Society & Welfare
International Organisations and Events
UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes
The 15 UN specialised agencies, funds and programmes (UNICEF, UNDP, UNEP, WFP, UNHCR) and related bodies: HQs, mandates, Nobel Prizes and India links.
Prerequisites
- The United Nations System — ECOSOC coordinates the agencies on this page
- IMF and World Bank — two specialised agencies treated in the Economy section; not repeated here
The Hook: A Vaccine Card in an Anganwadi
Connect
In an anganwadi in Dantewada, a mother holds her child’s immunisation card. The vaccines follow a schedule shaped by WHO guidance; UNICEF has supported India’s immunisation drives and cold chains for decades; the hot cooked meal next door draws on nutrition norms that WFP and FAO helped shape.
These are not branches of one office. Some are specialised agencies with their own treaties and members, some are funds and programmes created by the General Assembly, and some are only related organisations. How do you tell them apart, and where is each one based?
Why it matters: “Match the organisation with its headquarters” and “which of these is a specialised agency” are standard Prelims questions. Mains GS-V asks about the role of WHO, ILO or UNICEF in welfare.
Three Kinds of UN Bodies
| Type | How created | Funding | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specialised agencies (विशिष्ट एजेंसियाँ) | Separate treaty organisations, linked to the UN by agreements with ECOSOC (Arts 57 and 63) | Assessed + voluntary contributions | WHO, ILO, FAO, UNESCO |
| Funds and programmes | Created by the General Assembly; report to it or to ECOSOC | Mostly voluntary contributions | UNICEF, UNDP, UNEP, WFP, UNHCR |
| Related organisations | Independent; special cooperation agreements | Own budgets | IAEA, WTO, OPCW |
The 15 Specialised Agencies
| Agency | Founded | HQ | Mandate and exam hooks |
|---|---|---|---|
| ILO (अंतर्राष्ट्रीय श्रम संगठन) | 1919 (Treaty of Versailles) | Geneva | Oldest agency still working under its original mandate; tripartite (governments, employers, workers); Nobel Peace Prize 1969. India is a founding member. Core labour conventions, decent work |
| FAO | 1945 (Quebec) | Rome | Food and agriculture; World Food Day 16 October (FAO’s founding date). Implemented the International Year of Millets 2023 |
| UNESCO (यूनेस्को) | 1945 (in force 1946) | Paris | Education, science, culture; World Heritage Convention (1972); Man and the Biosphere programme. Director-General (as of 2026): Khaled El-Enany (Egypt) |
| WHO (विश्व स्वास्थ्य संगठन) | 7 April 1948 (World Health Day) | Geneva | Health; International Health Regulations; Pandemic Agreement adopted May 2025. DG (as of 2026): Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (Ethiopia) |
| ICAO | 1944 (Chicago Convention) / 1947 | Montreal | Civil aviation standards |
| IMO | 1948 / 1958 | London | Shipping safety, marine pollution (MARPOL) |
| ITU | 1865 (Paris) | Geneva | Telecom and spectrum; the oldest agency by founding date |
| UPU | 1874 (Bern) | Bern | Postal cooperation; World Post Day 9 October |
| WMO | 1950 | Geneva | Weather and climate; co-founded the IPCC (1988) with UNEP |
| WIPO | 1967 / 1970 | Geneva | Intellectual property; Global Innovation Index (with partners) |
| IFAD | 1977 | Rome | Finance for rural poor and smallholders |
| UNIDO | 1966 / 1985 | Vienna | Industrial development |
| UN Tourism (formerly UNWTO) | 1975 | Madrid | Tourism; renamed in 2024 |
| IMF | 1944 (Bretton Woods) | Washington, DC | See IMF and World Bank |
| World Bank Group | 1944 | Washington, DC | See IMF and World Bank |
City clusters
- Geneva: ILO, WHO, ITU, WMO, WIPO (and the WTO, UNHCR, OHCHR, UNCTAD)
- Rome: FAO, IFAD, WFP (the three Rome-based food agencies)
- Vienna: UNIDO, IAEA, UNODC
- Nairobi: UNEP, UN-Habitat
- One-off cities: Paris (UNESCO), Montreal (ICAO), London (IMO), Bern (UPU), Madrid (UN Tourism)
Funds and Programmes, and Other Bodies
| Body | Founded | HQ | Key facts |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNICEF (यूनिसेफ) | 11 Dec 1946 | New York | Children’s emergency fund, now permanent; Nobel Peace Prize 1965. Works in India on immunisation, nutrition, child protection |
| UNDP | 1965 | New York | Development; publishes the Human Development Report and HDI (first in 1990, devised with Mahbub ul Haq and Amartya Sen) and, with Oxford (OPHI), the global MPI |
| UNEP | 1972 (after the Stockholm Conference) | Nairobi | Environment; World Environment Day 5 June; with WMO set up the IPCC |
| WFP | 1961 | Rome | Food assistance; Nobel Peace Prize 2020 |
| UNHCR | 1950 | Geneva | Refugees; Nobel Peace Prize 1954 and 1981. India is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention |
| UNFPA | 1969 | New York | Population and reproductive health; State of World Population report |
| UN-Habitat | 1978 | Nairobi | Human settlements and cities |
| UNCTAD (UN Trade and Development) | 1964 | Geneva | Trade and development for developing countries; head (as of 2026): Rebeca Grynspan |
| UN Women | 2010 (GA resolution) | New York | Gender equality; merged four earlier bodies |
| UNODC | 1997 | Vienna | Drugs and crime; World Drug Report |
| OHCHR | 1993 | Geneva | Human rights, led by the High Commissioner. The Human Rights Council (2006) replaced the Commission on Human Rights |
Related organisations (not specialised agencies)
| Body | Founded | HQ | Key facts |
|---|---|---|---|
| IAEA | 1957 | Vienna | “Atoms for Peace”; reports to both the GA and the SC; Nobel Peace Prize 2005 (with Mohamed ElBaradei). Director-General Rafael Grossi (Argentina), a 2026 Secretary-General candidate |
| WTO | 1995 | Geneva | See World Trade Organization |
| OPCW | 1997 | The Hague | Implements the Chemical Weapons Convention; Nobel Peace Prize 2013 |
2026 funding shock
The United States formally left WHO on 22 January 2026 and announced in 2025 that it will leave UNESCO with effect from 31 December 2026 (its third exit from UNESCO). Together with wider aid cuts, this shrank budgets across the UN system and fed the UN80 Initiative to merge and slim agencies. For Mains, this shows how dependent the agencies are on a few large donors.
India and the Agencies
| Agency | India link |
|---|---|
| ILO | Founding member (1919); India has not ratified the fundamental conventions on freedom of association (C87) and collective bargaining (C98) |
| WHO | India declared polio-free by WHO’s South-East Asia region certification in 2014; WHO’s South-East Asia Regional Office is in New Delhi |
| UNESCO | India’s World Heritage list stood at 44 sites after the 2025 session (the Maratha Military Landscapes were the 44th). Chhattisgarh has no inscribed site; Kanger Valley National Park was added to India’s Tentative List in 2025 |
| FAO | India proposed the International Year of Millets (2023); FAO led its implementation |
| UNICEF | Supports state programmes on immunisation, nutrition and child protection, including in Chhattisgarh |
| UNEP | India hosted World Environment Day 2018 (theme: beat plastic pollution) and 2011 |
| International Solar Alliance | Not a UN body: a treaty organisation launched by India and France at COP21, Paris (2015), HQ Gurugram; it has UN General Assembly observer status |
Memory Tricks
Rome-based food trio: 'FIW'
FAO, IFAD, WFP — “Food In Wheat-fields” are all in Rome.
Nobel Peace Prize bodies in year order: 'U-U-I-I-O-W'
UNHCR (1954, 1981) · UNICEF (1965) · ILO (1969) · IAEA (2005) · OPCW (2013) · WFP (2020). Plus UN Peacekeeping Forces (1988) and the UN with Kofi Annan (2001).
Oldest to newest
ITU 1865 → UPU 1874 → ILO 1919 → … → UN Women 2010. “Tele before Post before Labour.”
Don’t Confuse
| This | vs | That |
|---|---|---|
| UNEP (Nairobi, 1972, programme) | vs | UNFCCC secretariat (Bonn, convention body) and IPCC (Geneva, scientific panel set up by WMO + UNEP) |
| UNCTAD (Geneva, 1964, UN body) | vs | WTO (Geneva, 1995, related organisation outside the UN system proper) |
| UNDP: HDI and global MPI | vs | UNFPA: State of World Population; UNICEF: State of the World’s Children |
| UNESCO HQ Paris | vs | OECD HQ Paris (not a UN body) |
| ICAO Montreal (aviation) | vs | IMO London (shipping) |
| UN Tourism (Madrid) | vs | WTO (trade, Geneva); both were once abbreviated “WTO” |
Common Mistakes
MCQ traps
- “UNICEF and UNDP are specialised agencies.” False. They are funds and programmes created by the General Assembly.
- “The IAEA is a specialised agency.” False. It is a related organisation, reporting to both the GA and the SC.
- “WHO is headquartered in New York.” False. Geneva.
- “The ILO was set up with the UN in 1945.” False. 1919, under the League era; it became the UN’s first specialised agency in 1946.
- “UNEP is in Geneva.” False. Nairobi.
- “The International Solar Alliance is a UN agency.” False. It is a separate treaty body with UN observer status.
Practice
All questions below are original practice questions written in CGPSC style. They are not previous-year questions.
Level 1: Foundation
- The three UN food agencies headquartered in Rome are FAO, IFAD and ______.
- The Human Development Report is published by ______.
- The oldest UN specialised agency by founding date is the ______ (1865).
Answers
- WFP (World Food Programme).
- UNDP.
- ITU (International Telecommunication Union).
Level 2: Prelims MCQs
Q1. Match List I (Organisation) with List II (Headquarters):
| List I | List II |
|---|---|
| A. UNEP | 1. Montreal |
| B. ICAO | 2. Nairobi |
| C. UPU | 3. Vienna |
| D. UNIDO | 4. Bern |
- (a) A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3
- (b) A-2, B-4, C-1, D-3
- (c) A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2
- (d) A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4
Answer and explanation
(a) A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3. UNEP is in Nairobi, ICAO in Montreal, the Universal Postal Union in Bern and UNIDO in Vienna.
Q2. Consider the following statements:
- UNICEF and UNDP are specialised agencies of the United Nations linked through agreements with ECOSOC.
- The International Labour Organization is older than the United Nations.
- The World Food Programme received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer and explanation
(b) 2 and 3 only. UNICEF and UNDP are funds and programmes created by the General Assembly, not specialised agencies. The ILO dates from 1919, so it is older than the UN (1945). The WFP won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020.
Q3. Which one of the following is not headquartered in Geneva?
- (a) World Meteorological Organization
- (b) World Intellectual Property Organization
- (c) International Maritime Organization
- (d) International Telecommunication Union
Answer and explanation
(c) International Maritime Organization, which is in London. WMO, WIPO and ITU are all in Geneva.
Q4. With reference to the International Solar Alliance, which statement is correct?
- (a) It is a specialised agency of the United Nations based in Paris.
- (b) It was launched by India and France in 2015 and is headquartered in India.
- (c) It is a programme of UNEP based in Nairobi.
- (d) It was created by the Kyoto Protocol.
Answer and explanation
(b). The ISA was launched by India and France at COP21 in Paris (2015) and has its headquarters in Gurugram. It is an independent treaty organisation with observer status at the UN General Assembly, not a UN agency or a UNEP programme.
Level 3: Mains Answer Writing
Q1. (150–200 words) Examine the role of UN agencies in advancing human welfare in India, with reference to health, children and food security.
Model answer outline
- Intro: UN agencies supply norms, technical support and finance; Indian governments implement. The relationship is partnership, not dependence.
- Body:
- WHO: technical guidance for immunisation and disease programmes; polio-free certification (2014); its South-East Asia regional office is in New Delhi.
- UNICEF: immunisation cold chains, nutrition and child protection support to states.
- FAO / WFP: food-security policy, the International Year of Millets 2023 (proposed by India), support to public distribution reform.
- ILO: labour standards behind India’s labour codes; social-protection data.
- UNDP: HDI and MPI benchmarks used in Indian planning.
- Chhattisgarh angle: millet promotion in Bastar and Surguja; nutrition and immunisation work in tribal districts.
- Limits: dependence on voluntary funds; the 2026 US exits from WHO and UNESCO cut budgets; the risk of donor-driven priorities.
- Conclusion: India is moving from recipient to partner and donor; agencies remain valuable for standards and knowledge.
Quick Revision Table
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Specialised agencies | 15; linked via ECOSOC agreements |
| Geneva | ILO, WHO, ITU, WMO, WIPO; also UNHCR, UNCTAD, OHCHR |
| Rome | FAO, IFAD, WFP |
| Vienna | UNIDO, IAEA, UNODC |
| Nairobi | UNEP, UN-Habitat |
| Others | UNESCO Paris; ICAO Montreal; IMO London; UPU Bern; UN Tourism Madrid |
| Oldest | ITU 1865; UPU 1874; ILO 1919 |
| WHO | 7 Apr 1948; DG Tedros (as of 2026); US left 22 Jan 2026 |
| UNESCO | DG Khaled El-Enany (as of 2026); US exit due 31 Dec 2026; India 44 WHS (2025) |
| UNDP | HDR and HDI since 1990 (Mahbub ul Haq, Amartya Sen) |
| UNEP | 1972 Stockholm; Nairobi; WED 5 June |
| Nobel Peace (bodies) | UNHCR 1954, 1981; UNICEF 1965; ILO 1969; IAEA 2005; OPCW 2013; WFP 2020 |
| ISA | India + France, 2015, Gurugram; UN observer, not a UN agency |
Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways
- Separate the three types: specialised agencies (own treaties), funds and programmes (GA-created), related organisations (IAEA, WTO).
- Learn headquarters by city clusters: Geneva, Rome, Vienna, Nairobi, plus five one-off cities.
- The ILO (1919) predates the UN; the ITU (1865) is the oldest agency.
- 2026 changes to remember: the US exit from WHO (January 2026) and from UNESCO (due December 2026).
- India links to quote: millets (FAO), polio-free (WHO), World Heritage sites (UNESCO), ISA (not a UN body).
What’s Next
- Regional Groupings: SAARC, BRICS and SCO — India beyond the UN
- Life Science and Human Health — the disease programmes WHO supports
- Welfare Programmes — the Indian schemes that work alongside UNICEF and WFP
- Tourism, Archaeological Sites and Heritage — Chhattisgarh’s heritage and the UNESCO Tentative List
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