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Entity Type: Intergovernmental Organization

World Tourism Organization

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The United Nations World Tourism Organization, rebranded as UN Tourism in 2023, is a specialized UN agency headquartered in Madrid, Spain, that promotes responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism worldwide. Established in 1975, it serves as a global forum for tourism policy and research, encouraging competitiveness, innovation, education, investments, and digital transformation in the tourism sector. The organization operates with 160 member states, six associate members, and over 500 affiliate members, conducting business in six official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish. Notable non-members include the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, with several countries having withdrawn from membership over different periods. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism represented one in ten global jobs, with international arrivals reaching 1.5 billion in 2019.

United Nations

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The United Nations is an intergovernmental organization established on October 24, 1945, following World War II to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, promote international cooperation, and foster social progress. Headquartered in New York City, the UN comprises six principal organs: the General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council, International Court of Justice, Secretariat, and Trusteeship Council. With 193 member states, it addresses global challenges through specialized agencies including the World Health Organization, UNESCO, and the World Bank. The organization operates in six official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish. Throughout its history, the UN has engaged in peacekeeping missions, humanitarian aid, human rights promotion, and sustainable development initiatives worldwide.

International Association for Media and Communication Research

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The International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR), established by UNESCO on December 18, 1957, emerged during the Cold War as a forum connecting East-West scholarly communities, with founding members including academics from Poland, Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union alongside Western counterparts. Today, IAMCR maintains Special Advisory Status with UNESCO and the UN Economic and Social Council, operating through specialized sections covering journalism research, political communication, and gender studies. The organization’s biennial conferences consistently attract thousands of scholars and researchers. IAMCR has jointly hosted conferences with and also established formal partnerships with Chinese universities. 

European News Exchange

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The European News Exchange (ENEX) is an association of commercial television broadcasters established on December 14, 1993, operating as a news-sharing platform where members pool their news content. Beyond content sharing, ENEX also offers technical coordination, satellite distribution services, and media consulting. Initially a technical service for sharing news footage, the organization has evolved into a news provider. In 2022, ENEX had 55 members operating more than 75 channels globally, maintaining partnerships with organizations in Latin America and the Middle East. The organization has also expanded into Asia, with Shanghai Media Group (上海文廣集團) joining the platform. Every year, ENEX holds a general assembly, and in 2024, it convened in Shanghai in partnership with Shanghai Media Group and SMG International (上海文廣國際傳播中心), the group’s international communication center (ICC) tasked — like ICCs across the country formed since 2020 — with carrying out external propaganda and communication work.

ASEAN-China Center

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The ASEAN-China Center (中國—東盟中心) is the sole intergovernmental organization between ASEAN and China, established in November 2011 during the 14th ASEAN-China Summit and headquartered in Beijing. Operating as a one-stop information and activities hub, the Center promotes cooperation in trade, investment, education, culture, and tourism through four operational divisions: General Affairs and Coordination, Trade and Investment, Education Culture and Tourism, and Information and Public Relations. Key functions include facilitating business partnerships, coordinating cultural and educational exchanges, conducting market research, supporting small and medium enterprises, managing a permanent exhibition hall, and providing comprehensive data banking services. The non-profit organization operates under a Memorandum of Understanding between ASEAN member states and China, governed by a Joint Council and Joint Executive Board, with capacity-building initiatives particularly focused on supporting less developed ASEAN countries including Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam.

African Union

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The African Union is a continental body comprising 55 member states from across Africa. Founded on July 9, 2002, in Durban, South Africa, it succeeded the Organisation of African Unity (OAU, 1963-1999). The AU was established to shift focus from decolonization to increased cooperation and integration among African states to drive economic development. Its vision is “An Integrated, Prosperous and Peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena.” The AU works through several decision-making organs including the Assembly of Heads of State, the Executive Council, and the African Union Commission. Its long-term development framework, Agenda 2063, aims to achieve socio-economic transformation and integration. In September 2023, the AU became a permanent member of the G20, representing a significant achievement for African representation in global economic governance.

United Nations Department of Global Communications

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The United Nations Department of Global Communications serves as the organization’s storytelling arm, operating across 60 countries to communicate the UN’s mission through multiple platforms and traditional media. The department says that it reaches millions globally with trusted, objective information that promotes understanding of UN work among the public, civil society, private sector, and member states. Embodying the UN’s multilingual principles, it communicates in more than 80 languages to extend impact worldwide. Through what it calls “inclusive messaging and comprehensive outreach,” the department claims to build support for UN aims while enabling “different actors to take concerted action across the global community to make a positive difference in people’s lives and for the planet.”

Arab League

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The Arab League, formally known as the League of Arab States, is a regional organization founded in March 1945 with seven founding members: Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Transjordan, and Yemen. Today, it comprises 22 member states across North Africa and the Middle East, headquartered in Cairo. According to its charter, the founding members agreed to seek “close cooperation” on matters of economics, communication, culture, nationality, social welfare, and health. The League’s goals are to strengthen relations between member states, coordinate collaboration, and safeguard their independence and sovereignty. Each member has one vote in the Council, with decisions binding only for states that voted for them. Despite ambitious goals, the League has been criticized for disunity and poor governance, with critics describing it as a “glorified debating society.” The organization has no mechanism to compel members’ compliance with resolutions.