Global Elite Research Center The August Review     ACDA The Arms Control and Disarmament Agency was a US federal body established to monitor and verify arms control measures and disarmament policies. In 2000 it was amalgamated with the US State Department. Although a small agency, the ACDA became infamous because of its early propagation of creating an independent United Nations military force.   ACUNS The Academic Council on the United Nations System is a world-wide association of scholars, political players, and educators who advocate an empowered United Nations centered on global governance ideals.     ACUS The Atlantic Council of the United States is America’s leading organization supporting NATO and other Atlantic Alliance concepts.       ADB The Asian Development Bank is one of the world’s largest financial lending institutions, providing loans and lending programs to a wide range of development projects in the Asian-Pacific zone. ADB lending clients are its member governments, which also happen to be its shareholders.   ADBG The African Development Bank Group is the parent body that oversees the African Development Bank, the African Development Fund, and the Nigeria Trust Fund.   Agenda 21 Agenda 21 is the framework document for global environmental management as instituted at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro.   AID Americans for Informed Democracy is an American-based organization working in more than 10 countries and on more than 250 US university campuses. AID aims to develop globally aware leaders who can shape US foreign policy towards international ideals. AID is openly supported by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Open Society Institute, DarMac Foundation, and the Hewlett Foundation.   APEC APEC, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, is the primary intergovernmental vehicle used in promoting global free trade and investment growth between its 21 national member-economies. Presently, APEC membership includes Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong-China, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, The Republic of the Philippines, The Russian Federation, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, United States of America, and Viet Nam. These combined APEC member-economies account for more than a third of the world’s population, 47% of the world’s trade, and approximately 60% of the global GDP.      ASEAN The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is a regional intergovernmental organization located in Jakarta, Indonesia. ASEAN’s purpose is to bring about greater economic and political integration into the south-east Asian region. Current national members include Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.   AU The African Union is the successor to the Organization of African Unity. A European Union-modeled coalition of African nations, the AU has an established advisory Pan-African Parliament located in Midrand, South Africa.     AUD The Association to Unite the Democracies is an organization with roots dating back to World War II. Originally, the goal of the AUD was to advance a formal political union between the democratic nations of North America and Western Europe. Early in AUD’s life, the body played a key role in rallying US support for the creation of NATO. Today, AUD focuses on tightening the Euro-Atlantic political link through advocating NATO and European Union enlargement.   BAFT The Bankers Association for Finance and Trade, which was started in 1921 with a meeting of ten bankers at the Hotel Cleveland, is a financial membership organization made up of United States and non-US banks and institutions. BAFT’s purpose is to act as a policy and advocacy body within the national and international financial system – working with global capital markets, international payment businesses, trade associations, and various governmental bodies. In 2002, the BAFT became an affiliate of the American Bankers Association.     Balance of Power A strategic term wherein all strengths and weaknesses equal out between opposing players, regardless of narrow independent vantage points. While the term typically applies to military/national strategic issues between rival nations, it carries a broader application that fits within various global power struggles.      Balance of Terror A strategic term representing an equilibrium of ultimate destruction between powers. In a Balance of Terror situation, each power group has the capability of inflicting unacceptable levels of damage upon each other.   Bank Indonesia The central bank of Indonesia. As part of the late 1990’s Asian economic crisis recovery program, the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank coordinated a series of controversial finance programs, including a revamping of the Bank Indonesia under international guidance. The Bank Indonesia is a shareholder member in the Bank for International Settlements.      Bank of Algeria   Bank of America Founded in 1874 as the Commercial Financial Bank, it has, over the decades, experienced a dizzying array of mergers and acquisitions – including historical linkages to VISA (known earlier as the BankAmericard). Today, the Bank of America is the third largest commercial bank in the United States.   Bank of Canada Canada’s central bank, which is responsible for monetary policy and national funds management. The Bank of Canada originally started as a private institution but was amalgamated into the Canadian government Crown corporation system in 1938. Today, the Bank of Canada works with the Government of Canada, other central banks, and with major global financial institutions. It’s also a shareholding member of the Bank for International Settlements.      Bank of Estonia The central bank of Estonia: a member of the European System of Central Banks and a shareholding member in the Bank for International Settlements.      Bank of Finland The national central bank of Finland: a member of the European System of Central Banks and a shareholding member in the Bank for International Settlements.     Bank of France The national central bank of France. In existence since 1800, the Bank of France has undergone a number of important changes, including nationalization on January 1, 1946, and back to independence in 1993. The Bank of France is a member of the European System of Central Banks and a shareholding member in the Bank for International Settlements.   Bank of Greece The national central bank of Greece: a member of the European System of Central Banks and a shareholding member of the Bank for International Settlements.   Bank of Israel Israel’s central bank. Established in 1954, the Bank of Israel was the successor to the Anglo-Palestine Bank, which held the role of banknote management with the Government of Israel from 1948 until 1954. Today, the Bank of Israel is a shareholding member of the Bank for International Settlements.       Bank of Italy The central bank of Italy: a member of the European System of Central Banks and a shareholding member of the Bank for International Settlements.     Bank of Latvia Latvia’s central bank: a member of the European System of Central Banks and a shareholding member of the Bank for International Settlements.     Bank of Lithuania The central bank for Lithuania: a member of the European System of Central Banks and a shareholding member of the Bank for International Settlements.    Bank of Mexico Mexico’s autonomous central bank, which oversees monetary policy, currency and coinage, and federal payment systems. It’s a shareholding member of the Bank for International Settlements.   Bank of Portugal Portugal’s central bank: a member of the European System of Central Banks and a shareholding member of the Bank for International Settlements.     Bank of Slovenia Slovenia’s central bank: a member of the European System of Central Banks and a shareholding member of the Bank for International Settlements.     Banco de España Spain’s central bank: a member of the European System of Central Banks and a shareholding member of the Bank for International Settlements.     Basel Accord An international set of banking principles that sets minimum capital requirements for banks – primarily as it relates to deposit taking and lending. The Basel Accord, also known as the Basel Capital Accord, was devised under the auspicious of the Bank for International Settlement’s Basel Committee on Banking Supervision.       BASIC The British American Security Information Council is an “independent analysis and advocacy organization” with offices in London and Washington DC. The organization – with a senior membership of high-level players – is geared towards global strategic, military, and security policy development. Funders for BASIC include the Ford Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation, Rockefeller Family Associates, and a host of other entities.   BBA The British Bankers’ Association, in existence since 1919, is a British-based umbrella organization for major UK and non-UK banks. It acts as a trade and policy organization, and is actively involved in European and global capital markets. Presently, three quarters of the BBA’s members are non-UK, representing 60 nations. BBA members hold 90% of England’s banking sector assets.   BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation is one of the largest media outlets in the world, and is run by twelve governors who act as trustees appointed by the Queen of England.   BCA The Business Council of Australia is Australia’s leading association of Chief Executives and prominent business players. BCA advocates global free trade, including World Trade Organization programs, and deeper regional/ international investment ties.      BCBS The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision is a major committee within the Bank for International Settlements. Although the findings and recommendations of the BCBS were not initially intended to carry legal weight, the strategies and standards advocated by the BCBS are internationally upheld and aggressively advanced within the global financial framework. The BCBS was established in 1974.     BCCI The Bank of Credit and Commerce International was a major global lending and investment institution. At its height the BCCI operated in 78 countries with over 400 branches. The bank closed in 1991 under the weight of massive fraud and money laundering charges. In the investigations, BCCI was found to support illegal international activity and was a conduit for CIA covert operations – including the Iran/Contra arms sales network.     BGFRS The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System is the management body which oversees the work and functions of the Federal Reserve System – America’s central bank. The BGFRS is a shareholding member of the Bank for International Settlements.     BIB Formed in part by Nelson Rockefeller’s International Basic Economy Corporation, the Banco de Investimento do Brazil – the Brazilian Investment Bank – became a major conduit for Rockefeller-South American investment programs during the late 1960s and early 70s. BIB also had dealings with the Bank of Credit and Commerce International.      BIC The Bahá’í International Community is a global non-governmental organization representing the worldwide membership of the Bahá’í Faith. It openly advocates the creation of a world government with a global justice system and international economic policy. In Haifa, Israel, the BIC has set up an incredible series of terraced gardens, lined by an impressive array of judicial, educational, and administrative buildings – all in anticipation of the coming world system. BIC is one of the most vocal advocates of global governance vis-à-vis the United Nations.      Bilderberger Named after the Hotel Bilderberg in Oosterbeek, Holland (where the first gathering took place in 1954), the Bildergerer get-together is an annual event where ruling elite strategize over and discuss the direction of international affairs.   BIS Bank for International Settlements   Blowback A term used in foreign policy/intelligence circles referring to the unintended consequences of foreign policy/military actions.   BMD The concept of BMD – Ballistic Missile Defense – is to arm both ground and space-based weapons against the threat of incoming ballistic missiles.   BND The BND, short for Bundesnachrichtendienst, is the German intelligence branch known as the Federal Intelligence Service. The BND has a global area of operations.   BNL Operating since 1913, the BNL – Banca Nazionale del Lavoro (also known as the National Labor Bank) – is one of Italy’s largest banking groups and a major global lending institution. While the bank’s history is long, it’s a history soiled by major scandals, including the Vatican-Masonic P2 affair and the Iran-Contra debacle.   BNOC The British National Oil Corporation was England’s state-owned oil agency. Established under the Labour government, BNOC became a primary controlling factor in North Sea oil development and a leading player in global oil price controls. 1n 1985 Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher abolished the agency after a series of major BNOC market losses.     BOE The Bank of England is the United Kingdom’s central bank. Arguably, the BOE is one of the most important central banks in the world, acting both as the monetary policy platform for England and as one of the world’s most pivotal institutions guiding the international monetary system. Founded in 1694, the Bank of England is the starting point for today’s system of money as we know it. The Bank of England is a member of the European System of Central Banks and a shareholding member of the Bank for International Settlements.     BOJ The Bank of Japan is Japan’s central bank. During the 1980’s, the greater Japanese banking community became the largest creditor group in the world, hosting four of the globe’s leading banks. Through all this – and the Asian currency crisis of the 1990s – the BOJ has played, and continues to play, a key role in developing Japan’s monetary policy and supporting its international economic reach. The Bank of Japan is a shareholding member of the Bank for International Settlements.   BOK Established in 1950, the Bank of Korea is South Korea’s central bank, and is charged with price stability and monetary policy duties. It’s a shareholding member of the Bank for International Settlements.      BOND BOND stands for the British Overseas NGOs for Development, an organization in the United Kingdom that networks with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in the fields of international development, regional EU policy, and British development programming abroad. BOND was founded in 1993 and now has over 290 NGOs in its network.   Border 2012 Border 2012 is the extension and expansion of the initial US-Mexican Border XXI Program. The land area impacted by Border 2012 is the same as the Border XXI Program – a 62.5 mile strip on both the US and Mexican side, running the entire length of the international boundary.   Border XXI Program The Border XXI (21) Program was a joint federal US and Mexican environmental/sustainable development operation designed to cooperatively manage the entire US-Mexico border region as a supranational entity. The Border XXI Program, which received intense criticism, was concluded in 2000. It has since been upgraded and re-packaged as Border 2012.   BOT The BOT – the Bank of Thailand – is the central bank for the nation of Thailand. It sets monetary and exchange policies, prints bank notes, and manages foreign reserves. The BOT is a shareholding member of the Bank for International Settlements.     BP Originally formed in 1909 as the Anglo-Persian Oil Company and changing its name to British Petroleum in 1954, BP today is one of the world’s largest oil and petrochemical companies. Over the years BP has acquired a number of significant holdings, including John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil.   Brandt Commission Named after West German Chancellor Willy Brandt, the Brandt Commission – officially known as the Independent Commission on International Development Issues – was the brainchild of Robert McNamara. Made up of high-level experts, with Chancellor Brandt at its helm, the Brandt Commission proposed new international directions for managing the global economy.    BRC The Boston Research Center for the 21st Century is a leading Buddhist-based organization working to build a framework for global citizenship, with a major focus on the Earth Charter. Steven Rockefeller, Chairman of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and Coordinator of the Drafting Process of the Earth Charter, has been part of the BRC’s Earth Charter review.   Bretton Woods The Bretton Woods Conference and the Bretton Woods Agreement set the stage for a new international economic and monetary order for the post-World War II era. Meeting at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, in 1944, delegates committed to the Bretton Woods Agreement, thereby instituting the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (better known as the World Bank) and the International Monetary Fund.     Bretton Woods Committee An elite group of global actors, including former heads of state, that meet to develop international economic governance strategies. Of particular interest to the Committee is the continuation of close relationships between US federal policies and World Bank/ International Monetary Fund priorities.   BRIC BRIC stands for Brazil, Russia, India and China. The acronym represents the combined and progressive economic clout of the BRIC economies on the world stage.     Brookings Institute The Brookings Institute is an extremely significant American-based foreign policy think-tank, engaging in foreign relations work, international governance strategies, and national and multilateral economic/political research. The Brookings official start-year was 1927, although its history can be traced to the 1916 Institute for Government Research.   Brundtland Commission Named after Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brudtland, the Brundtland Commission – officially known as the World Commission on Environment and Development – produced the landmark 1987 report, Our Common Future. The work of the Brundtland Commission was instrumental in developing a roadmap for global environmental governance, and popularized the idea of “sustainable development.”   BSP The BSP – Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas – is the central bank for the Philippines. As an autonomous institution, BSP is charged with tasks such as monetary policy setting, issuing of national currency, and the management of foreign reserves. BSP is a shareholding member of the Bank for International Settlements.   Bulgarian National Bank Bulgaria’s central bank: a shareholding member of the Bank for International Settlements.   Business Roundtable The Business Roundtable is a United States-based Chief Executive organization with a membership comprised from America’s largest corporations. It advocates global trade policies and international economic/investment programs.   BWC The Better World Campaign (BWC) is a project instituted by the Better World Fund to develop deeper cooperative ties between the US government and the United Nations, especially as it relates to supporting UN funding and empowerment programs.     BWF The Better World Fund (BWF) is a sister organization of the United Nations Foundation, the body responsible for overseeing Ted Turner’s 1997 $1 billion gift to the United Nations. The BWF exists for one purpose: to build and strengthen the goals and objectives of the United Nations.     BWS The Better World Society (BWS) is an earlier group founded by Ted Turner to support the United Nations stride towards a global environmental governance platform.   CAFTA Central American Free Trade Agreement   CFR Council on Foreign Relations - Founded in 1921 and quickly became a major influence on U.S. foreign policy. Membership grew over the years to about 4,000. Its primary publication, Foreign Affairs, continues to be a most likely source of globalist theories. David Rockefeller is Honorary Chairman.     CGS CGS - Citizens for Global Solutions - is a US based lobby group which advocates global governance through world federation. The organizations formerly known as the World Federalist Association and Campaign for UN Reform morphed into one group, CGS, during 2004.   CICS Center for Strategic and International Studies   CSIS Center for Strategic and International Studies   FTAA Free Trade Area of the Americas   GATT General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade   Hegemony A trade-related term indicating the dominance of one group over another such that the dominant group can dictate the terms of trade to its own advantage.   IIE Institute for International Economics   IMF International Monetary Fund   Liberalization In the area of international trade, the relaxation of government restrictions, including tariffs and quotas. For example, "Due to liberalization of capital flows , capital and investment between nations is considerably more mobile." Liberalization is not synonymous with privatization.   Monopoly A condition of trade where there is essentially only one provider of a particular product or service. A monopoly declares a lack of competition that might otherwise reduce the pricing levels of the product or service in question. Monopolies are seldom benevolent.      Monopsony The inverse of a monopoly in that there is only one buyer in a market rather than one seller. A monopoly will always seek to create a monopsony in order to control the supply of raw materials to drive down cost of manufacturing.   NAFTA North American Free Trade Agreement   Oligopoly A market that is dominated by a small number of sellers who would tend to collude in order to raise selling prices. When a formal agreement exists to control prices, it is known as a cartel.   Oligopsony Represents a market where there are a only a small number of buyers for a product or service. An example is the fast-food market (McDonalds, Burger King, etc) exerting control over beef producers to control meat prices.   PNAC Project for the New American Century   Privatization Transferring property or business functions from public ownership/operation to private hands. The opposite of nationalization.   Robber barons Businessmen of the 19th century who engaged in unscrupulous business practices (in industry and in the stock market) to amass huge personal fortunes. Historians include in this list individuals like Andrew Carnegie (steel), Jay Gould (finance, railroads), J.P. Morgan (banking), John D. Rockefeller (Oil ) and Cornelius Vanderbilt (railroads, shipping).   Trilateral Commission A private organization founded in 1973 by David Rockefeller and Zbigniew Brzezinski. Perpetual membership of around 300 covering Europe, Japan and the North America. Elite membership consists of corporate directors, scholars and high-ranking politicians.   WTO World Trade Organization   Return to Global Banking