Vanuatu - International cooperation

A member of the Commonwealth of Nations, Vanuatu joined the UN on 15 September 1981 and participates in ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, IMF, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, and WHO. It also belongs to the Asian Development Bank (which opened a regional office in Port-Vila in 1984), the French Community, G-77, and various regional Pacific bodies, and has applied for membership in the WTO. Vanuatu has taken an active role in Pacific affairs, campaigning for a nuclear-free zone and advocating independence for New Caledonia. Vanuatu has established diplomatic relations with a number of OECD countries, as well as China, Cuba, Vietnam, and Libya.