♤ The programmes and funds are established by and report to the United Nations General Assembly. They are financed through voluntary rather than assessed contributions

♤ The programmes and funds are established by and report to the United Nations General Assembly. They are financed through voluntary rather than assessed contributions

1.9.1. Important Programmes and Funds

♤ The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) works in nearly 170 countries and territories, helping to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities and build resilience so countries can sustain progress. As the UN’s development agency, UNDP plays a critical role in helping countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

♤ The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) works in 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, to defend their rights, and to help them fulfil their potential. UNICEF provides long-term humanitarian and development assistance to children and mothers.

♤ United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF): The UN Capital Development Fund makes public and private finance work for the poor in the world’s 47 least developed countries (LDCs).

♤ United Nations Volunteers (UNV): UNV is based in Bonn, Germany. The UNV programme contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide. UNV is administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and reports to the UNDP Executive Board

♤ United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP): UNEP is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system, and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. It is based In Nairobi, Kenya,

♤ United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA): UNFPA is the United Nations reproductive health and rights agency. The organisation was created in 1969,

♤ United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT): is the United Nations programme working towards a better urban future. Its mission is to promote socially and environmentally sustainable human settlements development and the achievement of adequate shelter for all. The headquarters of the UN-Habitat Secretariat are located in Nairobi, Kenya.

♤ United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD): UNCTAD is a permanent intergovernmental body established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1964. Its headquarters are located in Geneva, Switzerland, and has offices in New York and Addis Ababa. UNCTAD is part of the UN Secretariat. It reports to the UN General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council but has its own membership, leadership, and budget. It supports developing countries to access the benefits of a globalized economy more fairly and effectively. Together with other UN departments and agencies, it measure progress by the Sustainable Development Goals, as set out in Agenda 2030.

♤ Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): established on December 14, 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly. The agency is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Over the years it has provided vital assistance to refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced and stateless people. UNHCR is governed by the UN General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

♤ United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS): UNOPS helps the UN and its partners provide peace and security, humanitarian and development solutions. UNOPS headquarters are located in Copenhagen, Denmark.

♤ United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA): UNRWA was established by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 302

(IV) of 8 December 1949 to carry out direct relief and works programmes for Palestine refugees. The Agency began operations on 1 May 1950. It is headquartered in Amman, Jordan.

♤ UN-Women- Formed in 2010 UN women is an organisation dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women.

1.9.2. Specialized Agencies

♤ UN specialized agencies are international organisations that coordinate their work with the United Nations through negotiated agreements.

♤ Unlike UN funds and programmes, which are established by and report to the United Nations General Assembly, specialized agencies are legally independent of the United Nations and have separate budgets, members, rules, and personnel.

♤ The bulk of their funding comes from voluntary contributions from governments, institutions, and individuals. Some specialized agencies, such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO), have been in existence longer than the United Nations.

♤ There are currently 15 specialized agencies:

o Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO): The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. It was formed in 1945 and has headquarter in Rome, Italy. It is linked to the ECOSCO in the UN. Its goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With over 194 member states, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.

o International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO): established by States in 1944 to manage the administration and governance of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention). Its headquarters is in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. In October 1947, ICAO became an agency of the United Nations linked to the ECOSOC. ICAO works with the Convention’s 192 Member States and industry groups to reach consensus on international civil aviation Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and policies in support of a safe, efficient, secure, economically sustainable and environmentally responsible civil aviation sector.

o International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD): IFAD is an international financial institution and specialized United Nations agency based in Rome, the UN’s food and agriculture hub. It invests in rural people, empowering them to increase their food security, improve the nutrition of their families and increase their incomes. It help them build resilience, expand their businesses and take charge of their own development. Since 1978, it has provided US$18.5 billion in grants and low-interest loans to projects that have reached about 464 million people.

o International Labour Organisation (ILO): The only tripartite U.N. agency, since 1919 the ILO brings together governments, employers and workers of 187 member States , to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes promoting decent work for all women and men. In 1946, the ILO became a specialized agency of the newly formed United Nations. Its headquarters is in Geneva Switzerland. In 1969, the organisation received the Nobel Peace Prize for improving peace among classes, pursuing decent work and justice for workers, and providing technical assistance to other developing nations

o International Maritime Organisation (IMO): It is the United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships. In 1948 an international conference in Geneva adopted a convention formally establishing IMO (the original name was the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organisation, or IMCO, but the name was changed in 1982 to IMO). The IMO Convention entered into force in 1958 and the new Organisation met for the first time the following year, 1959. IMO currently has 173 Member States and three Associate Members. Its secretariat is base in London, U.K.