HISTORY PROJECT

UNITED NATIONS

INT RODUCTION

The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization that

was tasked to maintain international peace and security, develop
friendly relations among nations, achieve international co-operation
and be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations.[3] The
headquarters of the UN is in Manhattan, New York City, and is
subject to extraterritoriality. Further main offices are situated in
Geneva, Nairobi, Vienna and The Hague. The organization is financed
by assessed and voluntary contributions from its member states. Its
objectives include maintaining international peace and security,
protecting human rights, delivering humanitarian aid, promoting
sustainable development and upholding international law.[4] The UN
is the largest, most familiar, most internationally represented and
most powerful intergovernmental organization in the world. In 24
October 1945, at the end of World War II, the organization was
established with the aim of preventing future wars.[5] At its founding,
the UN had 51 member states; there are now 193. The UN is the
successor of the ineffective League of Nations.

Where was the United Nations founded?

24 October 1945, San Francisco, California, United States

SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS

antónio Guterres is the current Secretary-General of the
United Nations. He is the ninth Secretary-General, his term
began 1 January 2017. Gladwyn Jebb, from the United
Kingdom, served as Acting Secretary-General from 24 October
1945 - 1 February 1946

UN HQ

Four of the five principal organs are located at the main UN

Headquarters in New York City. The International Court of Justice is
located in The Hague, while other major agencies are based in the
UN offices at Geneva, Vienna, and Nairobi.

The Formation of the United Nations, 1945

On January 1, 1942, representatives of 26 nations at war with the Axis

powers met in Washington to sign the Declaration of the United
Nations endorsing the Atlantic Charter, pledging to use their full
resources against the Axis and agreeing not to make a separate peace.

The Founding of the UN in San Francisco

At the Quebec Conference in August 1943, Secretary of State Cordell

Hull and British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden agreed to draft a
declaration that included a call for “a general international
organization, based on the principle sovereign equality of all nations.”
An agreed declaration was issued after a Foreign Ministers
Conference in Moscow in October 1943. When President Franklin D.
Roosevelt met with Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin in Tehran, Iran, in
November 1943, he proposed an international organization
comprising an assembly of all member states and a 10-member
executive committee to discuss social and economic issues. The
United States, Great Britain, Soviet Union, and China would enforce
peace as “the four policemen.” Meanwhile Allied representatives
founded a set of task-oriented organizations: the Food and
Agricultural Organization (May 1943), the United Nations Relief and
Rehabilitation Administration (November 1943), the United Nations
Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (April 1944), the
International Monetary Fund and the World Bank (July 1944), and the
International Civil Aviation Organization (November 1944).

U.S., British, Soviet, and Chinese representatives met at Dumbarton

Oaks in Washington in August and September 1944 to draft the
charter of a postwar international organization based on the principle
of collective security. They recommended a General Assembly of all
member states and a Security Council consisting of the Big Four plus
six members chosen by the Assembly. Voting procedures and the veto
power of permanent members of the Security Council were finalized
at the Yalta Conference in 1945 when Roosevelt and Stalin agreed
that the veto would not prevent discussions by the Security Council.
Roosevelt agreed to General Assembly membership for Ukraine and
Byelorussia while reserving the right, which was never exercised, to
seek two more votes for the United States.

Representatives of 50 nations met in San Francisco April-June 1945

to complete the Charter of the United Nations. In addition to the
General Assembly of all member states and a Security Council of 5
permanent and 6 non-permanent members, the Charter provided for
an 18-member Economic and Social Council, an International Court
of Justice, a Trusteeship Council to oversee certain colonial
territories, and a Secretariat under a Secretary General. The Roosevelt
administration strove to avoid Woodrow Wilson’s mistakes in selling
the League of Nations to the Senate. It sought bipartisan support and
in September 1943 the Republican Party endorsed U.S. participation
in a postwar international organization, after which both houses of
Congress overwhelmingly endorsed participation. Roosevelt also
sought to convince the public that an international organization was
the best means to prevent future wars. The Senate approved the UN
Charter on July 28, 1945, by a vote of 89 to 2. The United Nations
came into existence on October 24, 1945, after 29 nations had ratified
the Charter.
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Imagine how the world might look if no opportunities were available

for countries to discuss international matters. Would there be
cooperation among countries? Would there be consensus on
international matters? Would any international problems be resolved?

Countries generally enter into treaties in order to resolve matters

between each other. However, on more complex worldwide matters,
such as world peace and promoting social justice for humanity, a
forum is needed to foster discussion and decision. The United Nations
is one such organization.

Aims of the United Nations:

The objectives of the United Nations, according to its Charter,

are:

(1) To maintain international peace and security.

(2) To develop friendly relations among nations on the basis of

equality and the principle of self-determination.

(3) To foster worldwide cooperation in solving economic, social,

cultural and humanitarian problems.

(4) To promote human rights and fundamental freedom for the people
of the world.

1(5) To serve as a centre where various nations can coordinate their

activities towards the attainment of the objectives of the United
Nations.

(6) To save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.

The organs of the United Nations:

The UN has six principal organs to carry out its functions:

1. The General Assembly,

2. The Security Council,

3. The Economic and Social Council,

4. The Trusteeship Council,

5. The International Court of Justice and

6. The Secretariat.

Principal organs

The United Nations has six principal organs: the General Assembly, the Security
Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, the
International Court of Justice, and the Secretariat.

General Assembly
The only body in which all UN members are represented, the General Assembly
exercises deliberative, supervisory, financial, and elective functions relating to any
matter within the scope of the UN Charter. Its primary role, however, is to discuss
issues and make recommendations, though it has no power to enforce its
resolutions or to compel state action. Other functions include admitting new
members; selecting members of the Economic and Social Council, the
nonpermanent members of the Security Council, and the Trusteeship Council;
supervising the activities of the other UN organs, from which the Assembly
receives reports; and participating in the election of judges to the International
Court of Justice and the selection of the secretary-general. Decisions usually are
reached by a simple majority vote. On important questions, however—such as the
admission of new members, budgetary matters, and peace and security issues—a
two-thirds majority is required.
The Assembly convenes annually and in special sessions, electing a new president
each year from among five regional groups of states. At the beginning of each
regular session, the Assembly also holds a general debate, in which all members
may participate and raise any issue of international concern. Most work, however,
is delegated to six main committees: (1) Disarmament and International Security,
(2) Economic and Financial, (3) Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural, (4) Special
Political and Decolonization, (5) Administrative and Budgetary, and (6) Legal.
The General Assembly has debated issues that other organs of the UN have either
overlooked or avoided, including decolonization, the independence of
Namibia, apartheidin South Africa, terrorism, and the AIDS epidemic. The number
of resolutions passed by the Assembly each year has climbed to more than 350,
and many resolutions are adopted without opposition. Nevertheless, there have
been sharp disagreements among members on several issues, such as those relating
to the Cold War, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and human rights. The General
Assembly has drawn public attention to major issues, thereby forcing member
governments to develop positions on them, and it has helped to organize ad hoc
bodies and conferences to deal with important global problems.
The large size of the Assembly and the diversity of the issues it discusses
contributed to the emergence of regionally based voting blocs in the 1960s. During
the Cold War the Soviet Union and the countries of eastern Europe formed one of
the most cohesive blocs, and another bloc comprised the United States and its
Western allies. The admission of new countries of the Southern Hemisphere in the
1960s and ’70s and the dissipation of Cold War tensions after 1989 contributed to
the formation of blocs based on “North-South” economic issues—i.e., issues of
disagreement between the more prosperous, industrialized countries of the
Northern Hemisphere and the poorer, less industrialized developing countries of
the Southern Hemisphere. Other issues have been incorporated into the North-
South divide, including Northern economic and political domination, economic
development, the proliferation of nuclear weapons, and support for Israel.

The functions of the General Assembly are as follows:

1. It can discuss any matter affecting international peace and security.

2. It makes recommendations for peaceful settlements of disputes.

3. It passes the budget of the UN.

4. It elects the non-permanent members of the Security Council.

5. It also elects the members of the Economic and Social Council and
the Trusteeship Council.

6. It admits new members to the UN on the recommendation of the

Security Council.
7. The Security Council and the General Assembly elect the members
of the International Court of Justice.

8. In recent years the General Assembly has increased its power

through a resolution called Uniting for Peace Resolution. The General
Assembly can make recommendations for “collective measures,
including the use of armed forces”, in case the Security Council is
unable to take a decision during a crisis.

Decisions are taken in the General Assembly by a simple majority

vote. In some important cases a two-thirds majority vote is required
for taking a decision.

Security Council

The UN Charter assigns to the Security Council primary responsibility for the
maintenance of international peace and security. The Security Council originally
consisted of 11 members—five permanent and six nonpermanent—elected by the
General Assembly for two-year terms. From the beginning, nonpermanent
members of the Security Council were elected to give representation to certain
regions or groups of states. As membership increased, however, this practice ran
into difficulty. An amendment to the UN Charter in 1965 increased the council’s
membership to 15, including the original five permanent members plus 10
nonpermanent members. Among the permanent members, the People’s Republic of
China replaced the Republic of China (Taiwan) in 1971, and the Russian
Federationsucceeded the Soviet Union in 1991. After the unification of Germany,
debate over the council’s composition again arose, and Germany, India,
and Japan each applied for permanent council seats.
The nonpermanent members are chosen to achieve equitable regional
representation, five members coming from Africa or Asia, one from eastern
Europe, two from Latin America, and two from western Europe or other areas.
Five of the 10 nonpermanent members are elected each year by the General
Assembly for two-year terms, and five retire each year. The presidency is held by
each member in rotation for a period of one month.
Each Security Council member is entitled to one vote. On all “procedural”
matters—the definition of which is sometimes in dispute—decisions by the council
are made by an affirmative vote of any nine of its members. Substantive matters,
such as the investigation of a dispute or the application of sanctions, also require
nine affirmative votes, including those of the five permanent members
holding veto power. In practice, however, a permanent member may abstain
without impairing the validity of the decision. A vote on whether a matter is
procedural or substantive is itself a substantive question. Because the Security
Council is required to function continuously, each member is represented at all
times at the UN’s headquarters in New York City.
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Any country—even if it is not a member of the UN—may bring a dispute to which
it is a party to the attention of the Security Council. When there is a complaint, the
council first explores the possibility of a peaceful resolution. International
peacekeeping forces may be authorized to keep warring parties apart pending
further negotiations. If the council finds that there is a real threat to the peace,
a breach of the peace, or an act of aggression (as defined by Article 39 of the UN
Charter), it may call upon UN members to apply diplomatic or economic sanctions.
If these methods prove inadequate, the UN Charter allows the Security Council to
take military action against the offending country.
During the Cold War, continual disagreement between the United States and the
Soviet Union coupled with the veto power of the Security Council’s permanent
members made the Security Council an ineffective institution. Since the late 1980s,
however, the council’s power and prestige have grown. Between 1987 and 2000 it
authorized more peacekeeping operations than at any previous time. The use of the
veto has declined dramatically, though disagreements among permanent members
of the Security Council—most notably in 2003 over the use of military force
against Iraq—have occasionally undermined the council’s effectiveness. To
achieve consensus, comparatively informal meetings are held in private among the
council’s permanent members, a practice that has been criticized by nonpermanent
members of the Security Council.
In addition to several standing and ad hoc committees, the work of the council
is facilitatedby the Military Staff Committee, sanctions committees for each of the
countries under sanctions, peacekeeping forces committees, and an International
Tribunals Committee.

Functions of the Security Council:

1. To maintain international peace and security in the world.

2. To investigate international disputes and recommend appropriate

methods of settling them.
3. To call on member states to apply economic sanctions against the
aggressor and thus to put pressure on the guilty state to stop
aggression.

4. The Security Council may take military action against the

aggressor, if required.

Economic and Social Council

Designed to be the UN’s main venue for the discussion of international economic
and social issues, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) directs and
coordinates the economic, social, humanitarian, and cultural activities of the UN
and its specialized agencies. Established by the UN Charter, ECOSOC is
empowered to recommend international action on economic and social issues;
promote universal respect for human rights; and work for global cooperation on
health, education, and cultural and related areas. ECOSOC conducts studies;
formulates resolutions, recommendations, and conventions for consideration by the
General Assembly; and coordinates the activities of various UN programs and
specialized agencies. Most of ECOSOC’s work is performed in functional
commissions on topics such as human rights, narcotics, population, social
development, statistics, the status of women, and science and technology; the
council also oversees regional commissions for Europe, Asia and the Pacific,
Western Asia, Latin America, and Africa.
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The UN Charter authorizes ECOSOC to grant consultative status
to nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Three categories of consultative status
are recognized: General Category NGOs (formerly category I) include
organizations with multiple goals and activities; Special Category NGOs (formerly
category II) specialize in certain areas of ECOSOC activities; and Roster NGOs
have only an occasional interest in the UN’s activities. Consultative status enables
NGOs to attend ECOSOC meetings, issue reports, and occasionally testify at
meetings. Since the mid-1990s, measures have been adopted to increase the scope
of NGO participation in ECOSOC, in the ad hoc global conferences, and in other
UN activities. By the early 21st century, ECOSOC had granted consultative status
to more than 2,500 NGOs.
Originally, ECOSOC consisted of representatives from 18 countries, but the
Charter was amended in 1965 and in 1974 to increase the number of members to
54. Members are elected for three-year terms by the General Assembly. Four of the
five permanent members of the Security Council—the United States, United
Kingdom, Soviet Union (Russia), and France—have been reelected continually
because they provide funding for most of ECOSOC’s budget, which is the largest
of any UN subsidiary body. Decisions are taken by simple majority vote.
Its main functions are as follows:

1. To promote economic and social progress.

2. To solve problems relating to health, illiteracy, unemployment, etc.

3. To coordinate the functions of the agencies of the UN like the

International Monetary Fund (IMF), the International Labour
Organization (ILO), the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO),
the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations
Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the
United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF), etc.

Trusteeship Council
The Trusteeship Council was designed to supervise the government of trust
territories and to lead them to self-government or independence. The trusteeship
system, like the mandate system under the League of Nations, was established on
the premise that colonial territories taken from countries defeated in war should not
be annexed by the victorious powers but should be administered by a trust country
under international supervision until their future status was determined. Unlike
the mandate system, the trusteeship system invited petitions from trust territories
on their independence and required periodic international missions to the
territories. In 1945 only 12 League of Nations mandatesremained: Nauru, New
Guinea, Ruanda-Urundi, Togoland and Cameroon (French administered),
Togoland and Cameroon (British administered), the Pacific Islands(Carolines,
Marshalls, and Marianas), Western Samoa, South West Africa, Tanganyika, and
Palestine. All these mandates became trust territories except South West Africa
(now Namibia), which South Africa refused to enter into the trusteeship system.
The Trusteeship Council, which met once each year, consisted of states
administering trust territories, permanent members of the Security Council that did
not administer trust territories, and other UN members elected by the General
Assembly. Each member had one vote, and decisions were taken by a simple
majority of those present. With the independence of Palau, the last remaining trust
territory, in 1994, the council terminated its operations. No longer required to meet
annually, the council may meet on the decision of its president or on a request by a
majority of its members, by the General Assembly, or by the Security Council.
Since 1994 new roles for the council have been proposed, including administering
the global commons (e.g., the seabed and outer space) and serving as a forum for
minority and indigenous peoples.

International Court of Justice

The International Court of Justice, commonly known as the World Court, is the
principal judicial organ of the United Nations, though the court’s origins predate
the League of Nations. The idea for the creation of an international court to
arbitrate international disputes arose during an international conference held at The
Hague in 1899. This institution was subsumed under the League of Nations in
1919 as the Permanent Court of International Justice (PCIJ) and adopted its present
name with the founding of the UN in 1945.
The court’s decisions are binding, and its broad jurisdiction encompasses “all cases
which the parties refer to it and all matters specially provided for in the Charter of
the United Nations or in treaties and conventions in force.” Most importantly,
states may not be parties to a dispute without their consent, though they may accept
the compulsory jurisdiction of the court in specified categories of disputes. The
court may give advisory opinions at the request of the General Assembly or the
Security Council or at the request of other organs and specialized agencies
authorized by the General Assembly. Although the court has successfully
arbitrated some cases (e.g., the border dispute between Honduras and El Salvador
in 1992), governments have been reluctant to submit sensitive issues, thereby
limiting the court’s ability to resolve threats to international peace and security. At
times countries also have refused to acknowledge the jurisdiction or the findings of
the court. For example, when Nicaragua sued the United States in the court in 1984
for mining its harbours, the court found in favour of Nicaragua, but the United
States refused to accept the court’s decision.
The 15 judges of the court are elected by the General Assembly and the Security
Council voting independently. No two judges may be nationals of the same state,
and the judges are to represent a cross section of the major legal systems of the
world. Judges serve nine-year terms and are eligible for reelection. The seat of the
World Court is The Hague.

Functions of the Security Council:

1. To maintain international peace and security in the world.

2. To investigate international disputes and recommend appropriate

methods of settling them.
3. To call on member states to apply economic sanctions against the
aggressor and thus to put pressure on the guilty state to stop
aggression.

4. The Security Council may take military action against the

aggressor, if required.

Secretariat
The secretary-general, the principal administrative officer of the United Nations, is
elected for a five-year renewable term by a two-thirds vote of the General
Assembly and by the recommendation of the Security Council and the approval of
its permanent members. Secretaries-general usually have come from small, neutral
countries. The secretary-general serves as the chief administrative officer at all
meetings and carries out any functions that those organs entrust to the Secretariat;
he also oversees the preparation of the UN’s budget. The secretary-general has
important political functions, being charged with bringing before the organization
any matter that threatens international peace and security. Both the chief
spokesperson for the UN and the UN’s most visible and authoritative figure in
world affairs, the secretary-general often serves as a high-level negotiator.
Attesting to the importance of the post, two secretaries-general have been awarded
the Nobel Prize for Peace: Dag Hammarskjöld in 1961 and Kofi Annan,
corecipient with the UN, in 2001.
 Annan, KofiUN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, [Link] Isaac/UN Photo

The Secretariat influences the work of the United Nations to a much greater degree
than indicated in the UN Charter. It is responsible for preparing numerous reports,
studies, and investigations, in addition to the major tasks of translating,
interpreting, providing services for large numbers of meetings, and other work.
Under the Charter the staff is to be recruited mainly on the basis of merit, though
there has been a conscious effort to recruit individuals from different geographic
regions. Some members of the Secretariat are engaged on permanent contracts, but
others serve on temporary assignment from their national governments. In both
cases they must take an oath of loyalty to the United Nations and are not permitted
to receive instructions from member governments. The influence of the Secretariat
can be attributed to the fact that the some 9,000 people on its staff are permanent
experts and international civil servants rather than political appointees of member
states.

The Secretariat is based in New York, Geneva, Vienna, Nairobi (Kenya), and other
locales. It has been criticized frequently for poor administrative practices—though
it has made persistent efforts to increase the efficiency of its operations—as well as
for a lack of neutrality.
Different agencies of the united nations

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

FAO Logo.
Main article: Food and Agriculture Organization

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations leads

international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and
developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations
meet as equals to negotiate agreements and debate policy. FAO's
mandate is to raise levels of nutrition, improve agricultural
productivity, better the lives of rural populations and contribute to the
growth of the world economy. FAO is the largest of the UN agencies.
It was established in 1945 and its headquarters is in Rome, Italy.

International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

ICAO flag.
Main article: International Civil Aviation Organization

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) was founded in

1947. It codifies the principles and techniques of international air
navigation and fosters the planning and development of international
air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth. Its headquarters are
located in the Quartier international de Montréal of Montreal, Quebec,
Canada.

The ICAO Council adopts standards and recommended practices

concerning air navigation, prevention of unlawful interference, and
facilitation of border-crossing procedures for international civil
aviation. In addition, ICAO defines the protocols for air accident
investigation followed by transport safety authorities in countries
signatory to the Convention on International Civil Aviation,
commonly known as the Chicago Convention.

International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

Main article: International Fund for Agricultural Development

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) was

established as an international financial institution in 1977, as one of
the major outcomes of the 1974 World Food Conference and a
response to the situation in the Sahel. It is dedicated to eradicating
rural poverty in developing countries. Its headquarters are in Rome,
Italy.

International Labour Organization (ILO)

ILO flag.
Main article: International Labour Organization

The International Labour Organization (ILO) deals with labour issues.

Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland. Founded in 1919, it was
formed through the negotiations of the Treaty of Versailles and was
initially an agency of the League of Nations. It became a member of
the UN system after the demise of the League and the formation of
the UN at the end of World War II. Its Constitution, as amended to
date, includes the Declaration of Philadelphia on the aims and
purposes of the Organization. Its secretariat is known as the
International Labour Office.

International Maritime Organization (IMO)

IMO flag.
Main article: International Maritime Organization

The International Maritime Organization (IMO), formerly known as

the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO),
was established in 1948 through the United Nations to coordinate
international maritime safety and related practices. However the IMO
did not enter into full force until 1958.

Headquartered in London, United Kingdom, the IMO promotes

cooperation among government and the shipping industry to improve
maritime safety and to prevent marine pollution. IMO is governed by
an Assembly of members and is financially administered by a Council
of members elected from the Assembly. The work of IMO is
conducted through five committees and these are supported by
technical sub-committees. Member organizations of the UN
organizational family may observe the proceedings of the IMO.
Observer status may be granted to qualified non-governmental
organizations.

The IMO is supported by a permanent secretariat of employees who

are representative of its members. The secretariat is composed of a
Secretary-General who is periodically elected by the Assembly, and
various divisions including, inter alia, marine safety, environmental
protection, and a conference section. It also promotes international
cooperation in education, science and culture.

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Main article: International Monetary Fund

International Monetary Fund (IMF) is part of the United Nations

system and has a formal relationship agreement with the UN, but
retains its independence.[8] The IMF provides monetary cooperation
and financial stability and acts as a forum for advice, negotiation and
assistance on financial issues. It is headquartered in Washington,
D.C., United States of America.

International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

Main article: International Telecommunication Union

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) was established to

standardize and regulate international radio and telecommunications.
It was founded as the International Telegraph Union in Paris on 17
May 1865. Its main tasks include standardization, allocation of the
radio spectrum, and organizing interconnection arrangements between
different countries to allow international phone calls — in which
regard it performs for telecommunications a similar function to what
the UPU performs for postal services. It has its headquarters in
Geneva, Switzerland, next to the main United Nations campus.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO)

UNESCO flag.
Main article: UNESCO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

(UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established
in 1946 with its headquarters in Paris, France. Its stated purpose is to
contribute to peace and security by promoting international
collaboration through education, science, and culture in order to
further universal respect for justice, the rule of law, and the human
rights and fundamental freedoms proclaimed in the UN Charter.

United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)

Main article: United Nations Industrial Development Organization

United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is the

specialized agency of the United Nations, which promotes inclusive
and sustainable industrial development (ISID), headquartered in
Vienna, Austria. The Organization addresses some of the most
pressing issues of our time, and works to accelerate economic growth
in order to bring prosperity to all while at the same time safeguarding
the environment. UNIDO’s mandate is fully aligned with the global
development agenda, which underlines the central role of
industrialization and its importance as a key enabler for all 17 Global
Goals, and especially for SDG9. The Director General is Li Yong.
Universal Postal Union (UPU)

UPU flag.
Main article: Universal Postal Union

The Universal Postal Union (UPU), headquartered in Berne,

Switzerland, coordinates postal policies between member nations, and
hence the worldwide postal system. Each member country agrees to
the same set of terms for conducting international postal duties.

World Bank Group (WBG)

Main article: World Bank Group

The World Bank Group is part of the United Nations system and has a
formal relationship agreement with the UN, but retains its
independence.[8] The WBG comprises a group of five legally separate
but affiliated institutions: the International Bank for Reconstruction
and Development (IBRD), the International Finance Corporation
(IFC), the International Development Association (IDA), the
Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), and the
International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). It
is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing
countries around the world. Its mission is to fight poverty with
passion and professionalism for lasting results and to help people help
themselves and their environment by providing resources, sharing
knowledge, building capacity and forging partnerships in the public
and private sectors. The WBG headquarters are located in
Washington, D.C., United States of America.

International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)

Main article: International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
The IBRD makes loans to developing countries for development
programmes with the stated goal of reducing poverty. It is part of the
World Bank Group (WBG).

International Finance Corporation (IFC)

Main article: International Finance Corporation

The IFC is the largest multilateral source of loan and equity financing
for private sector projects in the developing world. It is part of the
World Bank Group (WBG).

International Development Association (IDA)

Main article: International Development Association

The IDA's mandate is close to that of IBRD, with the focus on the
poorest countries. It is part of the World Bank Group (WBG).

World Health Organization (WHO)

WHO flag.
Main article: World Health Organization

The World Health Organization (WHO) acts as a coordinating

authority on international public health which deals with health and
sanitation and diseases and sends medical teams to help combat
epidemics. Established on 7 April 1948, the agency inherited the
mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health Organization,
which had been an agency of the League of Nations. It was
established in April 7, 1948 when 26 members of the United Nations
ratified its Constitution. April 7 is celebrated as the World Health Day
every year. The WHO is governed by 194 Member States through the
World Health Assembly. Its headquarters are at Geneva in
Switzerland.

World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

Main article: World Intellectual Property Organization

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is a specialized

agency of the United Nations created in 1967 and headquartered in
Geneva, Switzerland. Its purpose is to encourage creative activity and
to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the
world. The organization administers several treaties concerning the
protection of intellectual property rights.

World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

WMO flag.
Main article: World Meteorological Organization

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) originated from the

International Meteorological Organization (IMO), which was founded
in 1873. Established in 1950, WMO became the specialized agency of
the United Nations for modern meteorology (weather and climate),
operational hydrology and related geophysical sciences. It has its
headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

World Tourism Organization (UNWTO or WTO)

Main article: World Tourism Organization

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO or WTO) was

established in 1974 in Madrid, Spain, to replace the International
Union of Official Tourist Publicity Organizations (IUOTPO).
UNWTO has 160 member states and 350 affiliated members
representing private organizations, educational institutions and others.
It is headquartered in Madrid, Spain. The World Tourism
Organization serves as a forum for tourism policies and acts as a
practical source for tourism know-how.

Former specialized agencies

The only UN specialized agency to go out of existence is the

International Refugee Organization, which existed from 1946 to 1952.
In 1952, it was replaced by the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland),
which is a subsidiary organ of the United Nations General Assembly.

Related organizations

There are other intergovernmental organizations that have concluded

cooperation agreements with the United Nations. In terms of
cooperation structures, some agreements come very close to the
relationship agreements concluded under articles 57 and 63 of the UN
Charter with the specialized agencies, but due to Charter requirements
that the agencies deal with "economic, social, cultural, educational,
health, and related fields", organizations with such agreements are not
formally specialized agencies of the United Nations.[9][10][11][12][13][14]
These organizations are termed Related Organizations by the UN.[15]

The IAEA established such an agreement with the UN in 1957, and

the OPCW and the CTBTO used this model for agreements of their
own with the UN.[13][14][16]

Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization Preparatory

Commission
Main article: Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization
Preparatory Commission

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization

Preparatory Commission preparatory commission is tasked with
preparing the activities of the nuclear non-proliferation organization.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

IAEA flag.
Main article: International Atomic Energy Agency

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an

intergovernmental organization for scientific and technical
cooperation in the field of nuclear technology. It seeks to promote the
peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for military
purposes. The IAEA was set up as an autonomous organization on 29
July 1957. Prior to this, in 1953, U.S. President Dwight D.
Eisenhower envisioned the creation of this international body to
control and develop the use of atomic energy, in his "Atoms for
Peace" speech before the UN General Assembly.[17] The organization
and its former Director General, Mohamed ElBaradei, were jointly
awarded the Nobel Peace Prize announced on 7 October 2005. As of
March 2015, the IAEA's membership is 164 countries.[18]

Due to historical reasons and the political nature of its work, the
IAEA is not a specialized agency. Instead, its relationship to the
United Nations is governed by a special agreement as well as by its
statute that commits the IAEA to report annually to the General
Assembly and, when appropriate, to the Security Council.[19]

International Organization for Migration (IOM)

Main article: International Organization for Migration

Since September 2016, IOM has been a related organization to the

United Nations.[20] Headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland.

Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons

Main article: Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
is an intergovernmental organization, located in The Hague,
Netherlands. The organization promotes and verifies the adherence to
the Chemical Weapons Convention which prohibits of the use of
chemical weapons and requires their destruction. The verification
consists both of evaluation of declarations by members states and on-
site inspections.

World Trade Organization (WTO)

Main article: World Trade Organization

The WTO was established instead of the failed proposal for a

specialized agency dealing with trade issues, the International Trade
Organization. WTO headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland.