UNITED NATIONS

UNITED NATIONS GUIDE TO MODEL UN

Model United Nations simulations
are popular exercises for those
interested in learning more about the
United Nations. It is estimated that
hundreds of thousands of students
worldwide participate every year in
Model UN at all levels in schools and
universities. Many of today’s leaders in
law, government, business, humanities
and the arts participated in these
simulations as students.

This book is designed to help aspiring

Model UN students and teachers
organize and participate in simulations
based on the actual rules and
practices used at the United Nations.

It gives practical guidance and

information on how to prepare and
conduct a Model UN as well as
background information on the history
and workings of the United Nations. It
will serve as a useful tool to students
as well as to the teachers and coaches
who are helping to create tomorrow’s
world leaders today.

GUIDE TO MODEL UN
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 United Nations Guide to Model UN
Published by the United Nations
New York, New York 10017, United States of America
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.shop.un.org
Copyright © 2020 United Nations
Requests to reproduce excerpts or to photocopy should be addressed
to the Copyright Clearance Center at copyright.com.
All other queries on rights and licenses, including subsidiary rights,
should be addressed to:
United Nations Publications, 405 East 42nd Street, S-09FW001
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Email: [email protected]
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ISBN: 978-92-1-101419-8
eISBN: 978-92-1-004612-1
United Nations Publication Sales No. E.20.I.3

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Educational Value of Model UN Conferences . . . . . . . . . 9
Overview of this Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Who this Guide is for . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
How this Guide is Different from Other Model UN Guides . . 9
How to Use this Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
How Decisions are Made at the UN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Setting the GA Agenda  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Why Consensus is so Important . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Chapter 2. The UN at a Glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

How a State Becomes a UN Member . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
UN Emblem and Flag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
UN Charter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
UN Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
UN Family of Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
The Four Pillars of the UN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
The History of the UN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Declaration of St. James Palace (June 1941) . . . . . . . . . 26
Atlantic Charter (August 1941) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Declaration by United Nations (1 January 1942) . . . . . . . 26
Moscow Declaration (October 1943) and Tehran
Conference (December 1943) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Dumbarton Oaks and Yalta Conferences (1944 – 1945) . . . 28
San Francisco Conference (1945) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Chapter 3. Getting Ready . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Decisions Before a Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Agenda, Work Plan, Documents, and Rules of Procedure . . 32
Choosing Leadership Roles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Oversight of the Conference – Things to Consider . . . . . . 43
Roles and Responsibilities of Elected Officials . . . . . . . . 44
Delegate Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Gathering Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Position Paper Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Chapter 4. Step-by-Step Outline for Organizing

a Model UN Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Pre-Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Step 1: Decide on a Leadership Structure for the Overall
Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Step 2: Decide Which Leadership Positions are Needed . . . 53
Step 3: Promote the Conference and Set Up a Registration
Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Step 4: Select and Train the Leaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Step 5: Set a Timeline for Drafting and Sharing Important
GA and Secretariat Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

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 4 UNITED NATIONS GUIDE TO MODEL UN

Step 6: Assign Countries and Topics to Conference

Participants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Step 7: Create an Online Space or Website Where Delegates
Can Work Together Prior to the Conference . . . . . . . . 57
Step 8: Engage with Future Participants . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Step 9: Distribute the Conference Programme . . . . . . . . 57
Step 10: Assemble Model UN Officials Before the
Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Step 11: Recruit Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Step 12: Organize Workshops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
During the Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Committee Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Chapter 5. Formal and Informal Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Formal Proceedings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Action Phase: Making Decisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Adoption of Agenda and Programme of Work . . . . . . . . . 74
Discussion Phase – General Debate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Opening and Closing of Plenary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Rules of Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Differences Between GA Rules and some Model UN
Rules of Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Informal Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Significance of Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
The Purpose of Consultation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Chapter 6. Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Chairing a Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
General Considerations and Denationalization . . . . . . . . 97
Procedural Roles of the PGA and Committee Chairs:
Steps to Take During a Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Substantive Role of the Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
The Chair’s Activities in Guiding the Work of a Committee . . 106
Drafting Resolutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Structure of Resolutions and Words Commonly Used . . . . 109
Keys to Successfully Drafting Resolutions . . . . . . . . . . 116
Tips for Model UN Conferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Negotiation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Competitive Bargaining vs. Cooperative
Problem-Solving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Characteristics of Winning Proposals . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Fundamentals of Negotiation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Making Consultations Happen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
The Process of Negotiation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Groups of Member States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Speaking at a Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Changing Audience and Cultural Sensitivity . . . . . . . . . . 141

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS 5

Engaging the Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

Forms of Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Preparation, Purpose and Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
General Information about the United Nations . . . . . . . . 148
United Nations General Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
United Nations Security Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
United Nations Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Other Online Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Additional Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

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https://bit.ly/32PEl46

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  A DELEGATE REPRESENTING THE CZECH REPUBLIC SPEAKS IN MODEL UN. UN PHOTO/JEAN-MARC FERRÉ

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 8 UNITED NATIONS GUIDE TO MODEL UN

Model United Nations—also known as Model UN or MUN—is a popular

extra-curricular activity in which students roleplay delegates to the United
Nations, simulate UN committees, and learn about diplomacy, international
relations, current world issues, and the UN itself. It is estimated that hundreds
of thousands of students worldwide participate every year in Model UN con-
ferences at all educational levels in schools and universities. Many of today’s
leaders in law, government, business, humanities and the arts participated in
such simulations as students.
Over the past seven decades, Model UN conferences have helped students
develop public speaking, writing, and research skills. They often provide stu-
dents with their first entry point into international affairs and concepts includ-
ing peace and security, human rights, development, and rule of law issues.
By learning about the UN as an institution, its role in world affairs, and the
diplomacy involved in UN decisions, students also learn the importance of
seeing matters from someone else’s perspective. Indeed, many students have
described their participation in Model UN as a life-changing experience, one
that influenced their world view, impacted the choice of a future career and/or
enabled them to build an international network of friends and contacts that
continue to be part of their life.
In 2009, the UN organized its first Global Model United Nations. Many partici-
pants were veteran Model UN-goers who were surprised to discover that the
UN-organized Model UN was quite different to those they had previously tak-
en part in. In reality, many Model UNs have not always precisely followed the
actual rules and practices used at the UN. This book is therefore designed to
help aspiring Model UN students and teachers on the practicalities of organ-
izing and participating in simulations that are more in line with the way the UN
actually works.
One of the real challenges to competitive Model UN enthusiasts is to nego-
tiate to achieve consensus and not to win with a simple majority. In the real
world, the General Assembly is not about winners and losers, it is about find-
ing common ground where all Member States feel included. If some delega-
tions push through a resolution at the expense of others, that is not seen as a
victory but as a missed opportunity. Member States consider it very important
to adopt a resolution that has the widest possible agreement.
This book contains much of what has been learned about how to proper-
ly simulate today’s United Nations. To ensure that leaders and advisors will
be able to organize accurate simulations of UN meetings, the book provides
information about the UN structure; recent trends in how resolutions are ne-
gotiated and adopted; and the roles that consensus and diplomacy play in the
UN’s decision-making procedures and processes.
The United Nations encourages all students—Model UN participants or
otherwise—to get directly involved in the issues on the United Nations agenda,
particularly Agenda 2030 and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

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 CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 9

There are many ways for young people to take action on the global challeng-
es discussed and debated in Model UN simulations, to go a step further and
become engaged citizens. For some ideas, initiatives and resources, visit
www.un.org/youth.

Educational Value of Model UN Conferences

Model UN conferences help students develop public speaking, writing,
and research skills. In addition, they often provide students with their first
entry point into international affairs and concepts. These affairs and con-
cepts include peace and security, human rights, development, and rule of law
issues.
Yet Model UN conferences can also teach students about the UN as an institu-
tion, its role in world affairs, and the diplomacy involved in UN decisions.
Some Model UN conferences use Rules of Procedure that do not give students
a true picture and appreciation of how the UN functions. This book aims to
provide a comprehensive guide to assist Model UN programmes in organ-
izing conferences that are more accurate. It also aims to provide students
with an opportunity to learn about the role that diplomacy plays in the UN
decision-making process.
It is our hope that you will find this Guide a useful resource.

OVERVIEW OF THIS GUIDE

Who this Guide is for

The Guide is written principally for student leaders and Model UN advisors
who organize Model UN conferences. The Guide’s aim is to provide information
about the UN structure, as well as its decision-making procedures and pro-
cesses, so that leaders and advisors will be able to organize accurate simula-
tions of UN meetings. At the same time, much of the material in the appendices
(e.g., The Essential UN, UN Structure) is useful for students looking to learn
more about Model UN conferences and the UN.

How this Guide is Different from Other Model UN Guides

Model UN was established around the same time the UN was created, some
say even before. Yet Model UN was not initially monitored by the UN. The first
time that a Model UN conference was co-sponsored by the UN was in August
2000 at UN Headquarters in New York. The UN later organized three GMUN
conferences in 2009 – 2011. These three conferences led to new Rules of Pro-
cedure and a new approach for conducting Model UN conferences. This Guide
builds on the three conferences’ pioneering approach.

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 10 UNITED NATIONS GUIDE TO MODEL UN

  HUNDREDS OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM 23 COUNTRIES ATTEND MODEL UN

IN UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY HALL. UN PHOTO/ESKINDER DEBEBE

This Guide introduces a leadership structure and responsibilities that more

accurately mirror the relationship between the GA and the UN Secretariat. As
a result, student leaders play a more substantive role in conferences than they
do in some Model UN conferences.
Second, it uses Rules of Procedure that are much closer to those used at the
UN. While there is some variety in the Rules of Procedure used by Model UN
programmes, they are largely based on Rules of Procedure that are different
than those used at the UN. The General Assembly Rules of Procedure do not
have many of the points and motions used during many Model UN conferenc-
es, such as Points of Information, Points of Personal Privilege, or Points of
Inquiry. In some instances, procedures violate the sovereign rights of Member
States, and are therefore not appropriate for General Assembly (GA) or Secu-
rity Council (SC) conferences. 
Third, most decisions adopted by the GA and the SC are made by consensus—
that is, without taking a vote. The leadership structure and Rules of Procedure
should support a working environment that encourages delegates to build
consensus. This Guide introduces new ideas of how Model UN conferences can
encourage building consensus. 

How to Use this Guide

The Guide is comprised of three main, interrelated sections: structure, proce-
dures, and processes.

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 CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 11

The section on structure focuses on two main UN organs: the General Assembly
and the Security Council. The information is designed to help organizers of
Model UN programmes decide on the appropriate leadership structure.
The section on procedures focuses on how to adapt the Rules of Procedures
used in actual GA meetings to a Model UN conference, where the timeframes
for making decisions are much shorter. It also highlights the differences be-
tween the rules used in most Model UN programmes and those used at the UN.
The section on processes focuses on a wide range of topics, including:
the importance of building consensus,
„„
how to chair a Committee meeting,
„„
how to write and table resolutions and amendments,
„„
how to write scripts for the President of the GA (PGA) and Committee
„„
Chairs, and
the art of negotiation.
„„
The content aims to give an overview of the skills needed to run an engaging
and successful conference.

HOW DECISIONS ARE MADE AT THE UN

The annual GA session opens every year on the third Tuesday of September
and runs for a year. The GA’s work follows a cycle of (1) debate, (2) negotiation,
(3) decision, (4) implementation, and (5) reporting. Most Model UN conferences
focus exclusively on the first three phases of the cycle.
There are three general components to the decision-making process that are
crucial for anyone participating in a Model UN conference to understand: de-
bating, negotiating, and decision-making. This section will provide an over-
view of these three components and highlight what aspects are important to
include in Model UN conferences. In addition, it will highlight what gets lost
in most Model UN conferences when the implementation phase is neglected. 

Setting the GA Agenda 

At the beginning of each new GA session, the GA plenary and its six Main Com-
mittees are allocated agenda items to consider. The items on the UN agenda
represent the UN’s priority issues. The main goal of each GA session is to take
action on each agenda item that has been allocated to the GA for its considera-
tion. “Considering” an agenda item involves first discussing the item, and then
adopting one or more resolutions on that item.
According to Article 10 of the UN Charter, which defines the functions and
powers of the GA, “The General Assembly may discuss any questions or any

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 12 UNITED NATIONS GUIDE TO MODEL UN

  PARTICIPANTS OF MODEL UN IN THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY HALL. UN PHOTO/LOEY FELIPE

matters within the scope of the present Charter or relating to the powers and
functions of any organs provided for in the present Charter, and . . . may make
recommendations to the Members of the United Nations or the SC or to both on
any such questions or matters.” In other words, resolutions adopted by the GA
on agenda items are considered to be recommendations. They are not legally
binding on the Member States. The only resolutions that have the potential to
be legally binding are those adopted by the SC.

Why Consensus is so Important

Member States consider it very important to adopt a resolution that has the
widest possible agreement among Member States. Before taking action on a
draft resolution, Member States spend hours discussing every word in the res-
olution to reach agreement on the text. When consensus on the text is reached,
in the General Assembly all Member States agree to adopt the draft resolution
without taking a vote. Adopting a draft without a vote is the most basic defini-
tion of what consensus means. If 192 Member States agree on the text, but just
one Member State requests a vote, then consensus is not reached.
If a GA resolution is not legally binding, then the best way to encourage all
Member States to implement the recommendations expressed in a resolution is
to get them to agree on the same text. When a resolution is adopted by a simple
majority, Member States that did not vote in favour of a resolution on a particu-
lar agenda item will be less likely to implement the actions on an agenda item.

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 CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 13

When the UN was created in 1945, there were only 51 Member States, and
resolutions were adopted by a vote. Today, there are 193 Member States, and
roughly 80% of the GA resolutions are adopted by consensus.
When you adopt resolutions by a vote, you only need to get a majority to agree
on the text of a resolution. You do not need to care about or try to understand
the perspectives of the minority who disagree. This process is divisive.
When you adopt resolutions by consensus, you have to be concerned about
the viewpoint of everyone, and engage in negotiations that often result in
compromises, so that different points of view are taken into consideration.
This process is inclusive.
Given the dramatic increase in Member States over time, reaching the widest
possible agreement is more vital today than ever. Because the GA’s resolutions
are recommendations and not legally binding, reaching consensus has helped
ensure the widest possible implementation of GA decisions.
In some Model UN conferences, delegates do not even consider implementation.
Therefore, delegates do not learn the value of reaching consensus over voting.
Most resolutions at a Model UN conference are adopted by a vote. This way of op-
erating does not reflect how the UN has changed. Moreover, by valuing voting over
reaching consensus, most conferences do not model the negotiation process that
is required to reach consensus. You cannot truly understand the UN as an institu-
tion without understanding its decision-making process. This Guide aims to assist
organizers in modifying their GA conferences so that they reflect these changes.
As mentioned above, consensus is reached when all Member States have
agreed to adopt the text of a draft resolution without taking a vote. However,
reaching consensus is not the same thing as being unanimous. It is important
to note that consensus does not mean that all Member States agree on every
word or paragraph in the draft resolution. Member States can agree to adopt a
draft resolution without a vote but still have reservations. The important point
is that there is nothing so disagreeable in the resolution that Member States
feel it must be put to a vote.
When Member States have reservations about elements of a draft resolution
that they have agreed to adopt by consensus, those who are not sponsors of
the resolution have the opportunity to explain their position.

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https://bit.ly/32PEl46

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  INTERNATIONAL MODEL UN TAKES PLACE IN GENEVA. UN PHOTO/PIERRE ALBOUY

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 148 UNITED NATIONS GUIDE TO MODEL UN

This section provides links to other sources of information of use in preparing

for a MUN conference.
You can also find links to resources here.

General Information about the United Nations

Model United Nations Website: www.un.org/mun
The Essential UN: www.shop.un.org/books/essential-un-66755
Basic Facts about the United Nations: www.shop.un.org/books/basic-facts-
about-un-42nd-ed-53170
United Nations Publications: www.shop.un.org
United Nations i-Library: www.un-ilibrary.org
Dag Hammarskjöld Library Research Guide: research.un.org
The UN Charter: www.un.org/en/charter-united-nations/index.html 

United Nations General Assembly

General Assembly: www.un.org/en/ga/
General Assembly Resolutions: www.un.org/en/sections/documents/general-
assembly-resolutions/
General Assembly Rules of Procedure: www.un.org/en/ga/about/ropga/
The GA Handbook (A practical guide to the UNGA): www.eda.admin.ch/dam/
mission-new-york/en/documents/UN_GA__Final.pdf

United Nations Security Council

Security Council: www.un.org/securitycouncil/
Security Council Resolutions: www.un.org/securitycouncil/content/resolutions
Provisional Rules of Procedure: www.un.org/securitycouncil/content/provisional-
rules-procedure
Working Methods Handbook: www.un.org/securitycouncil/content/working-
methods-handbook
Introduction to the Work of the Security CouncilC(A presentation for MUN New
York Workshop 2013): www.outreach.un.org/mun/sites/outreach.un.org/files/
mun_legacy/2013/06/MUN-Workshop_Security-Council-presentation.pdf

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 RESOURCES 149

United Nations Documents

Overview of UN Documents: www.research.un.org/en/docs
How to find UN Documents: www.research.un.org/en/docs/find
UN Document Symbols:  www.research.un.org/content.php?pid=320836&sid=
2626142
Tools and Resources for Accessing UN documents (A presentation for MUN
New York Workshop): www.outreach.un.org/mun/sites/outreach.un.org/files/
mun_legacy/2013/06/MUN-Workshop_Security-Council-presentation.pdf

Other Online Resources

United Nations Digital Library: www.digitallibrary.un.org/
Official Document System (ODS): www.documents.un.org/  (complex search
screen) or www.un.org/en/sections/general/documents/index.html
UN Member States on the Record: www.un.org/depts/dhl/unms<
Press Releases: www.un.org/press/en
Daily Journal: www.un.org/en/documents/journal.asp
UN Terminology database (UNTERM):www.unterm.un.org/
UN-I-Que database: www.lib-unique.un.org/DPI/DHL/unique.nsf

Additional Resources
The UN Yearbook: www.unyearbook.un.org/

  INTERNATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL MODEL UN CONFERENCE. UN PHOTO/PAULO FILGUEIRAS

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 The United Nations System U

UN PRINCIPAL Subsidiary Organs Funds and Programmes1 U

ORGANS • Disarmament Commission UNDP United Nations Development

• Human Rights Council Programme

• International Law • UNCDF United Nations Capital I

Commission Development Fund U
• Joint Inspection Unit (JIU)
• UNV United Nations Volunteers
GENERAL • Main Committees
UNEP 8 United Nations Environment U
Programme
ASSEMBLY • Standing committees and
UNFPA United Nations Population Fund U
ad hoc bodies
UN-HABITAT8 United Nations Human
Settlements Programme U
UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund
WFP World Food Programme (UN/FAO)
U

SECURITY
COUNCIL
• International Residual Mechanism •
Subsidiary Organs for Criminal Tribunals •
• Counter-Terrorism Committee • Military Staff Committee •

ECONOMIC AND Functional Commissions Regional Commissions 8

SOCIAL COUNCIL
• Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice ECA Economic Commission for Africa •
• Narcotic Drugs ECE Economic Commission for Europe •
• Population and Development ECLAC Economic Commission for
• Science and Technology for Latin America and the Caribbean •
Development ESCAP Economic and Social
• Social Development Commission •
for Asia and the Pacific U
• Statistics
ESCWA Economic and Social
• Status of Women Commission for Western Asia
SECRETARIAT U
• United Nations Forum on Forests

Departments and Offices 9

ODA Office for Disarmament Affairs
U
EOSG Executive Office of the OHCHR Office of the United
Secretary-General Nations High Commissioner
U
DCO Development Coordination Office for Human Rights
INTERNATIONAL
DESA Department of Economic and OIOS Office of Internal Oversight
COURT OF JUSTICE Social Affairs Services
DGACM Department for General Assembly OLA Office of Legal Affairs
and Conference Management OSAA Office of the Special Adviser
DGC Department of Global on Africa U
Communications SRSG/CAAC Office of the Special
DMSPC Department of Management Representative of the Secretary- U
Strategy, Policy and Compliance General for Children and Armed
DOS Department of Operational Support Conflict
U
SRSG/SVC Office of the Special
TRUSTEESHIP DPO Department of Peace Operations
Representative of the Secretary-
U
DPPA Department of Political and
COUNCIL 6 Peacebuilding Affairs
General on Sexual Violence in
Conflict
DSS Department of Safety and Security
SRSG/VAC Office of the Special
OCHA Office for the Coordination of U
Representative of the Secretary-
Humanitarian Affairs General on Violence Against U
OCT Office of Counter-Terrorism Children U

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 Research and Training Related Organizations
UNIDIR United Nations Institute for CTBTO PREPARATORY COMMISSION Preparatory Commission
Disarmament Research for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization
UNITAR United Nations Institute for IAEA1, 3 International Atomic Energy Agency
Training and Research ICC International Criminal Court
UNSSC United Nations System Staff College IOM 1 International Organization for Migration
UNU United Nations University
s1 ISA International Seabed Authority
ITLOS International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea
Other Entities OPCW3 Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
ITC International Trade Centre (UN/WTO) WTO 1, 4 World Trade Organization
UNCTAD 1,8 United Nations Conference on
Trade and Development
UNHCR 1 Office of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees
nd UNOPS1 United Nations Office for
Project Services
UNRWA1 United Nations Relief and Works
nd Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near Peacebuilding HLPF
East High-level Political
AO) 1
Commission Forum on Sustainable
UN-WOMEN United Nations Entity for Gender
Equality and the Empowerment of Women Development

• Peacekeeping operations and political missions

Specialized Agencies1, 5
• Sanctions committees (ad hoc)
• Standing committees and ad hoc bodies FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization
IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development
ILO International Labour Organization
IMF International Monetary Fund
ons 8 Other Bodies10 IMO International Maritime Organization

Africa • Committee for Development Policy ITU International Telecommunication Union

UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
urope • Committee of Experts on Public
Organization
r Administration
UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organization
ean • Committee on Non-Governmental
Organizations UNWTO World Tourism Organization
• Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues UPU Universal Postal Union
UNAIDS Joint United Nations Programme WHO World Health Organization
on HIV/AIDS WIPO World Intellectual Property Organization
UNGEGN United Nations Group of Experts WMO World Meteorological Organization
on Geographical Names WORLD BANK GROUP 7
UNGGIM Committee of Experts on Global • IBRD International Bank for Reconstruction
Geospatial Information Management and Development
• IDA International Development Association
Research and Training • IFC International Finance Corporation
airs
UNICRI United Nations Interregional Crime
and Justice Research Institute Notes:
UNRISD United Nations Research Institute 1 Members of the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination
for Social Development (CEB).
t 2 UN Office for Partnerships (UNOP) is the UN’s focal point vis-a-vis the United
Nations Foundation, Inc.
3 IAEA and OPCW report to the Security Council and the General Assembly (GA).
4 WTO has no reporting obligation to the GA, but contributes on an ad hoc basis to
ser
GA and Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) work on, inter alia, finance and
UNDRR United Nations Office for Disaster development issues.
al Risk Reduction 5 Specialized agencies are autonomous organizations whose work is coordinated
ry- UNODC1 United Nations Office on Drugs through ECOSOC (intergovernmental level) and CEB (inter-secretariat level).
ed and Crime 6 The Trusteeship Council suspended operation on 1 November 1994, as on 1 October
UNOG United Nations Office at Geneva 1994 Palau, the last United Nations Trust Territory, became independent.
7 International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) and Multilateral
UN-OHRLLS Office of the High Representative
ry- Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) are not specialized agencies in accordance
for the Least Developed Countries,
with Articles 57 and 63 of the Charter, but are part of the World Bank Group.
Landlocked Developing Countries and
8 The secretariats of these organs are part of the UN Secretariat.
Small Island Developing States
9 The Secretariat also includes the following offices: The Ethics Office, United Nations
UNON United Nations Office at Nairobi Ombudsman and Mediation Services, and the Office of Administration of Justice.
ry-
UNOP 2 United Nations Office for Partnerships 10 For a complete list of ECOSOC Subsidiary Bodies see un.org/ecosoc.

UNOV United Nations Office at Vienna This Chart is a reflection of the functional organization of the United Nations System
and for informational purposes only. It does not include all offices or entities of the
United Nations System.

e Published by the United Nations Department of Global Communications 19-00073 — July 2019

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