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SPECIALISED AGENCIES OF UNO

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO),

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), oldest


permanent specialized agency of the United Nations,
established in October 1945 with the objective of
eliminating hunger, improving nutrition, and increasing
agricultural productivity.
The First Session of the FAO Conference was held in the
Quebec City from 16 October to 1 November 1945.
Headquartered in Rome, Italy, the FAO maintains offices
throughout the world. The organization, which has more
than 190 members, is governed by the biennial FAO
conference, in which each member country, as well as
the European Union, is represented. The conference elects
a 49-member Council, which serves as its executive
organ. FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations
meet.
 Qu Dongyu heads the organization.
FAO is also a source of knowledge and information, and
helps developing countries in transition to
modernize and
improve agriculture, forestry and fisheries practices,
ensuring good nutrition and food security for all
Its Latin motto, fiat panis, translates as "let there be
bread".
As of May 2017, FAO has 194 member states, along with
the European Union (a "member organization"),
In 1951, FAO's headquarters were moved
from Washington, D.C., United States, to Rome, Italy. The
agency is directed by the Conference of Member Nations,
which meets every two years to review the work carried
out by the organization and to Work and Budget for the
next two-year period. The Conference elects a council of
49 member states (serve three-year terms) that acts as an
interim governing body, and the Director-General, that
heads the agency.

Functions
The FAO coordinates the efforts of governments and
technical agencies in programs for developing
agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and land and water
resources. It also carries out research; provides technical
assistance on projects in individual countries; operates
educational programs through seminars and training
centres; maintains information and support services,
including keeping statistics on world production, trade,
and consumption of agricultural commodities; and
publishes a number of periodicals, yearbooks, and
research bulletins.
FAO concentrates on programs for the development of
high-yield strains of grain, the elimination of protein
deficiencies, the provision of rural employment, and the
promotion of agricultural exports. In 1969 the
organization published An Indicative World Plan for
Agricultural Development, which analyzed the main
problems in world agriculture and suggested strategies for
solving them. The 1974 World Food Conference, held in
Rome during a period of food shortages in the southern
Sahara, prompted the FAO to promote programs relating
to world food security, including helping small
farmers implement low-cost projects to enhance
productivity. In the 1980s and ’90s, FAO programs for
sustainable agriculture and rural development emphasized
strategies that were economically feasible,
environmentally sound, and technologically appropriate to
the skill level of the country.
Programs designed to eleminate hunger and promote its
elimination are the core of the FAO’s work. A centerpiece
initiative, the Special Program for Food Security (SPFS),
aims to reduce the number of people suffering from
hunger by half by 2020. To achieve this goal, projects are
implemented in over 100 countries, with about 30 of them
developing and implementing National Food Security
Programs by mid-2007. Another key FAO initiative was
leading the promotion of integrated pest management for
rice promotion in Asia during the 1990s. Through
bilateral funding from a number of developed countries,
hundreds of thousands of farmers were trained under the
Farmer Field School (FFS), a group-based learning
process.
Despite the progress, the FAO has also attracted much
criticism, particularly since the 1970s. Over the years,
critics have described the organization as increasingly
inefficient, irrelevant, politicized, mediocre, and losing
focus on its purpose to combat global hunger. Several
high-profile summits, reports, and audits have expressed
serious concerns about the FAO’s effectiveness. Radical
changes to its culture and management systems have been
recommended to improve its efficiency and refocus its
strategic priorities.
International Labor Organization (ILO),

Promoting Jobs, Protecting People


ILO is a specialized agency of the United Nations

 International Labor Organization (ILO), a


specialized agency of the United Nations (UN)
dedicated to improving labor conditions and living
standards throughout the world. Established in 1919
by the Treaty of Versailles as an affiliated agency of
the League of Nations, the ILO became the first
affiliated specialized agency of the United Nations in
1946. In recognition of its activities, the ILO was
awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in1969 for
improving peace among classes, pursuing decent
work and justice for workers, and providing technical
assistance to other developing nations

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United


Nations agency dealing with labor problems,
particularly international labor standards, social
protection, and work opportunities for all.  The ILO has
187 member states: 186 of the 193 UN member states
plus the Cook Islands are members of the ILO.
Juan Somavía was the ILO's director-general from 1999
until October 2012, when Guy Ryder was elected as his
replacement.
ILO headquarters is in Geneva
Goal of ILO
The organization's goal is to serve as a uniting force
between governments, businesses and workers. It
emphasizes the need for workers to enjoy "conditions of
freedom, equity, security and human dignity" through
their employment.
The main aims of the ILO are to promote rights at work,
encourage decent employment opportunities, enhance
social protection and strengthen dialogue on work-related
issues.
Composition
Unlike other United Nations specialized agencies, the
International Labour Organization has a tripartite
governing structure – representing governments,
employers, and workers (usually with a ratio of
2:1:1). The rationale behind the tripartite structure is the
creation of free and open debate among governments and
social partners.

Among intergovernmental organizations the ILO is


unique in that its approximately 187 member states are
represented not only by delegates of their governments
but also by delegates of those states’ employers and
workers, especially trade unions.
The ILO organizes the International Labor
Conference in Geneva every year in June, where
national representatives meet annually at the International
Labor Conference. All of them have individual voting
rights, and all votes are equal, regardless of the population
of the delegate's member state.
In Conference ,conventions and recommendations are
crafted and adopted. Also known as the "International
parliament of labor", the conference also makes
decisions about the ILO's general policy, work
programme and budget.
The ILO’s executive authority is vested in a 56-member
Governing Body, which is elected by the Conference for
the term of three years . This governing body is composed
of 28 government representatives, 14 workers'
representatives, and 14 employers' representatives.
The governing body decides the agenda of the
International Labor Conference.
It adopts the draft programme and budget of the
organization for submission to the conference.
It elects the director-general, requests information from
member states concerning labor matters, appoints
commissions of inquiry and supervises the work of the
International Labor Office..
The International Labor Office

The ILO secretariat (staff) is referred to as the


International Labor Office. It is located
in Geneva, Switzerland, composed of the
Permanent Secretariat and professional staff, handles day-
to-day operations under the supervision of an appointed
director general. The ILO has international civil servants
and technical-assistance experts working in countries
throughout the world. Among the ILO’s many
publications are the International Labour Review and
the Year Book of Labour Statistics.

Functions

 The functions of the ILO include the development


and promotion of standards for national legislation to
protect and improve working conditions and
standards of living.
 provides technical assistance in social policy and
administration and in workforce training;
 provides technical cooperation for projects in partner
countries,

 fosters cooperative organizations and rural industries;


 compiles and analyzes labor statistics and publishes
related research, and

 provides training on fair employment standards


 conducts research on the social problems of
international competition, unemployment and
underemployment, labor and industrial relations, and
technological change (including automation);
 helps to protect the rights of international migrants
and organized labor.
 regularly holds events and conferences to examine
critical social and labor issues.
 registers complaints against entities that are
violating international rules; however, it does not
impose sanctions on governments.
 Achievements of ILO
In its first decade the ILO was primarily concerned with
legislative and research efforts, with defining and
promoting proper minimum standards of labour
legislation for adoption by member states, and with
arranging for collaboration among workers, employers,
government delegates, and ILO professional staff. During
the worldwide economic depression of the 1930s the ILO
sought ways to combat widespread unemployment. With
the postwar breakup of the European colonial empires and
the expansion of ILO membership to include poorer and
less developed countries, the ILO addressed itself to new
issues, including the social problems created by the
liberalization of international trade, the problem of child
labor, and the relationship between working conditions
and the environment.

“Building peace in the minds of men and women”


UNESCO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and


Cultural Organization  is a specialized agency of
the United Nations.
 It came into existence on November 4, 1946. Its
constitution was initially drafted by the governments
of Great Britain and France. The UNESCO was
recognized as an agency of the UN by virtue of an
agreement on December 14, 1946.
Its head office is situated in Paris (France). Its
declared purpose is to contribute to peace and security
by promoting international collaboration through
educational, scientific, and cultural reforms in order
to increase universal respect for justice, the rule of law,
and human rights along with
fundamental freedom proclaimed in the United Nations
Charter. It is the successor of the League of
Nations' International Committee on Intellectual
Cooperation.
UNESCO has 193 member states and ten associate
members.  Most of its field offices are "cluster" offices
covering three or more countries; national and
regional offices also exist.
UNESCO's aim is
 "to contribute to the building of peace,
 the eradication of poverty, 
 sustainable development and
 Inter-cultural dialogue through education, the
sciences, culture, communication and
information"
  Other priorities of the organization include
attaining quality Education For All and lifelong
learning, addressing emerging social and ethical
challenges, fostering cultural diversity, a culture of
peace through information and communication.
• and can enjoy full freedom of expression; the basis of
democracy, development and human dignity.
        
Governing Bodies

The General Conference


The General Conference consists of the representatives
of UNESCO's Member States. It meets every two
years, and is attended by Member States,
intergovernmental organizations and non-
governmental organizations (NGOs). Each country
has one vote, irrespective of its size or the extent of its
contribution to the budget.
The General Conference determines the policies and
the main lines of work of the Organization. Its duty is
to set the programmes and the budget of UNESCO. It
also elects the Members of the Executive Board and
appoints, every 4 years, the Director-General. The
working languages of the General Conference are
Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and
Spanish.
The Executive Board
The Executive Board ensures the overall management
of UNESCO. It prepares the work of the General
Conference and sees that its decisions are properly
carried out. The functions and responsibilities of the
Executive Board are derived primarily from the
Constitution and from rules or directives laid down by
the General Conference.
Every two years the General Conference assigns
specific tasks to the Board. Other functions stem from
agreements concluded between UNESCO and the
United Nations, the specialized UN agencies and other
intergovernmental organizations.
The Executive Board’s fifty-eight members are elected
by the General Conference. The choice of these
representatives is largely a matter of the diversity of
the cultures they represent, as well as their geographic
origin. The Executive Board meets twice a year.

The Secretariat
The Secretariat consists of the Director-General and
the Staff appointed by him or her.
The Director General is appointed by the General
Conference on the recommendations of the Executive
Board for 4 years. He or she works to implement the
decisions and selects a team of civil servants who have
the training and capability to assist in meeting the
planned objectives around the world.
Audrey Azoulay is the present Director-General of
the UNESCO who assumed office on15 November2017
and replaced Irina Bokova
Functions:
The main function of the agency is to contribute to
Peace and security by promoting collaboration among
the nations through education, science and culture so
that the different states of the world may respect
justice, rule of law and human rights and fundamental
freedoms without distinction of sex, race, language or
religion. It concentrates on developing understanding
among nations.
It collaborates in the work of advancing the mutual
knowledge and understanding of peoples through all
means of mass communication. It publishes books of
art and culture of nations and helps in promotion of
goodwill and affinity between different cultures.
It encourages teaching and understanding of science.
It spreads knowledge of the principles of the charter of
the U.N.O., human rights, etc. It exchanges experts, in
various countries, promote and help mass education.
It helps in promoting educational standards and
enrichment of culture.
Activities -
 UNESCO pursues its objectives through five
major programs: -
 education, 

 natural sciences, 

 social/human sciences,

 culture,
 communication/information.
Projects sponsored by UNESCO include literacy,
technical, and teacher-training programs,
international science programs, the promotion of
independent media and freedom of the press, regional
and cultural history projects, the promotion
of cultural diversity, translations of world literature,
international cooperation agreements to secure the
world's cultural and natural heritage (World Heritage
Sites) and to preserve human rights, and attempts to
bridge the worldwide cultural divide.
UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization) is responsible for coordinating
international cooperation in education, science,
culture and communication.
It strengthens the ties between nations and societies,
and mobilizes the wider public so that each child and
citizen:
• has access to quality education; a basic human right
and an indispensable prerequisite for sustainable
development;
• may grow and live in a cultural environment rich in
diversity and dialogue, where heritage serves as a
bridge between generations and peoples;
• can fully benefit from scientific advances.

UNESCO's activities are of increasing importance


today, in a globalized world where interconnections
and diversity must serve as opportunities to build
peace in the minds of men and women.

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION


WHO (World Health Organization) is the directing and
coordinating authority for health within the United
Nations system. It is responsible for providing leadership
on global health matters, shaping the health research
agenda, setting norms and standards, providing technical
support to countries and monitoring and assessing health
trends. WHO was founded on 7th April 1948.
Since its establishment, it has played a leading role in
the eradication of smallpox. Its current priorities
include elimination of Corona pandemic, communicable
diseases, in particular HIV/AIDS,  Ebola, 
malaria and tuberculosis; the mitigation of the effects
of non-communicable diseases such as reproductive
health, development, and aging; nutrition, food
security and healthy eating; occupational health.
The WHO is responsible for the World Health Report, the
worldwide World Health Survey, and World Health Day

MEMBERSHIP
As of 2019 , the WHO has 194 member states: all of them
Member States of the United Nations except for the Cook
Islands and Niue.  (A state becomes a full member of
WHO by ratifying the treaty known as the Constitution of
the World Health Organization.)
WHO Member States appoint delegations to the World
Health Assembly, WHO's supreme decision-making
body. All UN Member States are eligible for WHO
membership, and, according to the WHO website, "other
countries may be admitted as members when their
application has been approved by a simple majority vote
of the World Health Assembly". Liechtenstein is currently
the only UN member not in the WHO membership.

Headquarter – Geneva

COMPOSITION

WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY


The World Health Assembly is the decision-making
body of WHO. It is attended by delegations from all
WHO Member States and focuses on a specific health
agenda prepared by the Executive Board. The Health
Assembly is held annually in Geneva, Switzerland
The main functions of the World Health Assembly are
to –
 determine the policies of the Organization,
 appoint the Director-General,
 supervise financial policies, and
 review and approve the proposed programme
budget.
.
EXECUTIVE BOARD
The Executive Board is composed of 34 technically
qualified members elected for three-year terms. The
annual Board meeting is held in January when the
members agree upon the agenda for the World Health
Assembly and the resolutions to be considered by the
Health Assembly.
A second shorter meeting takes place in May, as a
follow-up to the Health Assembly. The main functions
of the Board are to –
 implement the decisions and policies of the Health
Assembly, and
 advise and generally to facilitate its work.

SECRETARIAT

The Secretariat which carries out routine operations and


helps implement strategies, consists of experts, staff, and
field workers who have appointments at the central
headquarters or at one of the six regional WHO offices or
other offices located in countries around the world. The
organization is led by a director general nominated by the
Executive Board and appointed by the World Health
Assembly. The director general is supported by a deputy
director general and multiple assistant directors general,
each of whom specializes in a specific area within the
WHO framework, such as family, women’s, and
children’s health or health systems and innovation. The
organization is financed primarily from annual
contributions made by member governments on the basis
of relative ability to pay.
The head of the organization is the Director-General,
elected by the World Health Assembly. The current
Director-General is Tedros Adhanom, who was
appointed on 1 July 2017.
WHO AGENDA
WHO operates in an increasingly complex and rapidly
changing landscape. WHO responds to these challenges
using a six-point agenda. The six points address two
health objectives, two strategic needs, and two operational
approaches.
1. Promoting development 2. Fostering health
security
3. Strengthening health systems 4. Harnessing research,
information and evidence
5. Enhancing partnerships 6. Improving
performance
OBJECTIVE
The WHO's Constitution states that its objective is " the
attainment by all people of the highest possible level of
health"

FUNCTIONS
WHO fulfills its objective through its functions as defined
in its Constitution:
(a) to act as the directing and coordinating authority on
international health work
(b) to establish and maintain effective collaboration with
the United Nations, specialized agencies, governmental
health administrations, professional groups and such other
organizations as may be deemed appropriate
(c) to assist Governments, upon request, in strengthening
health services
(d) to furnish appropriate technical assistance and, in
emergencies, necessary aid upon the request or
acceptance of Governments
(e) to provide or assist in providing, upon the request of
the United Nations, health services and facilities to
special groups, such as the peoples of trust territories
(f) to establish and maintain such administrative and
technical services as may be required, including
epidemiological and statistical services
(g) to stimulate and advance work to eradicate epidemic,
endemic and other diseases
(h) to promote, in co-operation with other specialized
agencies where necessary, the prevention of accidental
injuries
(i) to promote, in co-operation with other specialized
agencies where necessary, the improvement of nutrition,
housing, sanitation, recreation, economic or working
conditions and other aspects of environmental hygiene
(j) to promote co-operation among scientific and
professional groups which contribute to the advancement
of health
(k) to propose conventions, agreements and regulations,
and make recommendations with respect to international
health matters and to perform.
ACTIVITIES
WHO sponsors measures for the control
of epidemic and endemic disease by promoting mass
campaigns involving nationwide vaccination programs,
instruction in the use of antibiotics and insecticides, the
improvement of laboratory and clinical facilities for
early diagnosis and prevention, assistance in providing
pure-water supplies and sanitation systems, and health
education for people living in rural communities. These
campaigns have had some success
against AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and a variety of other
diseases. In May 1980 smallpox was globally eradicated,
a feat due largely to the efforts of WHO.
WHO encourages the strengthening and expansion of
the public health administrations of member nations. The
organization, on request, provides technical advice to
governments in the preparation of long-term national
health plans, sends out international teams of experts to
conduct field surveys and demonstration projects, helps
set up local health centers, and offers aid in the
development of national training institutions for medical
and nursing personnel. Through various education support
programs, WHO is able to provide fellowship awards for
doctors, public-health administrators, nurses, sanitary
inspectors, researchers, and laboratory technicians.

UNICEF
The United Nations Children's Fund
‘UNICEF fights for the rights of every child, every
day, across the globe’
UNICEF works in 190 countries and territories to protect
the rights of every child. UNICEF has spent 70 years
working to improve the lives of children and their
families. Defending children's rights throughout their
lives requires a global presence, aiming to produce results
and understand their effects.
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF ) is
a United Nations (UN) programme headquartered in New
York City that provides humanitarian and developmental
assistance to children and mothers in developing
countries.
The United Nations International Children's
Emergency Fund was created by the United Nations
General Assembly on the 11th of December 1946, to
provide emergency food and healthcare to children in
countries that had been devastated by World War II. But
in 1950, UNICEF's mandate was extended to address the
long-term needs of children and women in developing
countries everywhere. In 1953 it became a permanent part
of the United Nations System, and the words
"international" and "emergency" were dropped from the
organization's name, making it simply the United Nations
Children's Fund, retaining the original acronym,
"UNICEF".
The Polish physician Ludwik Rajchman is widely
regarded as the founder of UNICEF and served as its first
chairman from 1946 till his death.
The American Maurice Pate was appointed its first
executive director, serving from 1947 until his death in
1965. Henrietta Holsman Fore is the current Executive
Director of the United Nations Children's Fund
(UNICEF).
UNICEF relies on contributions from governments and
private donors. Governments contribute two-thirds of the
organization's resources. Private groups and individuals
contribute the rest through national committees. It is
estimated that 92 per cent of UNICEF revenue is
distributed to program services. UNICEF's programs
emphasize developing community-level services to
promote the health and well-being of children. UNICEF
was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1965 and
the Prince of Asturias Award of Concord in 2006.

Most of UNICEF's work is in the field, with a presence in


190 countries and territories. UNICEF's network of over
150 country offices, headquarters and other offices, and
36 National Committees carry out UNICEF's mission
through programs developed with host governments.
Seven regional offices provide technical assistance to
country offices as needed.
GOVERNANCE
Overall management and administration of the
organization takes place at headquarters, where global
policy on children is shaped. Guiding and monitoring all
of UNICEF's work is a 36-member Executive Board
made up of government representatives who are elected
by the United Nations Economic and Social Council,
usually for three-year terms. . They establish policies,
approve programs and decide on administrative and
financial plans and budgets. Executive Board’s work is
coordinated by the Bureau, comprising the President and
four Vice-Presidents (Total 5), each officer representing
one of the five regional groups. 
WORK CONDUCTED BY UNICEF
One stated goal of UNICEF is to combat the inordinate
number of young child and pregnancy related deaths. A
large proportion of these deaths occur due to preventable
diseases and illnesses, malnutrition, poor sanitation and a
severe lack of medical facilities. In their efforts to
minimize the deaths, UNICEF has established successful,
uncomplicated and cost effective involvements within
problem areas of the world. Some of these contributions
include vaccinations, antibiotics, nutritional supplements,
insecticide-treated bed nets and the implementation of
safer and more hygienic practices.
The prominence of HIV and AIDS in underdeveloped
countries is another substantial hurdle UNICEF faces. As
well as establishing methods of preventing the
transmission of HIV, UNICEF also provides protection,
treatment and support for children affected by HIV/AIDS.
In conjunction with other child protection establishments,
UNICEF has instigated social protection schemes to
increase exposure to education and health services and aid
communities .
UNICEF has found the prominence of violence and
exploitation of children to be one of the prime crises
across the globe. Issues such as unregistered births, child
labor, child marriage, sexual exploitation of children,
violence against children and other human rights
violations are highly prevalent and insufficiently
recognized and addressed. By providing a protective
environment for children and raising awareness of these
child abuses, UNICEF hopes to generate responses and
preventative measures to counteract these violations of
children's human rights.
Another area UNICEF hopes to address is the lack of
quality education available to many children. According
to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
article 26, education is a basic human right. Education is
the cornerstone of personal and societal development.
Implementing the assistance of local, national and
international partners, UNICEF works to guarantee every
child is entitled to a quality education, regardless of
gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic background or personal
circumstances. Gender equality is another strong focus as
UNICEF works to increase the number of girls with
access to education. UNICEF approaches these
educational problems with a rights-based attitude with the
hope of improving some of societies' entrenched
inequalities. Priorities have been established by UNICEF
to overcome the problems, which include equal access,
universal primary education, gender quality and female
education, post-crisis and emergency education, early
childhood development and enhanced educational quality.
However, UNICEF understands that its aims for universal
education require a long term global commitment.
UNICEF's dominant role is that of working in
emergencies and delivering adequate humanitarian
assistance to children in need. During wartimes, UNICEF
initiates critical interventions to save the lives and protect
the rights of vulnerable children. The focus of these
interventions is to provide and ascertain emergency
healthcare, sufficient food, clean drinking water and
sanitation. Post-war restoration of educational institutions
assists with child protection and the reinstatement of
normal routines. Wartimes often bring about increased
female violence, child abduction and gathering of child
soldiers. UNICEF works to combat these problems in
three predominant ways: prevention, protection,
recuperation and reintegration.
CONCLUSION
UNICEF is a humanitarian organization, directing its
efforts in various areas to help combat many of the
violations against children that occur across the globe.
Focus areas remain in the reduction of disease and
malnutrition related deaths, dealing with HIV/AIDS
sufferers, preventing the exploitation of children, ensuring
equal access to education and providing sufficient support
in times of emergency and conflict. However, despite its
humanitarian objectives and efforts, UNICEF still
receives criticism for some of its decisions and
shortcomings.

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