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International Organizations and Their Headquarters List[Updated]

Ananya Gupta February 16, 2024 11:16 3965 0

International Organizations and Their Headquarters List : Discover key international organizations and their headquarters worldwide. Explore the origins, functions, and global impacts of these influential entities shaping the course of international relations.

International Organizations and Their Headquarters List[Updated]

International Organizations and Their Headquarters

International organizations, also known as intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) or multinational organizations, are entities that consist of member nations from different countries coming together to address global challenges and promote cooperation on various issues.

International organizations were established with the primary objectives of shaping the international agenda, fostering diplomatic relations among nations, and providing a platform for collaborative development initiatives. With their extensive global presence, these organizations play pivotal roles in global affairs, exerting influence on countries, legislation, and even global economic dynamics.

Additionally, these organizations actively contribute to the development of developing countries by providing financial aid, technical assistance, and capacity-building programs. They aim to bridge the gap between developed and developing nations, fostering sustainable growth and reducing poverty.

For example, Amnesty International is dedicated to the promotion of global peace and human rights, OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) plays a crucial role in stabilizing global oil supply and demand, and the International Court of Justice serves as the world’s preeminent judicial body.

What is G20?

List of International Organizations and Their Headquarters

International organizations are crucial in setting the global agenda, strengthening political ties, and supporting development projects worldwide. With far-reaching influence, they impact countries, legislation, and global prices. The table below explores various International Organizations and Their Headquarters and establishment years.

Organization Headquarters Year
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) New York City, USA 1965
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Nairobi, Kenya 1972
United Nations Population Fund (UNPF) New York City, USA 1969
United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-Habitat) Nairobi, Kenya 1978
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) New York City, USA 1946
World Food Programme (WFP) Rome, Italy 1961
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Rome, Italy 1945
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Montreal, Canada 1947
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Rome, Italy 1977
International Labour Organization (ILO) Geneva, Switzerland 1919
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Washington, DC, USA 1944
International Maritime Organization (IMO) London, United Kingdom 1948
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Geneva, Switzerland 1865
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Paris, France 1945
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Vienna, Austria 1966
World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Madrid, Spain 1974
Universal Postal Union (UPU) Bern, Switzerland 1874
World Health Organization (WHO) Geneva, Switzerland 1948
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Geneva, Switzerland 1967
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Geneva, Switzerland 1950
World Bank Washington, DC, USA 1944
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Geneva, Switzerland 1994
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Geneva, Switzerland 1950
United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) Geneva, Switzerland 1980
United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Geneva, Switzerland 1963
United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) Copenhagen, Denmark 1973
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Amman, Jordan 1949
United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC) Turin, Italy 2002
United Nations University (UNU) Tokyo, Japan 1973
UN Women New York City, USA 2010
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Vienna, Austria 1957
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Geneva, Switzerland 1951
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) The Hague, Netherlands 1997
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Bonn, Germany 1994 (Signed in 1993)
World Trade Organization (WTO) Geneva, Switzerland 1995
International Trade Centre (ITC) Geneva, Switzerland 1964
African Development Bank Group Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire 1964
African Union (AU) Addis Abab, Ethiopia 2002
Amnesty International (AI) London, United Kingdom 1961
Andean Community  Lima, Peru 1969
Arctic Council Tromso, Norway 1996
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Queenstown, Singapore 1989
Asian Development Bank (ADB) Mandaluyong, Philippines 1966
Association of Caribbean States (ACS) Port of Spain, Trinidad, Tobago 1994
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Jakarta, Indonesia 1967
Bank for International Settlements (BIS) Basel, Switzerland 1930
Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) Istanbul, Turkey 1992
Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Georgetown, Guyana 1973
Central American Bank for Economic Integration  Tegucigalpa, Honduras 1960
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Lusaka, Zambia 1994
Commonwealth Secretariat London, United Kingdom 1965
Council of Europe Strasbourg, France 1949
Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) Geneva, Switzerland 1951
Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) Stockholm, Switzerland 1992
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria 1975
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) London, United Kingdom 1991
European Central Bank (ECB) Frankfurt, Germany 1998
European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Geneva, Switzerland 1960
Association of European Parliamentarians with Africa (AWEPA) Amsterdam, Netherlands 1984
European Space Agency (ESA) Paris, France 1975
European Union (EU) Brussels, Belgium 1993
Group of Eight (G8) New York, USA 1975
G-15 Summit Geneva, Switzerland 1990
Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Washington, DC, USA 1959
Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Djibouti, Djibouti 1986
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Vienna, Austria 1957
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Montreal, Canada 1947
International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Paris, France 1919
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Geneva, Switzerland 1863
International Court of Justice (ICJ) The Hague, Netherlands 1945
International Development Association (IDA) Washington, DC, USA 1960
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Geneva, Switzerland 1919
International Finance Corporation (IFC) Washington, DC, USA 1956
International Labour Organization (ILO) Geneva, Switzerland 1919
International Olympic Committee (IOC) Lausanne, Switzerland 1894
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Geneva, Switzerland 1947
International Peace Bureau (IPB) Geneva, Switzerland 1891
International Seabed Authority (ISA) Kingston, Jamaica 1994
International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) Geneva, Switzerland 1984
Inter-Parliamentary Union Geneva, Switzerland 1889
League of Arab States Cairo, Egypt 1945
Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) Washington, DC, USA 1988
The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Central Jakarta, Indonesia 1961
Nordic Council of Ministers Copenhagen, Denmark 1971
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Washington, DC, USA 1949
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Paris, France 1961
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Vienna, Austria 1975
Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) Kuwait, Middle East 1968
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 1969
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Vienna, Austria 1960
Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) Noumea, New Caledonia 1947
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Kathmandu, Nepal 1985
Unión Latina Paris, France 1954
United Cities & Local Governments (UCLG) Barcelona, Spain 2004
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Bangkok, Thailand 1947
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) Beirut, Lebanon 1973
United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) Nairobi, Kenya 1972
United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Rome, Italy 1945
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) Geneva, Switzerland and New York City, USA 1993
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Vienna, Austria 1997
United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW) Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 1975
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Geneva, Switzerland and New York City, USA 1991
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Amman, Jordan 1949
Western European Union (WEU) Paris, France 1954
World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) Geneva, Switzerland and New York City, USA 1946
World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) Geneva, Switzerland 1985
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Gland, Switzerland 1961
International Solar Alliance (ISA) Haryana, India 2015
Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) New Delhi, India 2019

 

International Organization and Their Headquarters: Types 

1. Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs): These are organizations created by sovereign states to address specific issues collectively. Examples include the United Nations (UN), World Health Organization (WHO), International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, and World Trade Organization (WTO).

2. Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs): While not composed of member states, NGOs are independent organizations that operate internationally to promote various causes such as human rights, environmental conservation, and humanitarian aid. Examples include Amnesty International, Greenpeace, and Doctors Without Borders.

3. Regional Organizations: These organizations focus on specific geographic regions and aim to address regional challenges. Examples include the European Union (EU), the African Union (AU), and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

  G20 Countries

List of International Organizations and Their Headquarters in which India is Member Country

Here is a list of International Organizations and Their Headquarters of which India is a Member. Despite the United States revoking India’s status from a Developing nation to a Developed nation, India still requires funds to support its states and run the world’s largest democracy. These organizations provide vital aid to India, making it crucial to remember their memberships.

International Organization Headquarters Year
AALCO – Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization New Delhi 1956
ADB – Asian Development Bank Manila, Philippines  1956
AfDB – African Development Bank (non-regional members) Tunis, Tunisia 1964
AG – Australia Group Brussels, Belgium 1985
ASEAN Regional Forum – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations Jakarta, Indonesia 1967
BIMSTEC – Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation Dhaka, Bangladesh 1997
BIS – Bank for International Settlements Basel, Switzerland 1930
BRICS – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa Shanghai, China 2006
CoN – Commonwealth of Nations London, UK 1931
CERN – European Organization for Nuclear Research  Geneva, Switzerland 1954
CP – Colombo Plan Colombo, Srilanka 1950
EAS – East Asia Summit Colombo, Sri Lanka 1950
FAO – Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Rome, Itlay 1945
G-15 – Group of 15 Geneva, Switzerland 1989
G-20 – Group of 20 Cancun, Mexico 1999
G-77 – Group of 77 New York 1964
IAEA – International Atomic Energy Agency Vienna, Austria 1957
IBRD – International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank) Washington DC, US 1944
ICAO – International Civil Aviation Organization Montreal, Canada 1944
ICC – International Chamber of Commerce Paris, France 1919
IDA – International Development Association Washington DC 1950
IEA – International Energy Agency Paris, France 1974
IFAD – International Fund for Agricultural Development Rome, Italy 1977
IFC – International Finance Corporation Washington DC, US 1956
ILO – International Labour Organization Geneva, Switzerland 1919
IMF – International Monetary Fund Washington DC, US 1945
IMO – International Maritime Organization London, UK 1948
IMSO – International Mobile Satellite Organization London, UK 1999
Interpol – International Criminal Police Organization Lyon, France 1923
IOC – International Olympic Committee Lausanne, Switzerland 1894
IPEEC – International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation Paris, France 2009
ISO – International Organization for Standardization Geneva, Switzerland 1947
ITSO – International Telecommunications Satellite Organization Washington DC 1964
ITU – International Telecommunication Union Geneva, Switzerland 1864
ITUC – International Trade Union Confederation (the successor to ICFTU (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions) and the WCL (World Confederation of Labour)) Brussels, Belgium 2006
MTCR Missile Technology Control Regime Japan 1987
NAM – Non-Aligned Movement Jakarta, Indonesia 1961
OPCW – Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Hague, Netherland 1997
PCA – Permanent Court of Arbitration Hague, Netherland 1899
PIF – Pacific Islands Forum (partner) Suva, Fiji 1971
SAARC – South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Kathmandu, Nepal 1985
SACEP  – South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme Colombo, Sri Lanka 1982
SCO – Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (member) Beijing, China 1996
UN – United Nations New York 1945
UNAIDS  – United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS New York 1994
UNESCO – United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation London, Uk 1946
WHO- World Health Organization Geneva, Switzerland 1948
International Solar Alliance (ISA) Haryana, India 2015
Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) New Delhi, India 2019

International Organization and Their Headquarters: Key Characteristics 

  • Multilateral Cooperation: International organizations are formed through multilateral agreements among sovereign nations. Member countries voluntarily join these organizations to work collectively towards shared goals and objectives.
  • Sovereignty and Autonomy: Despite their collaborative nature, member nations retain their sovereignty and autonomy within the framework of the organization. Decisions and policies are often made through consensus or voting processes, ensuring equitable representation.
  • Objectives and Mandates: Each international organization has specific objectives and mandates outlined in its charter or founding documents. These objectives guide the organization’s activities and initiatives.
  • Headquarters and Structure: International organizations have administrative headquarters, often located in major global cities. They have structured bodies, such as a General Assembly, Executive Council, Secretariat, or specialized agencies, depending on the organization’s nature.
  • Funding: Funding for international organizations usually comes from member contributions, grants, donations, and other sources. Each member’s contribution is typically based on its economic size and capabilities.

International Organizations and Their Headquarters: Roles and Functions

  • Peacekeeping and Conflict Resolution: International organizations like the UN play a critical role in peacekeeping efforts, helping to resolve conflicts and maintain stability in regions facing political or armed disputes.
  • Humanitarian Assistance: International organizations provide humanitarian aid and support to regions affected by natural disasters, conflicts, and other crises.
  • Economic Development: Organizations like the World Bank and IMF offer financial assistance, loans, and development programs to support economic growth in developing nations.
  • Global Health and Environment: Entities such as the WHO and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) address health challenges and environmental issues on a global scale.
  • Trade and Commerce: Organizations like the WTO aim to facilitate international trade and ensure fair trade practices between member nations.

Tricks to Remember the Headquarters and Organizations’ Names

Remembering the headquarters and names of international organizations can be quite challenging. To assist you, we have devised tricks to remember the important names of organizations and their headquarters. Take a look at the tricks below:

Tips and Tricks to Remember International Headquarters
Headquarters Organizations
Geneva Starting with “World” and ending with “Organization”
1. World Health Organization (WHO)
2. World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
3. World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
Washington DC Organization associated with “money”
1. International Monetary Fund (IMF)
2. World Bank
Vienna Organization related to “Industrial development, Petroleum, and atomic research”
1. United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
2. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
3. Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
Paris Organizations associated with “Education and economy”
1. International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS)
2. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
3. Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
India International Solar Alliance (ISA)
India Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI)

International Organizations and Their Headquarters FAQs

The International Solar Alliance is the first international organization headquartered in India, and it has the United Nations as its strategic partner. India is also a member or founding member of several other international organizations, including AALCO, ADB, AfDB, AG, ASEAN Regional Forum, BIMSTEC, BRICS, CERN, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IMO, and more.

The United Nations (UN) is considered the world's largest intergovernmental organization. It is an international organization with 193 member states, working towards promoting international cooperation, peace, security, and development. The UN addresses various global issues such as climate change, poverty, human rights, and humanitarian crises through its specialized agencies, programs, and initiatives. However, please note that the information might change over time, so it's always good to verify the latest data for the most up-to-date information.

The first international organization headquartered in India is the International Solar Alliance (ISA). It was launched on November 30, 2015, in Paris, during the 21st Conference of Parties (COP 21) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The ISA is a coalition of countries that aims to promote the use of solar energy and enhance solar capacity in member countries. Its primary objective is to address the challenges of climate change by reducing dependence on fossil fuels and promoting sustainable energy solutions. The ISA's headquarters is located in Gurugram, Haryana, India.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is considered the oldest international organization in the world. It was established on May 17, 1865, and is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN). The ITU is responsible for coordinating global telecommunication networks and services, allocating radio-frequency spectrum, and developing technical standards to ensure seamless international communication. The ITU has played a significant role in shaping the development and standardization of telecommunication technologies over the years.

International organizations are entities established to facilitate cooperation and coordination among countries on global issues. They serve as platforms for diplomacy, development, and addressing global challenges.

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