Major Agencies of the United Nations

The United Nations (UN) operates through several specialised agencies to promote social and economic development across the globe. Each agency has a specific worldwide agenda. Let's look at the three most important agencies in detail.

1. United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

Formation and Structure

• Created by the UN General Assembly during its first session in 1946.
• Original Purpose: To help fulfill the emergency needs of children in post-war Europe.
• Expansion: In 1950, its programme was extended to provide long-range benefits to children of all developing countries.
• Governance: Managed by a 36-member Executive Board that reviews activities, policies, country programmes, and budgets.
• Headquarters: New York, USA. It has more than 200 offices in developing countries.

Finance and Objectives

• Funding: Depends entirely on voluntary contributions from governments, private agencies, and fund-raising campaigns (like the worldwide sale of UNICEF greeting cards, which generates over $100 million).
• Resource Allocation: Almost all resources are diverted to the poorest developing countries, with the largest share going to children up to the age of five.
• Main Objective: To look after children's welfare in developing countries by providing low-cost, community-based services in maternal and child health, nutrition, and immunisation.

Key Functions

• Protects the survival, health, and well-being of children in cooperation with individuals, civic groups, and governments.
• Provides funds to train personnel, including health/sanitation workers, teachers, and nutritionists.
• Supplies technical equipment ranging from paper for textbooks and medicines to pipes and pumps for bringing clean water to villages.
• Assists governments in extending community-based services in health, nutrition, clean water, and sanitation.
• Provides emergency help to mothers and children during natural calamities and civil strife.
• Makes efforts to prevent diseases like tuberculosis (T.B.), malaria, and eye diseases.
• Speaks on behalf of children globally and upholds the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
• Awards: Awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1965 and the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace in 1989.

UNICEF Programmes in India

• Collaborative Missions: The Indian government launched the National Mission on Immunisation, the National Mission for Drinking Water, and the National Literacy Mission in collaboration with UNICEF.
• Education: Works closely with the Government, 17 State Governments, and civil society to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all children.
• Community Health: Assisted in the Community Development Programme in rural areas aimed at maternal and child health.
• Disease & Nutrition: Supported the production of Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT) to reduce infant mortality from diarrhoeal diseases. Promoted iodised salt since the 1990s to prevent iodine deficiency.
• Clean Water: Partnered with India in the accelerated rural water supply programme.
• Rights & Equality: Seeks to protect the rights of women and children by reducing social inequalities based on gender, caste, ethnicity, or region.

2. World Health Organization (WHO)

Formation and Structure

• Established on April 7, 1948. This date is now celebrated globally as World Health Day.
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.
• Definition of Health: Defined in WHO's Constitution as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
• Main Objective: The attainment of the highest possible level of health by all people.

Key Functions

• Helps countries improve their health systems by building up infrastructure, manpower, and institutions.
• Provides important drugs needed for medical care.
• Launches programmes to immunise children against major diseases.

Major Achievements (According to World Health Statistics 2023)

• Disease Eradication: Smallpox has been completely eradicated globally. India was successfully declared a 'Polio Free' country. Malaria has been eliminated in Azerbaijan and Tajikistan, and Hepatitis C is nearly eliminated in Egypt.
• COVID-19 Response: Raised over $200 million through its Solidarity Response Fund to combat the crisis.
• Disaster Relief: Helped people globally during earthquakes, floods, wildfires, and droughts.
• Vaccines & Prevention: Recommended new vaccines for malaria, dengue, and meningitis. Made strong progress on HPV vaccination to eliminate cervical cancer.
• Global Health Improvements: Smoking rates have fallen globally. Child mortality (under five) dropped from 90 to 46 deaths per 1000 live births. 1.3 million fewer new HIV cases reported from 2001 to 2013.
• Mental Health: Brought community mental health services to 50 million people since 2019.
• India Initiative: India launched an initiative to place 75 million people with hypertension or diabetes on standard care.

3. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

Formation and Structure

• Established on November 4, 1946.
• Headquarters: Paris, France.
• Main Objective: To contribute to peace and security in the world by fostering cooperation among nations through education, science, and cultural development.

Functions in Education

• Aims to remove illiteracy by encouraging adult education, distance education, and the open school system.
• Lays special emphasis on the education of women and girls, and provides financial assistance for disabled children.
• Provides grants and fellowships to teachers/scholars and helps organize library systems. (e.g., The Delhi Public Library was established in 1951 with UNESCO's financial assistance).
• Organizes international and national book fairs and festivals.
• Encourages science education by providing regional training centres and promotes education as an instrument for international understanding.

Scientific Activities

• Organizes seminars/conferences for scientists globally and circulates information through its official monthly magazine, 'Courier' (available in Hindi and Tamil in India).
• Promotes basic research in fields like geology, mathematics, physics, and oceanography, financing engineering and technology schemes in developing countries.
• Helps correct the imbalance in scientific manpower, as 90% of trained manpower is currently concentrated in industrialised countries.
• Encourages social science studies to combat discrimination, improve women's status, and help youth solve problems.

Communication

• Develops communication networks for information dissemination.
• Sets up regional networks and trains technicians in both hardware and software aspects of informatics.
• Improves the quality of the press, films, and video services.
• Assists developing countries in expanding their communication capabilities.
• Upholds the freedom of the press and the independence of the media.

Preservation of Cultural Heritage

• World Heritage List: Provides technical advice, assistance, and funds to preserve monuments and works of art. Identifies global monuments/sites to be protected.
• Manuscripts: Aims to protect the world's inheritance of rare books, works of art, and manuscripts.
• Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH): Gives ICH tags to recognize cultural practices, oral traditions, rituals, and festive events passed down through generations.
  Examples in India: Sankirtana (Manipur), Durga Puja (Kolkata), Kumbh Mela, Yoga, Vedic Chanting, Ramlila, and the recent addition of Garba of Gujarat in 2023.
• Encourages artistic creations in fine arts and literature, and pays attention to cultural development through films.
• Provides travel grants to writers and artists (e.g., "Mutual Appreciation of Eastern and Western Cultural Values") to promote peace and cultural exchange.

India's Association with UNESCO

• India has been a member since UNESCO's inception in 1946.
• In 1949, India set up a National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO, consisting of five Sub-Commissions (Education, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Culture, and Communication).
• UNESCO provides expertise and funds for the protection of Indian historical monuments like the Taj Mahal.
• In July 2022, India was elected to the Intergovernmental Committee for the 2003 Convention on the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage for a four-year period, allowing India to play a major global role in cultural preservation.