UN Agencies and International Institutions

Introduction

The United Nations operates through a broad institutional network addressing health, development, labour, food, education, refugees, aviation, telecommunications, maritime affairs and many other areas.

The term international institution is broader than the term UN agency. International institutions can include organizations, regimes, rules, norms and decision-making arrangements.

UN Specialized Agencies

Specialized Agency: An autonomous international organization associated with the United Nations through a formal agreement and responsible for a particular area of international cooperation.

World Health Organization

World Health Organization: The UN specialized agency responsible for international public health cooperation.

Its work includes:

• Disease prevention
• Health emergencies
• International health standards
• Public health coordination
• Health systems
• Global health policy

International Labour Organization

International Labour Organization: A specialized agency concerned with labour standards, decent work, employment and social protection.

Tripartite Structure: The ILO’s institutional structure involving governments, employers and workers.

UNESCO

UNESCO: The UN specialized agency concerned with education, science, culture and communication.

World Heritage Site: A cultural or natural site recognized under the World Heritage Convention for its outstanding universal value.

Food and Agriculture Organization

FAO: A UN specialized agency focused on food, agriculture, fisheries, forestry and food security.

Food Security: A condition in which people have reliable access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food.

International Civil Aviation Organization

ICAO: A UN specialized agency responsible for international cooperation and standards concerning civil aviation.

International Maritime Organization

IMO: A UN specialized agency responsible for international maritime safety, security and environmental matters.

International Telecommunication Union

ITU: A UN specialized agency concerned with information and communication technologies and international telecommunications standards and coordination.

World Meteorological Organization

WMO: A UN specialized agency concerned with weather, climate, hydrology and related scientific cooperation.

World Intellectual Property Organization

WIPO: A UN specialized agency dealing with intellectual property systems and international cooperation concerning intellectual property.

International Fund for Agricultural Development

IFAD: An international financial institution and UN specialized agency focused on rural development, food security and agricultural development.

UN Funds and Programmes

UN Development Programme: A major UN development organization working on poverty reduction, governance, resilience and sustainable development.

UNICEF: The UN organization focused on children and child-related issues.

UNHCR: The UN organization responsible for international protection and assistance for refugees and certain displaced populations.

UN Environment Programme: The UN entity responsible for coordinating international environmental activity within the UN system.

World Food Programme: The UN organization providing food assistance and working on hunger and food insecurity.

UNFPA: The UN entity concerned with population, reproductive health and demographic issues.

Bretton Woods Institutions

Bretton Woods Institutions: The World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund, established in the post-Second World War international economic order.

They are discussed separately from the UN system because of their distinct governance structures and institutional mandates.

Regional International Institutions

International institutions also operate at regional levels.

Examples include:

• European Union
• African Union
• ASEAN
• SAARC
• Organization of American States
• Gulf Cooperation Council
• Arab League

International Institutions Beyond Organizations

International Regime: A set of principles, norms, rules and decision-making procedures around which expectations converge in a particular issue area.

International Norm: A shared expectation concerning appropriate behaviour.

International Governance: Processes through which international issues are managed through rules, institutions and cooperation.

Functions of International Institutions

International institutions may:

• Facilitate cooperation
• Develop standards
• Collect and distribute information
• Monitor compliance
• Provide technical assistance
• Coordinate international responses
• Establish rules
• Provide dispute-resolution mechanisms
• Mobilize resources
• Support development

Key Distinctions

UN Agency vs UN Programme: Specialized agencies are generally autonomous international organizations; UN programmes operate within the broader UN institutional framework.

International Organization vs International Institution: An organization is a structured entity with members and institutions; an institution can also refer to rules, norms and established practices.

Global vs Regional Institution: Global institutions have broad international membership or scope; regional institutions focus primarily on a particular geographical region.

WHO vs WFP: WHO focuses primarily on health; WFP focuses primarily on food assistance and hunger.

UNHCR vs IOM: UNHCR has a specific international protection mandate for refugees and certain displaced populations; IOM works broadly on migration management and related issues.

Key Terms at a Glance

Specialized Agency | WHO | ILO | UNESCO | FAO | ICAO | IMO | ITU | WMO | WIPO | IFAD | UNDP | UNICEF | UNHCR | UNEP | WFP | UNFPA | Bretton Woods Institutions | International Regime | International Norm | International Governance

Related Glossaries

United Nations System | Global Governance | IMF and World Bank | International Trade Institutions | International Organizations | Sustainable Development