Important Organizations Questions and Answers

International Organizations are a crucial GK topic in UPSC, SSC CGL, IBPS, and Railway exams. Major organizations include: UN (United Nations), WHO, IMF (International Monetary Fund), World Bank, WTO (World Trade Organization), UNESCO, UNICEF, NATO, ASEAN, SAARC, G20, and BRICS. Questions focus on headquarters, founding dates, current heads, and membership.

The United Nations (UN) was established on October 24, 1945 after World War II. Headquarters: New York, USA. It has 193 member states. Six main organs: General Assembly (all member states), Security Council (5 permanent + 10 non-permanent members), Secretariat (headed by Secretary-General), International Court of Justice (The Hague, Netherlands), ECOSOC, and Trusteeship Council.

IMF (International Monetary Fund) was established in 1944 at Bretton Woods Conference. Headquarters: Washington D.C., USA. It provides financial assistance to countries facing balance-of-payments problems. World Bank (IBRD) was also established in 1944 with HQ in Washington D.C. It provides loans for development projects. The IMF publishes World Economic Outlook report.

SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) was founded on December 8, 1985 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It has 8 member states: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, and Afghanistan. Headquarters: Kathmandu, Nepal. SAARC aims to promote economic and social development in South Asia.

The WTO was established on January 1, 1995 replacing GATT. Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland. It has 164 member countries. WTO oversees global trade rules, resolves trade disputes, and promotes free trade. India is a founding member. The Ministerial Conference is the highest decision-making body of WTO.