France - International cooperation

France is a charter member of the UN, having joined on 24 October 1945, and actively cooperates in ECE, ECLAC, ESCAP, and all the non-regional specialized agencies; it is one of the five permanent members of the Security Council. France is also a founding member of the EU. Although France still belongs to NATO, in 1966 the nation withdrew its personnel from the two integrated NATO commands—Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) and Allied Forces Central Europe (AFCENT). France is a member of the Asian Development Bank, Council of Europe, OAS (as a permanent observer), OECD, various community commissions and groups, and other intergovernmental organizations. In all, France belongs to more international governmental and nongovernmental organizations than any other country in the world. France is also a signatory of the Law of the Sea and a member of the WTO.