United Nations System Totally Explained

Everything about United Nations System totally explained

While the United Nations is an international organization, the United Nations System is the whole network of international organizations, treaties and conventions that were created by the United Nations.
The United Nations System is based on five active principal organs (formerly six, the UN Trusteeship Council suspended operations in 1994):

In addition separate organizations, often subordinate to the principal organs, have been created to solve specialized tasks.

Organizations of the United Nations System

One of the remarkable features of the UN system is the duplication of responsibility.
For example, frustrated by their inability to control the ECOSOC the Assembly's third-world majority created the Conference on Trade and Development to address special issues that ECOSOC wasn't addressing. (Basu, Rumki, "The United Nations: Structure and Functions of an International Organisation," Sterling Publishing, New Delhi, 1993.)
Likewise, but just as an example, UNODOC (UN Office on Drugs and Crime) reports to the Secretariat, ECOSOC has a Functional Commission on crime and a separate one on Drugs, and the Assembly oversees the Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute. UN's Org Chart

Organizations of the General Assembly

Main committees

Other sessional committees

Standing committees and ad hoc bodies

Other subsidiary organs

Programs and funds

UNCTAD - United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

ITC - International Trade Centre (UNCTAD/WTO)

UNDCP - United Nations Drug Control Programme

UNDP - United Nations Development Programme

UNCDF - United Nations Capital Development Fund
UNIFEM - United Nations Development Fund for Women
UNV - United Nations Volunteers

UNEP - United Nations Environment Programme

UNFPA - United Nations Fund for Population Activities

UNHCR - Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

UN-HABITAT - United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT)

UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund

WFP - World Food Programme

UNRWA - United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (Reports only to the General Assembly)

Research and training institutes

INSTRAW - International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women

UNICRI - United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute

UNITAR - United Nations Institute for Training and Research

UNRISD - United Nations Research Institute for Social Development

UNIDIR - United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (Reports only to the General Assembly)

Other entities

COPUOS - United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space

JIU - Joint Inspection Unit (oversight body of the United Nations system)

OHCHR - Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

UNOPS - United Nations Office for Project Services

UNU - United Nations University

UNOOSA - United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs

UNSSC - United Nations System Staff College

UNAIDS - Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS

UNRRA - United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (ceased to exist in 1949)

UPEACE - United Nations Mandated University for Peace

Organizations of the Security Council

Human Rights Council

Military Staff Committee

Standing Committee and ad hoc bodies

International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia

International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda

1540 Committee - Committee established pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 1540 (2004)

Counter-terrorism committee - Committee established pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 1373 (2001)

Peacekeeping Operations and Missions

MONUC - United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo
UNAVEM III - United Nations Angola Verification Mission III
UNDOF - United Nations Disengagement Observer Force
UNFICYP - United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus
UNIFIL - United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
UNMEE - United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea
UNMIK - United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo
UNMIL - United Nations Mission in Liberia
UNMIS - United Nations Mission In Sudan
UNMOGIP - United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan
UNMOVIC - United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission
UNOMIG - United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia
UNOMSIL - United Nations Mission of Observers in Sierra Leone
UNSMIH - United Nations Support Mission in Haiti
UNTSO - United Nations Truce Supervision Organization
UNMIN - United Nations Mission in Nepal

Former Peacekeeping Operations and Missions

ONUMOZ - United Nations Operation in Mozambique
UNAMIR - United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda
UNAMSIL - United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone
UNCRO - United Nations Confidence Restoration Operation in Croatia
UNIKOM - United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission
UNMIBH - United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina
UNMOP - United Nations Mission of Observers in Prevlaka
UNMOT - United Nations Mission of Observers in Tajikistan
UNSCOM - United Nations Special Commission (Iraq)
UNTAET - United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor
UNTAC - United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia

Organizations of the Economic and Social Council

Functional commissions

Commission for Social Development (External Link

)

Commission on Narcotic Drugs (External Link

)

Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (External Link

)

Commission on Science and Technology for Development (External Link

)

Commission on Sustainable Development (External Link

)

Commission on the Status of Women (External Link

)

Commission on Population and Development (External Link

)

Statistical Commission (External Link

)

United Nations Forum on Forests (External Link

)

Regional commissions

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE)

United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)

United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)

Specialized agencies

The specialized agencies are autonomous organizations working with the United Nations and each other through the coordinating machinery of the Economic and Social Council.

ILO - International Labour Organization

FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization

UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

WHO - World Health Organization

World Bank Group

IBRD - International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
IDA - International Development Association
IFC - International Finance Corporation
MIGA - Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency
ICSID - International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes

IMF - International Monetary Fund

ICAO - International Civil Aviation Organization

IMO - International Maritime Organization

ITU - International Telecommunication Union

UPU - Universal Postal Union

WMO - World Meteorological Organization

WIPO - World Intellectual Property Organization

IFAD - International Fund for Agricultural Development

UNIDO - United Nations Industrial Development Organization

IRO - International Refugee Organization (ceased to exist in 1952)

INCB - International Narcotics Control Board

UNWTO - World Tourism Organization

Other entities

Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (PFII)

Sessional and Standing Committees Expert, ad hoc and related bodies

Organizations of the Secretariat

United Nations Secretariat is led by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who is currently Ban Ki-moon of South Korea.

OSG - Office of the Secretary-General

OIOS - Office of Internal Oversight Services

OLA - Office of Legal Affairs

DPA - Department of Political Affairs

DDA - Department for Disarmament Affairs

DPKO - Department of Peacekeeping Operations

OCHA - Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

DESA - Department of Economic and Social Affairs

DGACM - Department of General Assembly and Conference Management

DPI - Department of Public Information

DM - Department of Management

OIP - Office of the Iraq Programme

UNSECOORD - Office of the United Nations Security Coordinator

OHRLLS - Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

ODC - Office on Drugs and Crime

UNOG - UN Office at Geneva

UNOV - UN Office at Vienna

UNON - UN Office at Nairobi

Organization of the International Court of Justice

See International Court of Justice.

Related organizations

IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency. Reports to the Security Council and the General Assembly

World Trade Organization - (WTO)

ICC - International Criminal Court

ISA - International Seabed Authority

ITLOS - International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (External Link

)

Standby High-Readiness Brigade - The UN's standing military force.

UNSOG - Special Operations Group.

CEB (Chief Executives Board) and Senior Management Group

The CEB (Chief Executives Board) brings together on a regular basis the executive heads of the organisations of the UN System, under the chairmanship of the Secretary-General of the UN.
There is also a Senior Management Group, which co-ordinates the work of the UN Secretariat and the UN Programmes and Funds, but doesn't include the UN Specialised Agencies.

Further Information

Get more info on 'United Nations System'.

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