Paraguay is a member of the United Nations and several of its specialized agencies. It also belongs to the Organization of American States, the Latin American Integration Association (ALADI), the Rio Group, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, and MERCOSUR (the Southern Cone Common Market). Its foreign policy has followed closely the Rio Group's lead on many issues of wideranging political importance. Paraguay is closely aligned with its MERCOSUR partners on many political, economic and social issues.