- The United Nations was founded on October 24, 1945 (UN Day), when its Charter — signed in San Francisco on June 26, 1945 — came into force. India was one of the 51 founding members.
- Today the UN has 193 member states; South Sudan (2011) is the newest. Its headquarters is in New York.
- The UN Secretary-General is António Guterres (Portugal), in office since January 1, 2017; his second term ends on December 31, 2026.
The Six Principal Organs
| Organ | Seat | Key points |
|---|---|---|
| General Assembly | New York | All 193 members, one vote each; decisions on important questions need a two-thirds majority |
| Security Council | New York | 15 members — 5 permanent with a veto (USA, UK, France, Russia, China) and 10 non-permanent elected for two-year terms |
| Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) | New York | 54 members; coordinates economic, social and development work |
| Trusteeship Council | New York | Suspended operations in 1994 after Palau, the last trust territory, became independent |
| International Court of Justice | The Hague, Netherlands | 15 judges elected for nine-year terms; the only principal organ outside New York |
| Secretariat | New York | Headed by the Secretary-General, appointed by the General Assembly on the Security Council's recommendation |
India and the Security Council
India has been a non-permanent member eight times, most recently in 2021–22, and seeks a permanent seat along with Brazil, Germany and Japan (the G4). The opposing "Uniting for Consensus" group, often called the Coffee Club, includes Pakistan, Italy and Argentina.
UN foundedOct 24, 1945
Members193
Newest memberSouth Sudan, 2011
UNSC members15 (5 permanent)
ICJ seatThe Hague
Oldest UN agencyITU (1865)
UN Specialised Agencies and Bodies
| Organisation | Headquarters | Founded |
|---|---|---|
| International Labour Organization (ILO) | Geneva | 1919 — became the UN's first specialised agency in 1946 |
| World Health Organization (WHO) | Geneva | 1948 (World Health Day, April 7, marks its founding) |
| Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) | Rome | 1945 (World Food Day, October 16) |
| UNESCO | Paris | 1945 |
| International Telecommunication Union (ITU) | Geneva | 1865 — the oldest international organisation in the UN family |
| Universal Postal Union (UPU) | Bern | 1874 |
| World Meteorological Organization (WMO) | Geneva | 1950 |
| International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) | Montreal | 1947 |
| International Maritime Organization (IMO) | London | 1948 (convention); began work 1959 |
| World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) | Geneva | 1967 — publishes the Global Innovation Index |
| International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) | Rome | 1977 |
| UNICEF | New York | 1946 |
| UN Environment Programme (UNEP) | Nairobi | 1972 — the first UN body headquartered in the Global South |
| International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) | Vienna | 1957 |
Bretton Woods Twins and the WTO
- The IMF and World Bank were created at the Bretton Woods Conference (1944) and are both headquartered in Washington, DC. The IMF looks after balance-of-payments stability and lends to countries in crisis; the World Bank finances long-term development. The IMF publishes the World Economic Outlook; voting in both depends on each member's quota or capital share.
- The World Trade Organization replaced the GATT (1947) on January 1, 1995, after the Uruguay Round. It is headquartered in Geneva, and its highest body is the Ministerial Conference, which meets roughly every two years.
Other Bodies and Their Headquarters
| Body | Headquarters |
|---|---|
| Interpol | Lyon, France |
| International Committee of the Red Cross | Geneva |
| IUCN and WWF | Gland, Switzerland |
| OPEC | Vienna |
| NATO and the European Union | Brussels |
| OECD | Paris |
| Asian Development Bank | Manila |
| Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank | Beijing |
| New Development Bank (BRICS) | Shanghai |
| African Union | Addis Ababa |
| Commonwealth Secretariat and Amnesty International | London |
| International Solar Alliance | Gurugram, India |
- Organisation ↔ headquarters matching is the single most common format — Geneva, Rome, Paris, Vienna and Nairobi are the usual answers.
- "Which organ is not in New York?" — the ICJ (The Hague).
- Report ↔ publisher: World Economic Outlook (IMF), Global Innovation Index (WIPO), World Development Report (World Bank).
Q1. The International Court of Justice is located in:
✅ Answer: (c) The Hague
💡 Explanation: The ICJ sits at the Peace Palace in The Hague — the only principal UN organ outside New York.
Q2. Which UN body is headquartered in Nairobi?
✅ Answer: (a) UNEP
💡 Explanation: UNEP, set up in 1972 after the Stockholm Conference, is based in Nairobi, Kenya.
Q3. How many non-permanent members does the UN Security Council have?
✅ Answer: (d) 10
💡 Explanation: The Council has 15 members: 5 permanent and 10 non-permanent elected for two-year terms.
Q4. The Food and Agriculture Organization is headquartered in:
✅ Answer: (b) Rome
💡 Explanation: FAO, like IFAD and the World Food Programme, is based in Rome.
Q5. The WTO came into existence on:
✅ Answer: (a) January 1, 1995
💡 Explanation: The WTO replaced the GATT on January 1, 1995, after the Uruguay Round.
🔁 Revise in 60 Seconds
- UN: Charter June 26, 1945 (San Francisco); founded Oct 24, 1945; 193 members.
- Six organs; ICJ at The Hague; Trusteeship Council suspended 1994.
- Geneva: WHO, ILO, ITU, WMO, WIPO, WTO. Rome: FAO, IFAD. Paris: UNESCO, OECD. Vienna: IAEA, OPEC. Nairobi: UNEP.
- IMF and World Bank: Bretton Woods 1944, Washington, DC.
📌 Prelims Traps to Avoid
- ✘ The World Bank and IMF are both in Washington, DC — not New York.
- ✘ The WTO is not a UN specialised agency, though it works closely with the UN.
- ✘ The ILO (1919) is older than the UN itself.
What are the six principal organs of the UN?
The General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council (suspended since 1994), the International Court of Justice and the Secretariat.
How many times has India been a member of the UN Security Council?
India has been elected a non-permanent member eight times, most recently for the 2021–22 term.