UN and Other Important World Organisations

Overview

International organisations form a crucial component of RRB NTPC General Awareness, appearing as direct factual questions about headquarters, establishment years, current heads, and member countries. Questions typically ask: "Which organisation's headquarters is in Geneva?" or "IMF is associated with which function?" Understanding 15–20 major organisations accounts for 2–3 questions per exam.

This topic tests your awareness of the global institutional framework governing economic cooperation, health, trade, security, and development. Focus on the "big six" UN organs, specialised agencies (WHO, ILO, UNESCO), financial institutions (IMF, World Bank), and trade bodies (WTO). Memorise the core mandate, headquarters location, and year of establishment for each. Questions rarely go deep into operational details but frequently test basic identification and current leadership.

Master this topic by creating a comparison table of organisations by function (health, finance, trade, peace) and location. RRB values recent updates—know the current Secretary-General of UN, Director-General of WHO, and recent India-specific decisions or memberships in these bodies.

Key Concepts

• **United Nations (UN)**: Established 24 October 1945 with 51 founding members (now 193 member states); headquarters in New York; maintains international peace, develops friendly relations among nations, promotes human rights and social progress. India is a founding member.

• **Six Principal UN Organs**: General Assembly (main deliberative body, all members), Security Council (15 members, 5 permanent with veto power—USA, UK, France, Russia, China), Economic and Social Council (54 members), Trusteeship Council (suspended operations 1994), International Court of Justice (The Hague, Netherlands), and UN Secretariat (headed by Secretary-General).

• **Specialised UN Agencies**: Autonomous organisations linked to UN through special agreements—WHO (health), UNESCO (education/culture), ILO (labour), FAO (food/agriculture), UNICEF (children), UNDP (development). Each has separate membership, budget, and headquarters.

• **Bretton Woods Institutions**: IMF and World Bank Group created in 1944 Bretton Woods Conference to rebuild post-WWII economy. IMF focuses on monetary cooperation and exchange rate stability; World Bank provides long-term development loans. Both headquartered in Washington DC.

• **World Trade Organization (WTO)**: Established 1 January 1995 replacing GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade); headquarters Geneva, Switzerland; 164 members; regulates international trade, resolves trade disputes, negotiates trade agreements. India is a founding member of WTO.

• **World Health Organization (WHO)**: UN specialised agency for international public health; established 7 April 1948; headquarters Geneva; 194 member states; coordinates responses to health emergencies, sets health standards, fights communicable diseases. Played central role in COVID-19 pandemic response.

• **Regional Organisations India Participates In**: SAARC (South Asian regional cooperation, Kathmandu), BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa cooperation), G20 (major economies forum), Non-Aligned Movement (120+ developing nations), Commonwealth of Nations (54 members, mostly former British colonies).

• **Functional Groupings**: Financial institutions (IMF, World Bank, ADB), trade bodies (WTO), health/humanitarian (WHO, UNICEF, Red Cross), security (UN Security Council, NATO), development (UNDP, UNEP), labour/social (ILO, UNESCO). Group organisations by their primary mandate for easier recall.

Key Facts

1. **UN Secretary-General**: António Guterres (Portugal), serving since 1 January 2017; ninth Secretary-General; term of five years, renewable.

2. **Five Permanent Members of Security Council (P5)**: United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia (formerly USSR), China (PRC since 1971); each holds veto power over substantive resolutions.

3. **IMF Headquarters and Function**: Washington DC, USA; established 1944, operational 1945; 190 member countries; monitors global economy, provides short-term loans to countries facing balance of payments crisis, promotes exchange rate stability.

4. **World Bank Group Components**: 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).

5. **WHO Director-General**: Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (Ethiopia), serving since 2017; first African to lead WHO; headquarters Geneva, Switzerland; World Health Day observed 7 April annually.

6. **WTO Dispute Settlement Body**: Unique mechanism for resolving trade disputes between member nations; decisions binding; India has been both complainant and respondent in multiple cases regarding agricultural subsidies, solar panels, and sugar exports.

7. **UNESCO Headquarters and Role**: Paris, France; established 16 November 1945; promotes education, science, culture and communication; designates World Heritage Sites (India has 40 as of 2023); US withdrew 2018, rejoined 2023.

8. **UNICEF**: UN Children's Fund, established 1946; headquarters New York; works in 190+ countries; focuses on child survival, education, protection; received Nobel Peace Prize 1965; executive director currently Catherine Russell.

9. **International Labour Organization (ILO)**: Established 1919 (pre-dates UN); became UN specialised agency 1946; headquarters Geneva; only tripartite UN agency (governments, employers, workers); sets international labour standards; India founding member.

10. **International Court of Justice (ICJ)**: Principal judicial organ of UN; located The Hague, Netherlands; 15 judges elected for 9-year terms; settles legal disputes between states; gives advisory opinions on legal questions referred by UN organs.

11. **INTERPOL**: International Criminal Police Organization; headquarters Lyon, France; 195 member countries; facilitates cross-border police cooperation; issues notices (Red Notice for arrest, Yellow Notice for missing persons); not a UN agency but cooperates with UN.

12. **Asian Development Bank (ADB)**: Established 1966; headquarters Manila, Philippines; 68 members; focuses on reducing poverty in Asia-Pacific through loans, grants, technical assistance; Japan and USA are largest shareholders; India is a founding member.

Common Mistakes

**Mistake**: Confusing IMF and World Bank functions—thinking both provide the same type of financial assistance. **Fix**: IMF gives short-term loans for balance of payments problems and currency crises; World Bank provides long-term development loans for infrastructure, poverty reduction, and economic reform projects.

**Mistake**: Believing UN Security Council has 10 permanent members or that all 15 members have veto power. **Fix**: Only 5 permanent members (P5) have veto power; the other 10 are non-permanent members elected for 2-year terms by General Assembly. India is currently a non-permanent member (2021-22 term) and aspires for permanent membership.

**Mistake**: Mixing up headquarters locations—placing WHO in New York or WTO in Washington DC. **Fix**: Geneva hosts WHO, WTO, ILO, UNHCR; New York has UN headquarters, UNICEF; Washington DC has IMF, World Bank; The Hague has ICJ; Vienna has IAEA, UNIDO; Paris has UNESCO.

**Mistake**: Thinking WHO can enforce health regulations or force countries to follow its guidelines during pandemics. **Fix**: WHO has no enforcement power; it coordinates international health responses, sets guidelines, and provides technical support, but member states voluntarily follow recommendations. WHO depends on member state cooperation and funding.

**Mistake**: Assuming all international organisations are part of the UN system. **Fix**: Many important organisations are independent: WTO (replaced GATT), INTERPOL, Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement, International Olympic Committee. Some collaborate with UN but maintain separate legal status, membership, and governance.

Quick Reference

• **UN Founded**: 24 October 1945, San Francisco Conference; 193 members; current SG António Guterres
• **P5 with Veto**: USA, UK, France, Russia, China—permanent Security Council members
• **Geneva Cluster**: WHO, WTO, ILO, UNHCR, UN Human Rights Council—all in Geneva, Switzerland
• **Bretton Woods Twins**: IMF (monetary/currency crisis) + World Bank (long-term development)—both Washington DC, 1944
• **WTO**: 1995, Geneva; 164 members; successor to GATT; handles trade disputes
• **Key UN Days**: UN Day 24 October, World Health Day 7 April, Human Rights Day 10 December