The United Nations System consists of the United Nations' six principal bodies (the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the Trusteeship Council, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and the Secretariat), and the specialized agencies and related organizations. The UN System includes subsidiary bodies such as the separately administered funds and programmes, research and training institutes, and other subsidiary entities. Some organizations predate the founding of the United Nations in 1945 and were inherited after the dissolution of the League of Nations.
The executive heads of some of the United Nations System organizations, and the World Trade Organization, which is not formally part of the United Nations System, have seats on the United Nations System Chief Executives' Board for Coordination (CEB). This body, chaired by the secretary-general of the United Nations, meets twice a year to coordinate the work of the organizations of the United Nations System.
Principal organs The United Nations itself has six principal organs established by the Charter of the United Nations:
General Assembly
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) consists of all United Nations Member States and meets in regular session once a year under a president elected from among the representatives. Its powers are to oversee the budget of the United Nations, appoint the non-permanent members to the Security Council, receive reports from other parts of the United Nations and make recommendations in the form of General Assembly Resolutions.CHARTER OF THE UNITED NATIONS: Chapter IV . UN.org. It has also established a wide number of subsidiary organs.
Security Council
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of international sanctions, and the authorization of military action. Its powers are exercised through United Nations Security Council resolutions.
The Security Council held its first ever session on 17 January 1946 at Church House, Westminster, London. Since its first meeting, the council, which exists in continuous session, has travelled widely, holding meetings in many cities, such as Paris and Addis Ababa, as well as at its current permanent home at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.
There are 15 members of the Security Council, consisting of five veto-wielding permanent members (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) and 10 elected non-permanent members with two-year terms. This basic structure is set out in Chapter V of the UN Charter. Security Council members must always be present at UN headquarters in New York so that the Security Council can meet at any time.
Economic and Social Council
The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is responsible for coordinating the economic, social, and related work of 15 UN specialized agencies, their functional commissions and five regional commissions. ECOSOC has 54 members; it holds a four-week session each year in July. Since 1998, it has also held a meeting each April with finance ministers heading key committees of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The ECOSOC serves as the central forum for discussing international economic and social issues, and for formulating policy recommendations addressed to member states and the United Nations System.
Secretariat
The United Nations Secretariat is headed by the United Nations Secretary-General, assisted by a staff of international civil servants worldwide. It provides studies, information, and facilities needed by United Nations bodies for their meetings. It also carries out tasks as directed by the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly, the UN Economic and Social Council, and other U.N. bodies. The United Nations Charter provides that the staff is to be chosen by application of the "highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity," with due regard for the importance of recruiting on a wide geographical basis.
The charter provides that the staff shall not seek or receive instructions from any authority other than the UN. Each UN member country is enjoined to respect the international character of the secretariat and not seek to influence its staff. The secretary-general alone is responsible for staff selection.
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services (UN-OIOS) United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR, formerly UNISDR)
International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands. Its main functions are to settle legal disputes submitted to it by states and to provide advisory opinions on legal questions submitted to it by duly authorized international organs, agencies, and the UN General Assembly.
Trusteeship Council
The United Nations Trusteeship Council, one of the principal organs of the United Nations, was established to ensure that trust territories were administered in the best interests of their inhabitants and of international peace and security. The trust territories—most of them are former mandates of the League of Nations or territories taken from nations defeated at the end of World War II—have all now attained self-government or independence, either as separate nations or by joining neighbouring independent countries. The last was Palau, formerly part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, which became a member state of the United Nations in December 1994.
Funds and programmes, research and training institutes, and other bodies The separately administered funds and programmes, research and training institutes, and other subsidiary bodies are autonomous subsidiary organs of the United Nations.
Funds and programmes Throughout its history the United Nations General Assembly has established a number of programmes and funds to address particular humanitarian and development concerns. These are financed through voluntary rather than assessed contributions. These bodies usually report to the General Assembly through an executive board. Only one UN programme has ever closed in the history of the organization, the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA), which ceased to exist in 1959 and was subsequently replaced by the UNHCR.
Each of the funds and programmes is headed by an executive director at the under-secretary-general level and is governed by an executive board. One former fund, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), was merged with other elements of the United Nations System into a new organization, UN Women, in January 2011. Programmes and funds of the United NationsAcronyms Agency Headquarters Head Established Comment UNDP United Nations Development Programme New York City, United States Alexander De Croo 1965 UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund New York City, United States Catherine M. Russell 1946 UNCDF United Nations Capital Development Fund New York City, United States Marc Bichler 1966 Affiliated with the UNDP WFP World Food Programme Rome, Italy Cindy McCain 1963 UNEP United Nations Environment Programme Nairobi, Kenya Inger Andersen 1972 UNFPA United Nations Population Fund New York City, United States Natalia Kanem 1969 UN-HABITAT United Nations Human Settlements Programme Nairobi, Kenya Maimunah Mohd Sharif 1978 UNVUnited Nations Volunteers Bonn, Germany Richard Dictus 1978 Administered by UNDP
Research and training institutes Various institutes were established by the General Assembly to perform independent research and training. One former institute, the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW), was merged with other elements of the United Nations System into a new organization, UN Women, in January 2011. United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC) United Nations University (UNU)
Secretariats of conventions Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities UNCCD – United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification UNFCCC – United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change CBD – Convention on Biological Diversity UNCLOS – United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea established bodies: ISA – International Seabed Authority ITLOS – International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea UNCRC – United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
Other entities and bodies Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) International Trade Centre (ITC) United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Other Entities and BodiesAcronyms Agency Headquarters Head Established Comment UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Geneva, Switzerland Filippo Grandi 1951UNIFEMUnited Nations Development Fund for Women New York City, United States Inés Alberdi1976Merged with UN Women in 2011 UN WOMEN United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women New York City, United States Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka 2010 Created by the merger of the Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW), the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW), the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women (OSAGI) and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) UNRWA United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Gaza, Palestine and Amman, Jordan Philippe Lazzarini1949
Specialized agencies
The specialized agencies are autonomous organizations working with the United Nations and each other through the co-ordinating machinery of the Economic and Social Council and the Chief Executives Board for Coordination. Each was integrated into the UN System by way of an agreement with the UN under UN Charter article 57 (except ICSID and MIGA, both part of the World Bank Group). p. 148. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) International Labour Organization (ILO) International Maritime Organization (IMO) International Monetary Fund (IMF) International Telecommunication Union (ITU) United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Universal Postal Union (UPU) World Bank Group (WBG) International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) International Development Association (IDA) International Finance Corporation (IFC) Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) World Health Organization (WHO) World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) World Meteorological Organization (WMO) United Nations World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) International Refugee Organization (IRO); ceased to exist in 1952
Related organizations Some organizations have a relationship with the UN defined by an arrangement different from the agreements between the specialized agencies and the UN, which are established under Articles 57 and 63 of the United Nations Charter.United Nations System of Organizations : "Entries listed in bold are members of the United Nations System's Chief Executives Board".
International Organization for Migration (IOM)