The United Nations in New York, often referred to as UN Headquarters, is the main operational base of the United Nations and serves as the venue for many of its functions. Here, the General Assembly, Security Council, and other major parts of the UN conduct their work.
The UN Office in Geneva is the second most important UN centre, after the headquarters in New York. Alongside hosting meetings of various UN bodies, it plays a crucial role in diplomatic negotiations and international relations.
The United Nations Office at Nairobi, the only UN headquarters in Africa and the Global South, hosts significant international conferences and is a critical centre for coordinating UN activities in the region, including environmental and human development agendas.
UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, is a specialised agency of the UN aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, the arts, sciences, and culture.
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system, and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment.
The UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) is one of the five regional commissions of the UN, with a mandate to promote African countries’ economic and social development.
Similarly, the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) focuses on contributing to the economic development of Latin America, coordinating actions directed towards this end, and reinforcing economic relationships among countries and with other nations of the world.
The African Development Bank (AfDB) is a regional multilateral development bank established to contribute to African countries’ economic development and social progress.
The African Union is a continental union consisting of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. It was established to accelerate the continent’s integration process and enable it to play its rightful role in the global economy while addressing multifaceted social, economic, and political problems.
The Arab League is a regional organisation of Arab countries in and around North Africa, the Horn of Africa, and Arabia. It was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945 with six members and has since expanded.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank established to facilitate the economic development of countries in Asia and to promote regional economic cooperation.
The Commonwealth of Nations, commonly known as the Commonwealth, is a political association of 54 member states, nearly all of which are former territories of the British Empire. It is not a political union but an organisation in which countries with diverse social, political, and economic backgrounds are regarded as equal in status.
The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 member states located primarily in Europe. It has its currency, the Euro, used by 19 member countries and operates through a hybrid system of supranational and intergovernmental decision-making.
The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) is a specialised agency of the UN that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security.
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is an international financial institution and a specialised agency of the UN that works to address poverty and hunger in rural areas of developing countries.
The Organisation of American States (OAS) is a continental organisation founded on 30 April 1948 for regional solidarity and cooperation among its member states within the Americas.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an intergovernmental economic organisation with 37 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade.
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of poorer countries to pursue capital projects.
World Food Programme (WFP) is the food assistance branch of the United Nations and the world’s largest humanitarian organisation addressing hunger and promoting food security.