended practices and procedures for the technical, economic, and legal aspects of international civil aviation operations. ICAO’s strategic objectives include enhancing global aviation safety and security and the efficiency of aviation operations, minimizing the adverse effect of global civil aviation on the environment, maintaining the continuity of aviation operations, and strengthening laws governing international civil aviation. For more information, see www.icao.int/. International Labour Organization The International Labour Organization (ILO), a specialized agency of the United Nations, seeks the promo￾tion of social justice and internationally recognized human and labor rights. As part of its mandate, the ILO maintains an extensive statistical publication program. For more information, see www.ilo.org/. International Monetary Fund The International Monetary Fund (IMF) was established to promote international monetary cooperation, facilitate the expansion and balanced growth of international trade, promote exchange rate stability, help establish a multilateral payments system, make the general resources of the IMF temporarily available to its members under adequate safeguards, and shorten the duration and lessen the degree of disequilibrium in the international balance of payments of members. For more information, see www.imf.org/. International Telecommunication Union The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a specialized agency of the United Nations, covers all aspects of telecommunication, from setting standards that facilitate seamless interworking of equip￾ment and systems on a global basis to adopting operational procedures for the vast and growing array of wireless services and designing programs to improve telecommunication infrastructure in the devel￾oping world. The ITU is also a catalyst for forging development partnerships between government and private industry. For more information, see www.itu.int/. National Science Foundation The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent U.S. government agency whose mission is to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; and to secure the national defense. It is responsible for promoting science and engineering through almost 20,000 research and education projects. In addition, the NSF fosters the exchange of scientific information among scien￾tists and engineers in the United States and other countries, supports programs to strengthen scientific and engineering research potential, and evaluates the impact of research on industrial development and general welfare. For more information, see www.nsf.gov/. WDI07 frontmatter.indd 13 3/25/07 12:17:57 PM