Directory of Economic, Commodity and Development Organizations - table of contents

INTERNATIONAL SUGAR ORGANIZATION (ISO)

Organisation internationale du sucre
Organización Internacional del Azúcar 


        
HEADQUARTERS

        

One Canada Square                                        Telephone:   [44]0(20)7513-1144
Canary Wharf                                             Facsimile:   [44]0(20)7513-1146
London E14 5AA                                           E-Mail:      exdir@isosugar.org
England                                                  Internet:    www.sugaronline.com/iso

          Executive Director:           ...     Peter BARON
          Senior Economists:            ...     Sergey GUDOSHNIKOV
                                        ...     Lindsay JOLLY

                                 


        
LANGUAGES: English, French, Russian, Spanish

        
ESTABLISHMENT AND FUNCTIONS

        
The International Sugar Organization (ISO) was
        established to administer the International Sugar
        Agreement, 1968, as successor to the International Sugar
        Council which had operated under the International Sugar
        Agreement (ISA), 1953. Successor International Sugar
        Agreements of 1973 and 1977 were in force from 1974
        through 1977, and from 1978 through 1984, respectively.
        The Agreement of 1977 was designed to stabilize the price
        of sugar within a range originally of 11 to 21 US cents
        per pound, later 13 to 23 cents, through a system of
        export quotas and nationally held, but internationally
        controlled, stocks. A United Nations Sugar Conference
        held under the auspices of UNCTAD in 1983-1984 failed to
        negotiate a new agreement with economic provisions. A
        two-year administrative agreement was finally concluded
        and entered into force in 1985. Another three-year
        administrative Agreement, renewable on a year to year
        basis for a maximum of two years, was in force from 1988
        until 1992. 

        
A new International Sugar Agreement was negotiated
        in March 1992 which entered into force in January 1993. 

        
The objectives set by the new Agreement open up
        wide scope for cooperation with, assistance to, and
        services for members. Therefore, the 1992 ISA represents
        a modern commodity agreement of the new generation which
        is perfectly suited to the requirements of its members in
        the 1990s and beyond. 

        
The objectives of the International Sugar
        Agreement, 1992, in the light of the terms of resolution
        93(iv) adopted by the United Nations Conference on Trade
        and Development(UNCTAD), are: (a) to ensure enhanced
        international cooperation in connection with world sugar
        matters related issues; (b) to provide a forum for
        inter-governmental consultations on sugar and on ways to
        improve the world sugar economy; (c) to facilitate trade
        by collecting and providing information on the world
        sugar market and other sweeteners; and (d) to encourage
        increased demand for sugar, particularly for
        non-traditional uses. 

        
The Organization usually holds two Council
        sessions, three Administrative Committee meetings, and
        two Market Evaluation, Consumption and Statistics
        Committee (MECAS) meetings every year to achieve
        objectives (a) and (b) above. 

        
With the entry into force of the Common Fund for
        Commodities, the ISO has been designated an International
        Commodity Body (ICB), which adds a new function for the
        ISO to process loan applications for sugar related
        projects prepared by the ISO Members. 

        
The objectives (c) and (d) are developed in
        Articles 32 and 33 which state that the ISO will act as
        "a centre for the collection and publication of
        statistical information and studies on world production,
        prices, export and imports, consumption and stocks of
        sugar ... and other sweeteners" and includes an
        undertaking by members to supply information, backed up
        by appropriate statistical rules. 

        
Further requirements are spelled out in Article 33
        establishing the Market Evaluation, Consumption and
        Statistics Committee which is charged with studying, inter
        alia, the following: (a) preparation of sugar
        statistics and statistical analysis of sugar production,
        consumption, stocks,international trade and prices; (b)
        analysis of market behavior and factors which affect it,
        with special reference to participation of developing
        countries in world trade; and (c) analysis of demandfor
        sugar, including the effects of the use of any form of
        natural and artificial substitutes for sugar onworld
        trade in, and consumption of, sugar. 

        
Hence a number of studies have been published by
        the Secretariat to meet a very comprehensive work program
        approved by the Council, covering all aspects of
        production, consumption, trade, prices, alternative
        sweeteners, taxes and duties, alternative uses of sugar
        and derivatives, sugar and environment, sugar and health,
        as well as fortification of sugar with Vitamin A. 

        
Meetings of the Council and MECAS Committee also
        act as a conduit for national policy presentations by
        Members and their discussions. Numerous papers on this
        aspect have been discussed since 1990. 

        
General Statistical Collection and Dissemination
        

        
(i) Prices are monitored by the calculation of an ISO
        daily price and the publication of daily, weekly and
        monthly price tables. 

        
(ii) Production, consumption, trade and stock
        developments are monitored through the compilation and
        publication of a Monthly Bulletin of Statistics and the
        Annual Sugar Year Book. 

        
(iii) Short term (one crop cycle ahead) estimations on
        a country by country basis are made for all elements of
        the sugar economy (production, consumption trade and
        stocks) and updated and published four times a year in
        the Quarterly Market Review. 

        
More recently, the ISO has been holding yearly
        seminars and workshops. In 1992, they conducted a seminar
        on "Prospects for the Sugar Industry and Sugar
        Market in Eastern Europe"; 1993"Far East Sugar
        Market"; 1994 "The North African and Middle
        East Sugar Market"; 1995 "Latin American and
        Caribbean Sugar Economy"; 1996 "The Sugar
        Economies of the Indian Ocean Rim";1997 "Sugar
        in Europe: Challenges and Changes"; 1998
        "Conflictual Issues in World Sugar; 1999
        "Asia's Future Role in the World Sugar and Other
        Sweeteners Market"; 2000 "Hot Issues for
        Sugar"; 2001 "Movers & Shakers - Their
        Impact on the World Sweeteners Market". Workshops
        held in 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000
        respectively were: "Implications of the GATT
        Agreement for Sugar", "Sugar, Alcohol and the
        Environment", "Alternative Uses of Sugar and
        By-products", "Alternative Uses of
        Bagasse", "Developments, Opportunities in Sugar
        Technology, and Diversification Beyond 2000,
        "Special Meeting of the 14th MECAS Session - Current
        Market Situation" 1999, "Impact of Latin
        America on the Sugar Markets", "Sugar in the
        WTO".

        
COMPOSITION

        
63 members (including the European Union):
        Argentina, Australia, Belarus, Belize, Brazil, Colombia,
        Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominican Republic,
        Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, the European Union
        and its member States (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Ethiopia,
        Finland, France, Germany,Greece, Iran, Ireland, Italy,
        Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United
        Kingdom), Fiji, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary,
        India, Jamaica, Kenya, Korea, Latvia, Malawi,
        Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Philippines,
        Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia and Montenegro, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Switzerland, Tanzania, 
        Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, Viet Nam,
        Zambia, Zimbabwe--representing 75% of world sugar
        production, 55% of world sugar consumption, 90% of world
        net exports and 26% of net imports. 

        
STRUCTURE

        
The International Sugar Council, consisting of all
        members of the Organization, is the highest authority.
        The Council functions through an Administrative Committee
        composed of annually appointed and elected
        representatives of its members. The Council elects a
        Chairman and Vice-Chairman for each year and holds one
        regular session each half of the year. Additional
        meetings may be held as may be necessary. 

        
GENERAL PUBLICATIONS

        
Statistical Bulletin (monthly); Sugar Year
        Book (annual); Market Report and Press Summary(monthly);
        Quarterly Market Review (quarterly); Seminar
        Proceedings (annual); Workshop(annual) 

        
UPDATED:  December 2003

        
Directory of
        Economic, Commodity and Development Organizations - table
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