Comprehensive Guide to United Nations Agencies PDF: Functions, Headquarters and SDG Contributions
Oct 14 2025
The United Nations Agencies (UN), established in 1945, is a pivotal international organisation comprising 193 member states. Its mission encompasses maintaining global peace, promoting human rights, and advancing sustainable development. Integral to this mission are its specialised agencies, each focusing on specific areas such as health, education, labour, and the environment.
Main objectives of the United Nations Agencies
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Maintain International Peace and Security,
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Develop Friendly Relations among Nations,
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Achieve International Cooperation,
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Be a centre for harmonising the nation's actions,
- Upcoming events with date, highlights and location.
These agencies operate worldwide, including in India, where they play a significant role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For those preparing for competitive exams or seeking detailed information, a comprehensive list of UN agencies, their headquarters, and their functions is available in both English and Hindi PDFs. These resources are invaluable for understanding the UN's structure and its global impact.
List Of United Nations Agencies PDF
The United Nations Agencies list is also available in PDF format for offline preparation for the topic. So, check out the link given below
List Of United Nations Agencies For SDGs PDF
List Of United Nations Agencies and their Headquarters PDF in English
List Of United Nations Agencies and their Headquarters PDF in Hindi
When Was the United Nations Organisation Established?
The United Nations is an international organisation that was founded in 1945 after the Second World War.
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Over 51 countries are committed to maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations and promoting social progress.
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United Nations Organisations in India carry out remarkable work throughout the country. Currently made up of 193 Member States, the UN and its work are guided by the purposes and principles contained in its founding Charter.
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The United Nations is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States, and the complex has served as the official headquarters of the United Nations since its completion in 1951.
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United Nations Agencies carry out Goals in all United Nations Member Countries.
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UN agencies and their functions are carried out in all the member countries by their agencies.
International Organisations and their Headquarters
How Many Agencies are there in the UN?
The UN maintains close working relationships with 15 international organisations that have been designated as "specialised agencies" of the UN, even though they are independent legal entities. There are around 17 Agencies under the United Nations.
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Specialized Agencies
Specialised UN Agencies are international organisations that organise their work with the United Nations through negotiated agreements.
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These agencies have a process for admitting members and appointing their administrative heads.
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Article 58 of the Charter states that the UN will make "recommendations for the coordination of the policies and activities of the specialised agencies".
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Coordination is facilitated through ECOSOC and the Chief Executives Board (CEB).
List of United Nations Agencies and Their Headquarters
UN Specialised Agencies are international organisations that coordinate their work with the United Nations through negotiated agreements. Many specialised UN Agencies are working on particular specialised work in the UN Member countries. In this table, we have given the list of UN Agencies and their headquarters, which are given below.
List of United Nations Agencies and their Headquarters |
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UN Agencies |
Full Form |
Establishment |
Headquarters |
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FAO |
Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations |
16th October 1945 |
Rome, Italy |
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ICAO |
International Civil Aviation Organisation |
7th December 1944 |
Montreal, Quebec |
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IFAD |
International Fund for Agricultural Development |
December 1977 |
Rome, Italy |
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ILO |
International Labour Organisation |
1919 |
Geneva, Switzerland |
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IMF |
International Monetary Fund |
July 1944 |
Washington U.S.A |
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IMO |
International Maritime Organisation |
17th March 1958 |
London, United Kingdom |
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ITU |
International Telecommunication Union |
17 May 1865 |
Geneva, Switzerland |
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UNESCO |
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation |
16 November 1945 |
Paris France |
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UNIDO |
United Nations Industrial Development Organisation |
17 November 1966 |
Vienna, Austria |
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UNWTO |
World Tourism Organisation |
1946 |
Madrid, Spain |
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UPU |
Universal Postal Union |
9 October 1874 |
Bern, Switzerland |
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WHO |
World Health Organisation |
7 April 1948 |
Geneva, Switzerland |
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WIPO |
World Intellectual Property Organisation |
14 July 1967 |
Geneva, Switzerland |
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WMO |
World Meteorological Organisation |
23 March 1950 |
Geneva |
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IBRD |
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development |
1944 |
Washington, D.C. |
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IDA |
International Development Association |
24 September 1960 |
Washington, D.C. |
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IFC |
International Finance Corporation |
20 July 1956 |
Washington, D.C. |
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Order and Ranking |
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UN Agencies Logos
There are 17 Agencies are there under the UN Agencies, each one has a unique logo to represent them in the UN Agencies. The purpose of these logos is to easily identify the organisations. The pictorial representations are given below.

United Nations Agencies and Their Functions
United Nations Agencies and their functions are mainly categorised into four main tasks. These Agencies will work on any of the following goals and try to implement them in all the countries with the help of their branches and offices. UN Agencies in India carry out a lot of development activities, and their functions are carried out in India. The following four tasks are
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Maintain International Peace and Security.
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Protect Human Rights.
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Deliver Humanitarian Aid.
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Support Sustainable Development and Climate Action.
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Goals Of United Nations Agencies
UN Agencies played a unique role in the sustainable development of many countries. At the UN Sustainable Development Summit, the following sustainable development goals are assured by many countries, like India, Kenya, Nigeria, the Philippines, etc. UN Agencies in India, UN Agencies in Nigeria and many other UN Agencies in the respective United Nations member countries are taking care of implementing this goal.
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No Poverty
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Zero Hunger
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Good Health and Well-being
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Quality Education for all
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Gender Equality
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Clean Water and Sanitation
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Affordable and Clean Energy
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Decent Work and Economic Growth
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Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
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Reduced Inequalities
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Sustainable Cities and Communities
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Responsible Production and Consumption
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Climate Action
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Life below water
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Life On Land
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Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
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Partnerships for the Goals
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List of UN Agencies In India
United Nations General Assembly will conduct a summit on Sustainable Development Goals for UN member countries. The goals will be achieved with the help of UN Agencies which work on SDGs. These goals are only for UN Member Countries.
List Of UN Agencies in India for SDGs |
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UN Agencies |
Full Form |
Establishment |
Headquarters |
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APCTT |
Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology |
1977 |
New Delhi |
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FAO |
Food And Agriculture Organisation |
16th October 1945 |
Rome, Italy |
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IFAD |
International Fund For Agricultural Development |
December 1977 |
Rome, Italy |
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ILO |
International Labour Organisation |
1919 |
Geneva, Switzerland |
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IMF |
International Monetary Fund |
July 1944 |
Washington U.S.A |
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IOM |
International Organisation for Migration |
6 December 1951 |
Grand-Saconnex, Switzerland |
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MGIEP |
Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development |
2012 |
New Delhi, India |
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UNEP |
The United Nations Environment Programme |
5 June 1972 |
Nairobi, Kenya |
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UN ESCAP |
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific |
28 March 1947 |
Bangkok, Thailand |
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UN-Habitat |
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme |
1977 |
Nairobi, Kenya |
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UN Women |
The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women |
July 2010 |
New York, United States |
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UNAIDS |
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS |
26 July 1994 |
Geneva, Switzerland |
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UNDP |
United Nations Development Programme |
22 November 1965 |
New York, United States |
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UNDSS |
United Nations Department for Safety and Security |
1 January 2005 |
Geneva, Vienna, Nairobi, Bangkok, Beirut, Addis Ababa and Santiago |
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UNESCO |
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization |
16 November 1945 |
Paris, France |
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UNFPA |
United Nations Population Fund |
1969 |
New York, United States |
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UNHCR |
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees |
14 December 1950 |
Geneva, Switzerland |
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UNIC |
United Nations Information Centres |
1946 |
New York, USA |
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UNICEF |
United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund |
11 December 1946 |
New York, United States |
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UNIDO |
United Nations Industrial Development Organization |
17 November 1966 |
Vienna, Austria |
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UNODC |
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime |
1997 |
Vienna, Austria |
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UNV |
United Nations Volunteers |
7 December 1970 |
Bonn, Germany |
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WFP |
The United Nations World Food Programme |
1961 |
Rome, Italy |
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WHO |
World Health Organisation |
7 April 1948 |
Geneva, Switzerland |
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WBG |
World Bank Group |
July 1944 |
Washington, D.C., United States |
List of Upcoming Events of United Nations Agencies
United Nations Agencies' major upcoming events in 2025 include the UNGA 80th Session (Sept, New York) and the COP30 Climate Summit (Nov, Brazil), along with key highlights and the locations of meetings on sustainable development and humanitarian aid.
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Update / Event |
Date / Year |
Key Highlights |
Location |
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UN80 Reform Initiative |
2025 (ongoing) |
Broad reforms launched by Secretary-General António Guterres, led by Guy Ryder, to make the UN more efficient |
Global |
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Humanitarian Aid Funding Gap |
Dec 2024 – 2025 |
UN appealed for USD 47 billion for 190 million people; only *43% funded |
Global |
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Gaza Humanitarian Crisis |
Aug 2025 |
UN agencies (WHO, UNRWA, IPC) declared **famine conditions** affecting 500,000+ people |
Gaza |
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UN Ocean Conference |
9–13 June 2025 |
Creation of the first multinational Indigenous-led marine reserve (Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, PNG, New Caledonia). |
Nice, France |
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COP30 (Climate Summit) |
10–21 Nov 2025 |
Focus on climate action; challenges with infrastructure and inflated costs. |
Belém, Brazil |
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UN General Assembly – 80th Session |
Sept 2025 |
Opens 9 Sept; High-Level General Debate begins 23 Sept; focus on SDGs |
New York, USA |
FAQs
Q: When was United Nations Organisation established?
A: The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945 after the Second World War by 51 countries
Q: How many Agencies are there in UN?
A: There are 15 specialized UN Agencies that carry out tasks across the globe.
Q: How many members are there in UN?
A: The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945. Currently made up of 193 Member States.
Q: How many agencies are working for United Nations Funds and Programmes?
A: There are 9 Agencies which work for Funds and Programmes.
Q: What is called WHO?
A: WHO is called as World Health Organisation.
Q: What are the Sustainable developmental goals fixed by the UN
A: There are many Sustainable Development goals fixed by the UN. Some of them are
- No Poverty
- Zero Hunger
- Good Health and Well Being
- Quality Education for all
- Gender Equality
Q: What are the main functions of United Nations Agencies?
A: The Main Functions of United Nations Agencies are
1)Maintain International Peace and Security.
2)Protect Human Rights.
3)Deliver Humanitarian Aid.
4)Support Sustainable Development and Climate Action.
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