United Nations Family of Organizations: Full UN System Guide

United Nations Family of Organizations

Updated based on the official UN System Chart (UN Department of Global Communications, March 2025)

Purpose (Article 1 of the UN Charter)

The UN has four core purposes:

  1. Maintain international peace and security.
  2. Develop friendly relations among nations.
  3. Achieve international cooperation in solving economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems while promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms.
  4. Serve as a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in achieving these common goals.
The United Nations System is organized around six Principal Organs established by the Charter:
  1. The General Assembly,
  2. The Security Council,
  3. The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC),
  4. The International Court of Justice,
  5. The Secretariat, and
  6. The Trusteeship Council (suspended operations in 1994, since Palau — the last UN Trust Territory — became independent). Everything else in the "UN family" sits under, alongside, or in relationship with these six organs.


Notes

Funds and Programmes

Established by the General Assembly, largely funded by voluntary contributions:

List of organizations under the United Nations fold under Article 57 of the Charter and act autonomously. They coordinate through ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council).

  • FAO – Food & Agriculture (Rome)

  • ICAO – Civil Aviation (Montreal)

  • IFAD – Rural Development Funding (Rome)

  • ILO – Labour & Social Protection (Geneva)

  • IMO – Maritime Affairs (London)

  • IMF – Monetary Stability & Economic Policy (Washington, D.C.)

  • ITU – Telecommunications (Geneva)

  • UNESCO – Education, Science, Culture (Paris)

  • UNIDO – Industrial Development (Vienna)

  • UNWTO – Tourism (Madrid)

  • UPU – Postal Services (Bern)

  • WBG – World Bank Group (Washington, D.C.)

  • WHO – Global Health (Geneva)

  • WIPO – Intellectual Property (Geneva)

  • WMO – World Meteorological Organization - Weather & Climate (Geneva) Wikipedia

UN Secretariat, Departments & Offices

Under the UN Secretary-General’s umbrella, these are more operational:

  • Departments: DSS, DESA, DGACM, DGC, DMSPC, DOS, DPO, DPPA Wikipedia

  • Regional Offices:

    • ESCAP (Bangkok),

    • ESCWA (Beirut),

    • ECA (Addis),

    • ECE (Geneva),

    • ECLAC (Santiago) Wikipedia

Other Entities & Bodies

Not quite agencies, not quite departments—but part of the UN ecosystem:

  • UNAIDS – Leading global response to HIV/AIDS United Nations

  • UNHCR – Refugee protection & resettlement United Nations

  • UNIDIR – Disarmament research United Nations

  • UNITAR – Training & capacity building for UN staff and officials United Nations

  • UNOPS – Project implementation, infrastructure, procurement United Nations

  • UNRWA – Refugee aid for Palestinian populations United Nations

  • UNSSC – Learning for UN system staff (Staff College) United Nations

  • UNU – UN University: policy-relevant research United Nations

  • UN Women – Gender equality & women’s empowerment United Nations