United Nations System: Key Bodies, Funds, Programmes and Specialized Agencies

Explore the complete United Nations System overview with full names of organisations, their headquarters and key functions. Ideal for competitive exam preparation, current affairs study and quick revision on global governance institutions.

Sumit Arora Last updated on December 5th, 2025 09:51 am

The United Nations (UN) functions through a broad institutional system known as the UN System. This network includes the UN itself along with several funds, programmes, specialised agencies, related bodies, and autonomous institutions, each with its own mandate, leadership and budget.

The funds and programmes are financed mainly through voluntary contributions, while specialized agencies receive both assessed and voluntary funding. The UN coordinates work among these institutions to support peace, development, humanitarian action and global governance.

United Nations System: Full Names, Headquarters and Functions

The United Nations System is a network of global organisations working together to promote peace, development, human rights, health, environment and humanitarian assistance. It consists of the UN itself along with specialised agencies, funds, programmes and related bodies — each having a distinct mandate, headquarters and governance structure but coordinated through the UN to achieve common international goals.

Category	Full Name of Organisation	Headquarters	Core Function / Purpose
UN Funds and Programmes	United Nations Development Programme	New York, USA	Works in almost 170 countries on poverty reduction, inequality and Sustainable Development Goals.
	United Nations Environment Programme	Nairobi, Kenya	UN authority for environmental protection and sustainable resource use.
	United Nations Population Fund	New York, USA	Focuses on reproductive health, safe childbirth and youth development.
	United Nations Human Settlements Programme	Nairobi, Kenya	Supports sustainable urban development and decent shelter for all.
	United Nations Children’s Fund	New York, USA	Promotes child rights, education, nutrition and development worldwide.
	World Food Programme	Rome, Italy	Global humanitarian agency working to end hunger and malnutrition.
UN Specialized Agencies	Food and Agriculture Organization	Rome, Italy	Leads global effort to fight hunger and promote food security.
	International Civil Aviation Organization	Montreal, Canada	Develops aviation safety rules and assists member states.
	International Fund for Agricultural Development	Rome, Italy	Works on rural poverty reduction and agricultural development.
	International Labour Organization	Geneva, Switzerland	Sets labour standards and promotes decent work and worker rights.
	International Monetary Fund	Washington, DC, USA	Provides financial stability support, loans and economic surveillance.
	International Maritime Organization	London, United Kingdom	Regulates international shipping safety, security and environmental standards.
	International Telecommunication Union	Geneva, Switzerland	UN agency for communication technologies and global telecom cooperation.
	United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization	Paris, France	Works on education, culture, heritage protection and science development.
	United Nations Industrial Development Organization	Vienna, Austria	Promotes industry, inclusive growth and sustainable development.
	World Tourism Organization	Madrid, Spain	UN agency for global tourism policy and sustainable tourism promotion.
	Universal Postal Union	Bern, Switzerland	Manages international postal cooperation and delivery standards.
	World Health Organization	Geneva, Switzerland	Global authority for public health, health norms and disease control.
	World Intellectual Property Organization	Geneva, Switzerland	Oversees international cooperation on intellectual property rights.
	World Meteorological Organization	Geneva, Switzerland	Coordinates global weather, climate, and atmospheric data exchange.
	World Bank Group	Washington, DC, USA	Provides development finance, loans and grants for poverty reduction.
Other UN Entities	Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS	Geneva, Switzerland	Leads global efforts to end AIDS by 2030.
	United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees	Geneva, Switzerland	Protects refugees and supports resettlement and humanitarian relief.
	United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research	Geneva, Switzerland	Researches disarmament, arms control and global peace studies.
	United Nations Institute for Training and Research	Geneva, Switzerland	Training institute developing governance and diplomatic skills.
	United Nations Office for Project Services	Copenhagen, Denmark	Implements development projects and infrastructure services.
	United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East	Amman, Jordan	Provides education, healthcare and relief to Palestine refugees.
	United Nations System Staff College	Turin, Italy	Delivers leadership and management training for UN staff.
	United Nations University	Tokyo, Japan	Global research think tank supporting UN policy development.
	United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women)	New York, USA	Works on gender equality and women empowerment.
Related International Organisations	Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization	Vienna, Austria	Promotes nuclear test-ban treaty implementation and verification.
	International Atomic Energy Agency	Vienna, Austria	Promotes safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear technology.
	International Criminal Court	The Hague, Netherlands	Tries individuals for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
	International Organization for Migration	Geneva, Switzerland	Supports cooperation on migration and humanitarian assistance to migrants.
	Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons	The Hague, Netherlands	Implements Chemical Weapons Convention and ensures disarmament compliance.
	United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat	Bonn, Germany	Coordinates global climate treaties and negotiations including Paris Agreement.
	World Trade Organization	Geneva, Switzerland	Forum for negotiating trade rules and resolving trade disputes.
	International Trade Centre	Geneva, Switzerland	Joint UN-WTO agency supporting internationalisation of small and medium enterprises.