International Organization

International Organization

These lists are very partial, including some of the more important meetings and institutions. In general, the number of organizations and conferences grew slowly from the 1860s to 80s, boomed in the 1890s-1900s, and boomed again after WWI.

International Conferences

1798 Metric System (Paris)

1851 Sanitary Standards (Paris–first of many)

1852 Telegraphic Union

1853 Statistic (Brussels)

1856 Peace (Paris)

1863 Postal Union (Paris–first of several)

1864 Marine signaling (London)

1864 Humanity in War (Geneva–sponsored by Red Cross)

1867 Monetary Standardization (Paris–first of several)

1873 Mail (Paris)

International Meteorological Conference (Vienna)

1875 Metric treaty 1875

1878 Railway standardization (Bern–first of several)

1880 Industrial Property (Paris)

1882 Protection of submarine cables (Paris)

Fisheries (Hague–first of several)

1883 Exchange of Official Documents (Brussels)

1884 Time zones–widely adopted by 1891

1884 Fixing the Prime Meridian (1994)

1885 Commercial Law (Antwerp)

Colonial Possession (Berlin)

1887 Liquor traffic (first of several)

1889 Maritime Law (Washington–first of several)

Slave Trade (Brussels)

1890 Labor Legislation (Berlin–first of several)

1893 Private International Law (Hague)

World Congress of Religions (Chicago)

1897 Ocean Telegraphy

1899 Peace (Hague, also 1907)

1903 Radiotelegraphy (Berlin)

1904 White Slave Trade (Zurich–first of several)

1909 Opium (Shanghai–first of several)

1910 Unification of Bills of Exchange (Hague)

Arial Law (Verona)

1911 Universal Races Congress

1913 Unification of the Law of the Check (Hague)

In addition, many conferences convened to discuss particular political and diplomatic issues. Many scientific congresses were also held, often with minimal government support.

International Governmental Associations

1864 International Geodetic Association

1865 International Telegraph Union.

1868 International Association of Women (private)

1874 International Postal Union

1875 International Penitentiary Commission

International Bureau of Weights and Measures

1883 International Union for the Protection of Industrial Prosperity

1884 International Rawilway Congress

1885 International Institute of Statistics

1886 International Union for the Protection of Literary and Atistic Works

1890 International Union for the Publication of Customs Tariffs

1897 International Maritime Committee

1899 Permanent Court of Arbitration

1901 International Labor Office

1903 International Associatieon of Seismology

1907 International Prize Court

Many, many more private international organizations were formed, especially in the 1920s.