The Agencies of the United Nations provide for international cooperation in many matters. Support for the U.N. has sometimes been small in the U.S., it is hoped that by browsing first-hand some of the many units that make up the United Nations, you, the reader, will come away with a better understanding and support for U.N. activities and (especially if you are an American citizen) become less begrudging of the funds that are required to maintain these activities.
Official Website Locator for the U.N. System of
Organizations, Geneva, Switzerland. English/Française.
United Nations Headquarters (UN), New York, New York.
United Nations Office (UNOV), Vienna, Austria
United Nations Office (UNOG), Geneva, Switzerland.
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Rome, Italy. The
FAO provides assistance in development, information and support services, advice to governments
and a neutral forum for international cooperation. FAO-assisted projects attract more than $3,000
million per year from donor agencies and governments for investment in agricultural and rural
development projects. They also play a key role in helping countries prepare for disasters and
restore food production quickly after disasters occur.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna, Austria.
The IAEA serves as the world's central intergovernmental forum for scientific and technical co-operation
in the nuclear field, and as the international inspectorate for the application of nuclear safeguards and
verification measures.
International Court of Justice (ICJ), Ithaca, New York. Mirror sites
in Paris, France and
Glasgow, Scotland. The International Court of Justice, which sits at The Hague, in the Netherlands,
is a world court. It decides in accordance with international law disputes of a legal nature submitted to it
by States. The Court helps to resolve disputes, which contributes to the maintenance of peace and the development of friendly relations among States.
International Labour Organization (ILO), Geneva, Switzerland. English/Française/Español. Promoting freedom of association, effective recognition
of the right to collective bargaining, elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour, effective
abolition of child labour, and elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.
International Monetary Fund (IMF), Washington, DC.
English/Française. The IMF is a cooperative institution that 182 countries have voluntarily
joined because they see the advantage of consulting with one another in this forum to maintain
a stable system of buying and selling their currencies so that payments in foreign money can
take place between countries smoothly and without delay.
International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Geneva,
Switzerland. A worldwide federation of national standards bodies from some 130 countries.
International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Geneva,
Switzerland. The ITU is an international organization within which governments and the
private sector coordinate global telecommunications networks and services.
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
(UNAIDS), Geneva, Switzerland. UNAIDS is helping countries to prevent new HIV
infections, care for those already infected, and mitigate the impact of the epidemic by
mounting and supporting an expanded response -- one that engages the efforts of many
sectors and partners from government and civil society.
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme
(UN-Habitat), Nairobi, Kenya. The mission of UN-Habitat is to promote socially and
environmentally sustainable human settlements development and the achievement of
adequate shelter for all.
United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), New York, New
York. English/Française/Español. UNICEF advocates and works for the protection of
children's rights, to help the young meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to
reach their full potential.
United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM),
New York, New York. UNIFEM is working for women's empowerment and gender equality.
World Bank, Washington, DC. English/Française/Español. The World Bank provides funds to shore up
developing-country government finances and usually provides guarantees for specific projects.
World Food Programme (WFP), Rome, Italy. The WFP
provides food to sustain victims of man-made and natural disasters; to improve the nutrition
and quality of life of the most vulnerable people at critical times in their lives; and to help build
assets and promote the self-reliance of poor people and communities, particularly through
labour-intensive works programmes.
World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva, Switzerland.
WHO's objective is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. Health,
as defined in the WHO Constitution, is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being
and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
World Meteorological Association (WMO), Geneva, Switzerland. English/Française/Español. The WMO coordinates global scientific activity to allow
increasingly prompt and accurate weather information and other services for public, private and
commercial use, including international airline and shipping industries. WMO's activities contribute
to the safety of life and property, the socio-economic development of nations and the protection of
the environment.