Canada’s Membership of International Organizations
“Canada’s current and future prosperity depends on an
international framework of rules that provides access to
growing world markets and keeps pace with changes in
technology, business practices, social priorities and
public interests.”
Organization
Description
World Trade Organization
(WTO)
North American Free
Trade Agreement
(NAFTA)
Free Trade Area of the
Americas (FTAA)
Established in 1995 Multilateral institution through which
global trade rules are negotiated and enforced.
Established 1994, joining Canada, the US and Mexico
forming the world's largest free trade area.
La Francophonie
The Commonwealth
The Group of 8 (G8)
(Canada, France, Germany,
Italy, Japan, Russia, UK, USA)
The United Nations
Established in 2005, the FTAA is a collaboration among
34 democratic governments in the Americas, to ensure
prosperity, democracy and free markets for goods and
services in the hemisphere.
Now includes 50 states and governments, which, united by
the links created by their shared use of the French
language, want to benefit from multilateral co-operation,
and use these links to promote peace, cultural exchanges
and development.
-Is a voluntary association of 54 diverse countries spread
world wide, interacting through a network of governmental
and non-governmental links.
-Canada played a leading role in the Commonwealth's
efforts to peacefully dismantle apartheid.
-Objective is to strengthen international institutions by
using a co-operative and consensus-building ability to deal
with major issues and to contribute to negotiating and
implementing agreements.
-Established in 1975 by 6 leaders of major democratic
countries. Canada joined in 1976 and Russia in 1998.
-Meet annually (summit) to discuss current world political
and economic issues.
Objective is to maintain international peace and security;
to develop friendly relations among nations; to cooperate
in solving international economic, social, cultural and
humanitarian problems and in promoting respect for
human rights and fundamental freedoms; and to be a centre
for harmonizing the actions of nations in attaining these
ends.