Q35
6 marksLong AnswerSection E

(a) Explain the composition and one function of any three organs of the United Nations.

OR

(b) Name any three agencies of the United Nations and explain one function of each.

International Organisations
United Nations — Organs and Agencies
Official Answer

(a) Three organs of the UN — composition and one function each:


  • General Assembly (UNGA): Composed of all 193 member states, each having one vote regardless of size; meets in regular annual sessions. Function: It deliberates and passes resolutions on any matter within the UN Charter's scope, including admission of new members and the UN budget.
  • Security Council (UNSC): Composed of 15 members — 5 permanent members (USA, UK, France, Russia, China) holding veto power, and 10 non-permanent members elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms. Function: It has primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, and can authorise sanctions or peacekeeping/military action.
  • Secretariat: Headed by the Secretary-General, appointed by the General Assembly on the Security Council's recommendation for a five-year term, and staffed by international civil servants. Function: It carries out the day-to-day administrative and executive work of the UN.

OR (b) Three UN agencies and one function each:


  • UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund): Provides humanitarian and developmental assistance — nutrition, healthcare and education — to children and mothers worldwide.
  • WHO (World Health Organization): Coordinates international public health efforts, sets health standards, and leads responses to global disease outbreaks.
  • UNESCO (UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization): Promotes international cooperation in education, science, culture and communication, including protection of World Heritage Sites.
United NationsGeneral AssemblySecurity CouncilSecretariatUN agenciesUNICEFWHOUNESCO

Marking Scheme

  • 1For part (a): 1 mark each for correct composition + 1 mark each for correct function, for any three of the six UN organs (up to 6 marks; e.g. 3 organs x 2 marks).
  • 2For part (b) (alternative): 2 marks each for naming an agency and explaining one correct function, for any three UN agencies (up to 6 marks).
  • 3Full marks for any three organs/agencies from the standard NCERT list, even if different from the ones illustrated above.

Hint

Pick any 3 organs from General Assembly/Security Council/ECOSOC/ICJ/Secretariat and state both composition and one function for each — or switch to naming 3 agencies (UNICEF/WHO/UNESCO) with one function each.

Quick Oral Answer

The UN's principal organs — like the General Assembly (all members, one vote) and Security Council (15 members, 5 with veto) — each have distinct composition and functions, while specialised agencies like UNICEF and WHO handle specific fields such as child welfare and public health.

Analysis & Explanation

This is a structural question from the 'International Organisations' chapter, testing knowledge of how the UN balances universal representation with effective decision-making.


Concept

  • The UN Charter (1945) created six principal organs — General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council, Trusteeship Council (inactive since 1994), International Court of Justice, and Secretariat — each with a distinct composition and mandate.
  • Specialised agencies (UNICEF, WHO, UNESCO, ILO, IMF, World Bank, etc.) operate under agreements with the UN to address specific sectors like health, education, labour and finance.

Exam trap

  • Do not confuse a 'principal organ' (part a) with a 'specialised agency' (part b) — the Security Council is an organ, not an agency; WHO is an agency, not an organ.
  • Marks are awarded separately for composition and for function — omitting either half for a chosen organ costs marks even if other organ/function pairs are correct.

Real-world relevance

  • The Security Council's veto-holding P5 structure is frequently criticised and connects to demands for UN reform, including India's push for permanent membership, while agencies like WHO and UNICEF are the UN's most visible field-level presence during crises such as pandemics and humanitarian emergencies.

Common Mistakes

  1. 1Mixing up UN 'organs' (part a) with UN 'agencies' (part b) and answering the wrong category.
  2. 2Giving only the composition or only the function of an organ, losing half the marks for that organ.
  3. 3Naming the Trusteeship Council as still active — it has been suspended since 1994 after Palau's independence, making it a weaker choice for this answer.

Interesting Facts

The Security Council's five permanent members were fixed in 1945 based on the victors of World War II and have never been expanded, despite decades of reform debate.

India has been a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council eight times and has long campaigned for permanent membership as part of UN reform.

The Trusteeship Council formally suspended its operations on 1 November 1994, after Palau — its last remaining trust territory — gained independence.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the six principal organs of the United Nations?

General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Trusteeship Council (inactive since 1994), International Court of Justice, and the Secretariat.

Name three specialised agencies of the United Nations.

UNICEF (children's welfare), WHO (public health) and UNESCO (education, science and culture) are three widely-cited UN specialised agencies.