UN and its Agencies

Main objectives of the United Nations

1. To maintain international peace and security
2. To develop friendly relations among nations
3. To achieve international cooperation in solving international economic, cultural,
social or humanitarian problems.
4. To be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations
5. To ‘disarm, decolonize and develop’ are the three new objectives of the UN

Agencies of the United Nations

World Health Organization (WHO) - Functions
Helps countries improve their health system - by building infrastructure -
manpower, institutions, services - for individuals and the community.
Gives important drugs required for medicinal care. The WHO launched a program to
vaccinate children from six major diseases - Measles, Diphtheria, Polio, Tetanus,
Tuberculosis, and Whooping Cough.
Defines standards for - strength & purity of medicines - including biological
products.
Makes special efforts in - combating diarrheal diseases - killers of infants & young
children.

United Nations International Children’s Emergency

Fund (UNICEF) - Functions
It provides paper for text books.
It provides equipment and medicines for health clinics.
It provides pumps and pipes for bringing clean water to villages.
It provides help to children and mothers in emergencies arising from natural
calamities, strifes, and epidemics.

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural

Organization (UNESCO) - Functions
1. Educational
Removal of illiteracy by increasing other adult education, distance-education
and open schooling.
Emphasis on education of women and girls.
 Financial assistance for education of disabled children.
Encouragement of science education by providing regional training centers.
2. Scientific Activities
It organizes seminars and conferences of scientist of various countries and
circulates information through journals, press and exhibitions.
It promotes basic research and feels like geology, mathematics, physics and
oceanography.
It helps in correcting imbalance in scientific and technological manpower, that
exists as 90% of trained manpower is concentrated in the industrialized
countries.
It encourages the study of social sciences to focus attention on combating all
forms of discrimination, improving the status of women and helping the youth
solve their problems.
3. Communication
It improves the quality of the press, films and video services.
It is set up regional networks, trained technicians, and deals with both hardware
and software aspects of informatics.
It is is developing countries in developing communication.
It upholds the freedom of press and independence of the media.
4. Preservation of Cultural Heritage
It provides technical advice and assistance, equipment and funds for the
preservation of monuments and other works of art.
It aims to protect the world inheritance of books, works of art and rare
manuscripts.
It gives encouragement to artistic creations in literature and fine arts.
It pays attention towards cultural development through the medium of films.