Graduate Level intermediate United Nations International Organizations GK
Complete study notes on UN system for Kerala PSC — UNGA, UNSC, ICJ, WHO, UNESCO, UNICEF, FAO, ILO, and other agencies. Headquarters, heads, functions, and India's role.
Published: 20 Apr 2026 Relevant for: Graduate Level Prelims, Secretariat Assistant, University Assistant, LDC
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The United Nations system is one of the most heavily tested areas in Kerala PSC General Knowledge. This note covers all principal organs, specialized agencies, headquarters, heads, and India’s role.
1. United Nations — Overview
Aspect Details Founded 24 October 1945 (UN Day) UN Charter signed 26 June 1945, San Francisco Charter came into force 24 October 1945 Headquarters New York City, USA Official languages 6 — English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic Working languages English and French Member states 193 Latest member South Sudan (2011) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (Portugal, since 2017) India’s membership Founding member (26 June 1945) UN flag Light blue background with white world map and olive branches Preamble begins with ”We the peoples of the United Nations…“
2. Six Principal Organs of the UN
Organ HQ Key Function General Assembly (UNGA) New York Deliberative; all members participate; one nation = one vote Security Council (UNSC) New York Peace and security; binding resolutions Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) New York Coordinates economic/social/humanitarian work International Court of Justice (ICJ) The Hague, Netherlands Principal judicial organ Secretariat New York Administrative; headed by Secretary-General Trusteeship Council New York Supervised trust territories; SUSPENDED operations in 1994 (all territories independent)
3. General Assembly (UNGA)
Feature Details Members All 193 UN members Voting One country = one vote Important matters 2/3rd majority (peace, budget, new members) Other matters Simple majority Sessions Regular session: September–December every year Special sessions Can be called by Security Council or majority of members President (2024–25) Philemon Yang (Cameroon) Resolutions Recommendatory (not binding) unlike UNSC Power Discusses any matter under UN Charter; approves budget; elects non-permanent UNSC members
4. Security Council (UNSC)
Feature Details Total members 15 Permanent members (P5) USA, UK, France, Russia, China Non-permanent members 10 (elected by UNGA for 2-year terms) Voting 9 out of 15 needed; P5 has veto power Veto power Any P5 member can block a substantive resolution Resolutions BINDING on all UN members Key powers Sanctions, peacekeeping operations, authorize military action India’s UNSC membership Non-permanent member 8 times (most recent: 2021–22)
Aspect Details India’s demand Permanent membership in expanded UNSC G4 nations India, Germany, Japan, Brazil — jointly seek permanent seats Opposition ”Uniting for Consensus” group (Italy, Pakistan, South Korea, etc.) Current status No reform achieved yet; requires Charter amendment (2/3rd UNGA + all P5 ratification)
5. International Court of Justice (ICJ)
Feature Details Location Peace Palace, The Hague, Netherlands Judges 15 (elected for 9-year terms; 5 replaced every 3 years) Elected by UNGA and UNSC simultaneously Jurisdiction Only states can be parties (not individuals or organizations) Decisions Binding on parties; no appeal Advisory opinions Given to UN organs and agencies (non-binding) Current President (2024) Nawaf Salam (Lebanon) Indian judges (past) Nagendra Singh (President, 1985–88), Dalveer Bhandari (2012–present)
6. Secretariat and Secretary-General
Feature Details Secretary-General Chief administrative officer of UN Appointed by UNGA on recommendation of UNSC Term 5 years (renewable) Current Antonio Guterres (2017–present, 2nd term)
Past Secretaries-General
Name Country Term Trygve Lie Norway 1946–1952 Dag Hammarskjold Sweden 1953–1961 (died in plane crash) U Thant Myanmar (Burma) 1961–1971 Kurt Waldheim Austria 1972–1981 Javier Perez de Cuellar Peru 1982–1991 Boutros Boutros-Ghali Egypt 1992–1996 Kofi Annan Ghana 1997–2006 (Nobel Peace Prize 2001) Ban Ki-moon South Korea 2007–2016 Antonio Guterres Portugal 2017–present
7. Specialized Agencies — Complete Table
Agency Full Name HQ Established Head (2025) Key Function WHO World Health Organization Geneva, Switzerland 1948 Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Global health UNESCO UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Paris, France 1945 Audrey Azoulay Education, science, culture, heritage UNICEF UN Children’s Fund New York, USA 1946 Catherine Russell Children’s welfare FAO Food and Agriculture Organization Rome, Italy 1945 Qu Dongyu Food security, agriculture ILO International Labour Organization Geneva, Switzerland 1919 Gilbert Houngbo Labour standards, workers’ rights IMF International Monetary Fund Washington DC, USA 1945 Kristalina Georgieva Financial stability, exchange rates World Bank International Bank for Reconstruction and Development Washington DC, USA 1945 Ajay Banga (Indian-American) Development loans WTO World Trade Organization Geneva, Switzerland 1995 Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala International trade rules IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency Vienna, Austria 1957 Rafael Grossi Nuclear energy, non-proliferation WIPO World Intellectual Property Organization Geneva, Switzerland 1967 Daren Tang Patents, copyrights globally ITU International Telecommunication Union Geneva, Switzerland 1865 Doreen Bogdan-Martin Telecom standards WMO World Meteorological Organization Geneva, Switzerland 1950 Celeste Saulo Weather, climate ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization Montreal, Canada 1944 Juan Carlos Salazar Aviation safety and standards IMO International Maritime Organization London, UK 1948 Arsenio Dominguez Shipping and maritime safety UPU Universal Postal Union Bern, Switzerland 1874 Masahiko Metoki International postal services UNIDO UN Industrial Development Organization Vienna, Austria 1966 Gerd Muller Industrial development UNWTO UN World Tourism Organization Madrid, Spain 1975 Zurab Pololikashvili Tourism promotion IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development Rome, Italy 1977 Alvaro Lario Rural poverty
8. Other Important UN Bodies (Not Specialized Agencies)
Body Full Name HQ Function UNDP UN Development Programme New York Development assistance; HDI publication UNEP UN Environment Programme Nairobi, Kenya Environmental issues UNHCR UN High Commissioner for Refugees Geneva Refugee protection UNCTAD UN Conference on Trade and Development Geneva Trade and development of developing nations UNFPA UN Population Fund New York Population and reproductive health UN Women UN Entity for Gender Equality New York Women’s empowerment WFP World Food Programme Rome, Italy Food aid (Nobel Peace Prize 2020) UN-Habitat UN Human Settlements Programme Nairobi Urbanization, housing
9. India and the United Nations
Aspect Details Founding member Yes (1945) UNSC non-permanent member 8 times (1950–51, 1967–68, 1972–73, 1977–78, 1984–85, 1991–92, 2011–12, 2021–22) Peacekeeping contribution One of the largest troop contributors; participated in over 49 missions Indian heads of UN bodies Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit (UNGA President, 1953); Nagendra Singh (ICJ President); Sarojini Naidu was NOT a UN head India and ICJ Dalveer Bhandari — current judge (since 2012) India and WHO First Asian DG: Brock Chisholm was not Indian; no Indian DG yet India and ILO India is founding member of ILO (1919) India’s UNGA votes Supports Palestine, disarmament, South-South cooperation
10. Important UN Days
Date Day 8 March International Women’s Day 22 March World Water Day 7 April World Health Day 22 April Earth Day 1 May International Workers’ Day 5 June World Environment Day 20 June World Refugee Day 11 July World Population Day 12 August International Youth Day 21 September International Day of Peace 24 October United Nations Day 10 December Human Rights Day 1 December World AIDS Day
11. PSC Quick-Fire Facts
Question Answer UN founded on 24 October 1945 UN Charter signed at San Francisco Total UN members 193 Latest UN member South Sudan (2011) UN Secretary-General (2025) Antonio Guterres UNSC permanent members USA, UK, France, Russia, China UNSC total members 15 ICJ location The Hague, Netherlands ICJ judges 15 WHO headquarters Geneva UNESCO headquarters Paris FAO headquarters Rome ILO headquarters Geneva ILO established in 1919 World Bank headquarters Washington DC UNEP headquarters Nairobi, Kenya WFP received Nobel Peace Prize in 2020 First UNGA woman President Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit (1953) India — UNSC non-permanent member how many times 8 Trusteeship Council status Suspended (1994) G4 countries seeking UNSC seat India, Germany, Japan, Brazil UN official languages 6 (English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic)
The United Nations system is one of the most heavily tested areas in Kerala PSC General Knowledge. This note covers all principal organs, specialized agencies, headquarters, heads, and India’s role.
1. United Nations — Overview
Aspect Details Founded 24 October 1945 (UN Day) UN Charter signed 26 June 1945, San Francisco Charter came into force 24 October 1945 Headquarters New York City, USA Official languages 6 — English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic Working languages English and French Member states 193 Latest member South Sudan (2011) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (Portugal, since 2017) India’s membership Founding member (26 June 1945) UN flag Light blue background with white world map and olive branches Preamble begins with ”We the peoples of the United Nations…“
2. Six Principal Organs of the UN
Organ HQ Key Function General Assembly (UNGA) New York Deliberative; all members participate; one nation = one vote Security Council (UNSC) New York Peace and security; binding resolutions Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) New York Coordinates economic/social/humanitarian work International Court of Justice (ICJ) The Hague, Netherlands Principal judicial organ Secretariat New York Administrative; headed by Secretary-General Trusteeship Council New York Supervised trust territories; SUSPENDED operations in 1994 (all territories independent)
3. General Assembly (UNGA)
Feature Details Members All 193 UN members Voting One country = one vote Important matters 2/3rd majority (peace, budget, new members) Other matters Simple majority Sessions Regular session: September–December every year Special sessions Can be called by Security Council or majority of members President (2024–25) Philemon Yang (Cameroon) Resolutions Recommendatory (not binding) unlike UNSC Power Discusses any matter under UN Charter; approves budget; elects non-permanent UNSC members
4. Security Council (UNSC)
Feature Details Total members 15 Permanent members (P5) USA, UK, France, Russia, China Non-permanent members 10 (elected by UNGA for 2-year terms) Voting 9 out of 15 needed; P5 has veto power Veto power Any P5 member can block a substantive resolution Resolutions BINDING on all UN members Key powers Sanctions, peacekeeping operations, authorize military action India’s UNSC membership Non-permanent member 8 times (most recent: 2021–22)
Aspect Details India’s demand Permanent membership in expanded UNSC G4 nations India, Germany, Japan, Brazil — jointly seek permanent seats Opposition ”Uniting for Consensus” group (Italy, Pakistan, South Korea, etc.) Current status No reform achieved yet; requires Charter amendment (2/3rd UNGA + all P5 ratification)
5. International Court of Justice (ICJ)
Feature Details Location Peace Palace, The Hague, Netherlands Judges 15 (elected for 9-year terms; 5 replaced every 3 years) Elected by UNGA and UNSC simultaneously Jurisdiction Only states can be parties (not individuals or organizations) Decisions Binding on parties; no appeal Advisory opinions Given to UN organs and agencies (non-binding) Current President (2024) Nawaf Salam (Lebanon) Indian judges (past) Nagendra Singh (President, 1985–88), Dalveer Bhandari (2012–present)
6. Secretariat and Secretary-General
Feature Details Secretary-General Chief administrative officer of UN Appointed by UNGA on recommendation of UNSC Term 5 years (renewable) Current Antonio Guterres (2017–present, 2nd term)
Past Secretaries-General
Name Country Term Trygve Lie Norway 1946–1952 Dag Hammarskjold Sweden 1953–1961 (died in plane crash) U Thant Myanmar (Burma) 1961–1971 Kurt Waldheim Austria 1972–1981 Javier Perez de Cuellar Peru 1982–1991 Boutros Boutros-Ghali Egypt 1992–1996 Kofi Annan Ghana 1997–2006 (Nobel Peace Prize 2001) Ban Ki-moon South Korea 2007–2016 Antonio Guterres Portugal 2017–present
7. Specialized Agencies — Complete Table
Agency Full Name HQ Established Head (2025) Key Function WHO World Health Organization Geneva, Switzerland 1948 Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Global health UNESCO UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Paris, France 1945 Audrey Azoulay Education, science, culture, heritage UNICEF UN Children’s Fund New York, USA 1946 Catherine Russell Children’s welfare FAO Food and Agriculture Organization Rome, Italy 1945 Qu Dongyu Food security, agriculture ILO International Labour Organization Geneva, Switzerland 1919 Gilbert Houngbo Labour standards, workers’ rights IMF International Monetary Fund Washington DC, USA 1945 Kristalina Georgieva Financial stability, exchange rates World Bank International Bank for Reconstruction and Development Washington DC, USA 1945 Ajay Banga (Indian-American) Development loans WTO World Trade Organization Geneva, Switzerland 1995 Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala International trade rules IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency Vienna, Austria 1957 Rafael Grossi Nuclear energy, non-proliferation WIPO World Intellectual Property Organization Geneva, Switzerland 1967 Daren Tang Patents, copyrights globally ITU International Telecommunication Union Geneva, Switzerland 1865 Doreen Bogdan-Martin Telecom standards WMO World Meteorological Organization Geneva, Switzerland 1950 Celeste Saulo Weather, climate ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization Montreal, Canada 1944 Juan Carlos Salazar Aviation safety and standards IMO International Maritime Organization London, UK 1948 Arsenio Dominguez Shipping and maritime safety UPU Universal Postal Union Bern, Switzerland 1874 Masahiko Metoki International postal services UNIDO UN Industrial Development Organization Vienna, Austria 1966 Gerd Muller Industrial development UNWTO UN World Tourism Organization Madrid, Spain 1975 Zurab Pololikashvili Tourism promotion IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development Rome, Italy 1977 Alvaro Lario Rural poverty
8. Other Important UN Bodies (Not Specialized Agencies)
Body Full Name HQ Function UNDP UN Development Programme New York Development assistance; HDI publication UNEP UN Environment Programme Nairobi, Kenya Environmental issues UNHCR UN High Commissioner for Refugees Geneva Refugee protection UNCTAD UN Conference on Trade and Development Geneva Trade and development of developing nations UNFPA UN Population Fund New York Population and reproductive health UN Women UN Entity for Gender Equality New York Women’s empowerment WFP World Food Programme Rome, Italy Food aid (Nobel Peace Prize 2020) UN-Habitat UN Human Settlements Programme Nairobi Urbanization, housing
9. India and the United Nations
Aspect Details Founding member Yes (1945) UNSC non-permanent member 8 times (1950–51, 1967–68, 1972–73, 1977–78, 1984–85, 1991–92, 2011–12, 2021–22) Peacekeeping contribution One of the largest troop contributors; participated in over 49 missions Indian heads of UN bodies Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit (UNGA President, 1953); Nagendra Singh (ICJ President); Sarojini Naidu was NOT a UN head India and ICJ Dalveer Bhandari — current judge (since 2012) India and WHO First Asian DG: Brock Chisholm was not Indian; no Indian DG yet India and ILO India is founding member of ILO (1919) India’s UNGA votes Supports Palestine, disarmament, South-South cooperation
10. Important UN Days
Date Day 8 March International Women’s Day 22 March World Water Day 7 April World Health Day 22 April Earth Day 1 May International Workers’ Day 5 June World Environment Day 20 June World Refugee Day 11 July World Population Day 12 August International Youth Day 21 September International Day of Peace 24 October United Nations Day 10 December Human Rights Day 1 December World AIDS Day
11. PSC Quick-Fire Facts
Question Answer UN founded on 24 October 1945 UN Charter signed at San Francisco Total UN members 193 Latest UN member South Sudan (2011) UN Secretary-General (2025) Antonio Guterres UNSC permanent members USA, UK, France, Russia, China UNSC total members 15 ICJ location The Hague, Netherlands ICJ judges 15 WHO headquarters Geneva UNESCO headquarters Paris FAO headquarters Rome ILO headquarters Geneva ILO established in 1919 World Bank headquarters Washington DC UNEP headquarters Nairobi, Kenya WFP received Nobel Peace Prize in 2020 First UNGA woman President Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit (1953) India — UNSC non-permanent member how many times 8 Trusteeship Council status Suspended (1994) G4 countries seeking UNSC seat India, Germany, Japan, Brazil UN official languages 6 (English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic)
