The United Nations and Its Agencies

What is The United Nations and Its Agencies?

Within Economics & Civics, which covers money, markets, business, government, law and citizenship: how societies are organised and run, this topic explains The United Nations and Its Agencies. Economics and civics topics explain how money, markets, laws and government affect people, so each topic here pairs a clear definition with a model.

Check that you can explain The United Nations and Its Agencies in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.

Understanding The United Nations and Its Agencies helps you read the news critically and weigh up policies, choices and arguments about society.

The United Nations and Its Agencies in detail

The United Nations (UN) was founded in 1945 with 51 members, and now has 193. Its main bodies include the General Assembly (all members), the Security Council (15 members, five with a veto: USA, UK, France, Russia, China), the Secretariat led by the Secretary-General and the International Court of Justice.

Specialised agencies include UNICEF (children), WHO (health), UNESCO (education, science and culture), UNHCR (refugees), the World Food Programme and the FAO. The UN deploys peacekeepers, sets global goals and coordinates humanitarian aid. Successes include eradicating smallpox, but critics point to the veto, slow decisions and funding issues.

How the interactive helps you understand The United Nations and Its Agencies

Watch the network in the interactive. Use any sliders or buttons it offers to change the values and see how the network responds.

Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of The United Nations and Its Agencies.

Real-life uses and examples

• Use The United Nations and Its Agencies to weigh up the pros and costs of a policy or decision.
• Explain The United Nations and Its Agencies to a classmate using a choice you make yourself, such as spending pocket money.
• Give a balanced answer about The United Nations and Its Agencies by considering more than one point of view.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Confusing a short-term effect with a long-term one.
• Giving an opinion without evidence or a clear economic or civic reason.
• Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.