UN Agencies
The Agencies of the UN
Learning Objectives
D1: Identify the main agencies of the UN.
D2: Outline the purpose of the main agencies of the UN.
The Agencies
The UN specialized agencies are autonomous international organizations working with the United Nations.
All were brought into relationship with the UN through negotiated agreements.
Some of these agencies existed before the First World War.
Some were associated with the League of Nations.
Others were created almost simultaneously with the creation of the UN.
Others were created by the UN to meet emerging needs.
The United Nations System
UN Principal Organs:
General Assembly
Security Council
Economic and Social Council
International Court of Justice
Trusteeship Council (suspended operation on 1 November 1994)
Secretariat
Subsidiary Bodies:
Main and other sessional committees
Disarmament Commission
Human Rights Council
International Law Commission
Standing committees and ad hoc bodies
Counter-terrorism committees
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR)
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)
Military Staff Committee
Peacekeeping operations and political missions
Sanctions committees (ad hoc)
Functional Commissions:
Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice
Narcotic Drugs
Population and Development
Science and Technology for Development
Social Development
Statistics
Status of Women
Sustainable Development
United Nations Forum on Forests
Regional Commissions:
ECA: Economic Commission for Africa
ECE: Economic Commission for Europe
ECLAC: Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
ESCAP: Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
ESCWA: Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
Other Bodies:
Advisory Subsidiary Body
United Nations Peacebuilding Commission
Committee for Development Policy
Committee of Experts on Public Administration
Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations
Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names
Other sessional and standing committees and expert, ad hoc and related bodies
Programmes and Funds:
UNCTAD: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
ITC: International Trade Centre (UNCTAD/WTO)
UNDP: United Nations Development Programme
UNCDF: United Nations Capital Development Fund
UNV: United Nations Volunteers
UNEP: United Nations Environment Programme
UNFPA: United Nations Population Fund
UN-HABITAT: United Nations Human Settlements Programme
UNHCR: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
UNICEF: United Nations Children's Fund
UNODC: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
UNRWA: United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (reports only to the General Assembly)
UN-Women: United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women
WFP: World Food Programme
Research and Training Institutes:
UNICRI: United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute
UNIDIR: United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (reports only to the General Assembly)
UNITAR: United Nations Institute for Training and Research
UNRISD: United Nations Research Institute for Social Development
UNSSC: United Nations System Staff College
UNU: United Nations University
Other Entities:
UNAIDS: Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
UNISDR: United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction
UNOPS: United Nations Office for Project Services
Specialized Agencies:
ILO: International Labour Organization
FAO: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
WHO: World Health Organization
World Bank Group:
IBRD: International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
IDA: International Development Association
IFC: International Finance Corporation
MIGA: Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency
ICSID: International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes
IMF: International Monetary Fund
ICAO: International Civil Aviation Organization
IMO: International Maritime Organization
ITU: International Telecommunication Union
UPU: Universal Postal Union
WMO: World Meteorological Organization
WIPO: World Intellectual Property Organization
IFAD: International Fund for Agricultural Development
UNIDO: United Nations Industrial Development Organization
UNWTO: World Tourism Organization
Related Organizations:
CTBTO: Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization
IAEA: International Atomic Energy Agency (reports to the Security Council and the General Assembly)
OPCW: Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
WTO: World Trade Organization
Departments and Offices:
EOSG: Executive Office of the Secretary-General
DESA: Department of Economic and Social Affairs
DFS: Department of Field Support
DGACM: Department for General Assembly and Conference Management
DM: Department of Management
DPA: Department of Political Affairs
DPI: Department of Public Information
DPKO: Department of Peacekeeping Operations
DSS: Department of Safety and Security
OCHA: Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
OHCHR: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
OIOS: Office of Internal Oversight Services
OLA: Office of Legal Affairs
OSAA: Office of the Special Adviser on Africa
SRSG/CAAC: Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict
UNODA: Office for Disarmament Affairs
UNOG: United Nations Office at Geneva
UN-OHRLLS: Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States
UNON: United Nations Office at Nairobi
UNOV: United Nations Office at Vienna
AGENCIES
World Health Organization (WHO)
WHO works to promote health, keep the world safe, and serve the vulnerable.
WHO’s goal is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage, to protect a billion more people from health emergencies, and provide a further billion people with better health and well-being.
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects.
It was founded in 1944, with headquarters in Washington, D.C.
The World Bank is a component of the World Bank Group.
The World Bank works in cooperation with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
International Labour Organisation (ILO)
The ILO is the only tripartite U.N. agency
The ILO brings together governments, employers, and workers of 187 member States, to set labor standards, develop policies, and devise programs promoting decent work for all women and men.
PROGRAMMES
UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
Created in 1972, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the global authority that sets the environmental agenda.
It promotes the implementation of the environmental aspect of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative voice for the global environment.
Its Headquarters are based in Nairobi, Kenya.
Other Entities & Bodies
The Work of the UN Agencies
Learning Objectives
D1: Identify the main agencies of the UN.
D2: Outline purpose of main agencies of the UN.
WHO Role continued…
Ensure that medical supplies reach frontline workers i.e. PPE, testing materials etc
Training & mobilising health care workers
UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)
UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.
It seeks to build peace through international cooperation in education, sciences, and culture.
By awarding sites UNESCO World Heritage Site status, they can bring great economic and social benefits to regions i.e. Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland
Professor Alan Smith has been examining as the UNESCO Chair for Education for Pluralism, Human Rights and Democracy within the School of Education at Ulster University. He helped develop a citizenship education program which was rolled out across the country.