GS Notes (UN, IMF, WTO, BRICS, SCO & more)
International Organisations — GS Notes (UN, IMF, WTO, BRICS, SCO & more)
HQs, founding years, structures, flagship reports and India-specific facts for every international organisation that shows up in EPFO, BPSC, RBI Grade B, PFRDA and DRDO SAO GS papers. Facts that change often are flagged for re-checking.
Quick Facts
- UN: 193 members; Charter in force 24 Oct 1945; India a founding member.
- ILO: 1919, Geneva — the most important IO for EPFO aspirants.
- WTO: 166 members (Timor-Leste, 2024).
- SCO: 10 members incl. Belarus (2024) · G20: includes African Union since 2023.
- 2026 hooks: India’s BRICS Chairship; UN Secretary-General selection for the term beginning 2027.
United Nations — the system at a glance
The UN Charter was signed at San Francisco on 26 June 1945 and came into force on 24 October 1945 (UN Day). India was a founding member — it signed the Charter even before independence. The UN has 193 member states; South Sudan (2011) is the most recent. Two non-member observer states: Holy See and Palestine.
| Principal organ | Composition / note | Seat |
|---|---|---|
| General Assembly | All 193 members; one nation one vote | New York |
| Security Council | 15 members — 5 permanent (P5: USA, UK, France, Russia, China) with veto + 10 non-permanent elected for 2 years | New York |
| Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) | 54 members elected by UNGA for 3-year terms | New York |
| Trusteeship Council | Suspended operations in 1994 after Palau’s independence | New York |
| International Court of Justice | 15 judges, 9-year terms | The Hague |
| Secretariat | Headed by the Secretary-General (appointed by UNGA on UNSC recommendation) | New York |
UN specialised agencies (HQ + purpose)
| Agency | Founded | HQ | Exam hook |
|---|---|---|---|
| FAO | 1945 | Rome | Food & agriculture; State of Food Security report (with others) |
| UNESCO | 1945 | Paris | Education, science, culture; World Heritage List |
| WHO | 1948 | Geneva | Global health; World Health Statistics |
| ILO | 1919 | Geneva | Labour standards; tripartite structure; World Employment & Social Outlook — key for EPFO |
| IMF | 1944 (Bretton Woods) | Washington DC | World Economic Outlook, Global Financial Stability Report, SDR |
| World Bank Group (IBRD etc.) | 1944 | Washington DC | Development finance; IBRD, IDA, IFC, MIGA, ICSID |
| ICAO | 1944/1947 | Montreal | Civil aviation |
| IMO | 1948/1958 | London | Maritime safety & pollution |
| ITU | 1865 | Geneva | Telecom & ICT standards |
| UPU | 1874 | Bern | Postal union |
| WIPO | 1967 | Geneva | Intellectual property; Global Innovation Index (with partners) |
| IFAD | 1977 | Rome | Rural agricultural development finance |
| UNIDO | 1966 | Vienna | Industrial development |
| UNWTO (UN Tourism) | 1975 | Madrid | Tourism |
| WMO | 1950 | Geneva | Weather, climate; co-founded IPCC with UNEP |
UN funds & programmes
| Body | HQ | Flagship report / fact |
|---|---|---|
| UNDP | New York | Human Development Report / HDI |
| UNEP | Nairobi | Emissions Gap Report; Global Environment Outlook |
| UNICEF | New York | State of the World’s Children |
| UNFPA | New York | State of World Population |
| UNHCR | Geneva | Refugees; Global Trends report |
| WFP | Rome | Food assistance; Nobel Peace Prize 2020 |
| UN-Habitat | Nairobi | Human settlements; World Cities Report |
| UNCTAD | Geneva | World Investment Report |
| UN Women | New York | Gender equality |
Bretton Woods twins: IMF vs World Bank
| Parameter | IMF | World Bank |
|---|---|---|
| Born | Bretton Woods Conference, July 1944 | Same conference |
| Mandate | Macroeconomic and balance-of-payments stability, surveillance, short-term lending | Long-term development finance, poverty reduction |
| Head by convention | Usually a European | Usually an American |
| Key instruments | SDR, quotas, Article IV consultations | IBRD loans, IDA concessional credits, IFC private-sector arm |
| Flagship report | World Economic Outlook | World Development Report |
| Current head | Kristalina Georgieva (second term from Oct 2024) | Ajay Banga (from June 2023) |
Trade, regional & strategic groupings
| Organisation | Founded | HQ / Secretariat | Key facts |
|---|---|---|---|
| WTO | 1995 (replaced GATT) | Geneva | Trade rules, dispute settlement; Ministerial Conference is top body; 166 members after Timor-Leste (2024) |
| BRICS | 2009 (BRIC); South Africa 2010; expanded 2024–25 | Rotating chair; New Development Bank HQ Shanghai | India holds BRICS Chairship in 2026. Members include Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE and Indonesia |
| SCO | 2001 | Beijing (Secretariat); RATS in Tashkent | 10 members incl. India (2017), Pakistan (2017), Iran (2023), Belarus (2024) |
| G20 | 1999 | No permanent secretariat | 19 countries + EU + African Union (AU admitted at New Delhi Summit, 2023) |
| SAARC | 1985 | Kathmandu | 8 members; summit process stalled since 2014 Kathmandu summit |
| BIMSTEC | 1997 | Dhaka | 7 members — Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand |
| ASEAN | 1967 | Jakarta | 11 members — Timor-Leste admitted as the 11th member on 26 October 2025 (47th ASEAN Summit, Kuala Lumpur) |
| QUAD | 2007; revived 2017 | — | India, USA, Japan, Australia |
| NATO | 1949 | Brussels | 32 members after Finland (2023) and Sweden (2024) |
| OPEC | 1960 | Vienna | 11 member countries after the UAE’s exit took effect on 1 May 2026 |
| Commonwealth | 1949 (modern) | London | 56 member countries |
| AIIB | 2016 | Beijing | India is second-largest shareholder |
| NDB | 2015 | Shanghai | BRICS bank; first President K.V. Kamath |
| IEA | 1974 | Paris | Energy security; India is an association country |
| International Solar Alliance | 2015 (Paris COP21) | Gurugram, India | India–France initiative; first treaty-based IO headquartered in India |
| CDRI | 2019 | New Delhi | Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure — India-led |
India-centric facts examiners love
- India hosted the G20 Summit in New Delhi (September 2023), where the African Union became a permanent member.
- India holds the BRICS Chairship in 2026.
- The International Solar Alliance is headquartered in Gurugram; CDRI is based in New Delhi.
- India has been elected to the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member eight times, most recently for 2021–22.
- India joined the SCO as a full member in 2017 and chaired it in 2023.
- India is a founding member of the UN, ILO, IMF, World Bank, GATT/WTO and the Commonwealth (modern form).
- India is not a member of APEC or NATO, and left RCEP negotiations in 2019.
Report → publisher table (high-yield)
| Report / index | Published by |
|---|---|
| World Economic Outlook | IMF |
| Global Financial Stability Report | IMF |
| World Development Report | World Bank |
| Human Development Report | UNDP |
| World Investment Report | UNCTAD |
| Global Gender Gap Report | World Economic Forum |
| Global Competitiveness Report | World Economic Forum |
| World Happiness Report | UN SDSN (with partners) |
| Emissions Gap Report | UNEP |
| World Employment & Social Outlook | ILO |
| World Social Protection Report | ILO — high relevance for EPFO |
| Global Innovation Index | WIPO (with partners) |
| State of Food Security & Nutrition (SOFI) | FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP, WHO |
| World Press Freedom Index | Reporters Without Borders (RSF) |
| Corruption Perceptions Index | Transparency International |
| Global Hunger Index | Concern Worldwide & Welthungerhilfe |
| Ease of Living / other Indian indices | NITI Aayog / ministries (domestic) |
Rankings change every edition. Put India’s rank in the dated current affairs post, not in this static note.
HQ quick-memory grid
Geneva
WHO, ILO, WTO, ITU, WIPO, WMO, UNHCR, UNCTAD, Human Rights Council
Rome
FAO, IFAD, WFP
Vienna
IAEA, UNIDO, OPEC, UNODC
Paris
UNESCO, OECD, IEA, FATF secretariat
Washington DC
IMF, World Bank
Nairobi
UNEP, UN-Habitat
Practice MCQs
- Which UN agency predates the UN itself? (a) WHO (b) ILO (c) UNESCO (d) FAO — Answer: (b) ILO, 1919
- The New Development Bank is headquartered in — (a) Beijing (b) Shanghai (c) Moscow (d) New Delhi — Answer: (b)
- The African Union joined the G20 at the summit held in — (a) Bali (b) New Delhi (c) Rio (d) Johannesburg — Answer: (b)
- World Investment Report is published by — (a) World Bank (b) IMF (c) UNCTAD (d) WTO — Answer: (c)
- Which body’s HQ is in Gurugram? (a) CDRI (b) ISA (c) BIMSTEC (d) SAARC — Answer: (b) ISA
- BIMSTEC Secretariat is located in — (a) Kathmandu (b) Dhaka (c) Colombo (d) Bangkok — Answer: (b)
How to study international organisations
IO questions in EPFO, BPSC, RBI and PFRDA papers fall into five templates: (1) HQ, (2) founding year, (3) membership (including India’s), (4) report → publisher, and (5) structure/head. Use this grid for every organisation you study:
| Field | Write this |
|---|---|
| Name / acronym | Full form |
| Founded | Year + founding treaty or conference |
| HQ | City |
| Members | Count + India’s status (founding / joined year) |
| Head | Current head + since when (update on change) |
| Flagship report | Name + India’s latest rank in the CA post |
| Exam link | Why it matters for your exam (e.g., ILO → EPFO) |
Then link each new current-affairs item to this static grid. A new ILO report should update the ILO row in your notes, not sit in a separate pile.
Related: Daily CA hub · APFC 2026 syllabus & exam pattern.
More groupings and India’s memberships
| Grouping | India’s status | Note |
|---|---|---|
| IBSA | Member | India, Brazil, South Africa dialogue forum (2003) |
| MTCR | Member since 2016 | Missile Technology Control Regime |
| Wassenaar Arrangement | Member since 2017 | Export controls for conventional arms and dual-use goods |
| Australia Group | Member since 2018 | Chemical/biological export controls |
| NSG | Not a member | India’s application pending; China has opposed entry |
| IORA | Member | Indian Ocean Rim Association; Secretariat in Mauritius |
| Mekong–Ganga Cooperation | Member | India + 5 Mekong countries (2000) |
| I2U2 | Member | India, Israel, UAE, USA |
| IPEF | Member (outside the trade pillar) | Indo-Pacific Economic Framework |
| APEC | Not a member | Frequent trap question |
Membership statuses change slowly but they do change. Before republishing, check each row against MEA briefs.
Lock IO facts with rapid quizzes
Weekly IO + reports quizzes inside CrackTarget current affairs tests.
Take a free UPSC EPFO mock test →Frequently Asked Questions
How many members does the United Nations have?
193 member states, with South Sudan (2011) as the newest member. The Holy See and Palestine are non-member observer states.
Which international organisation is most relevant for UPSC EPFO?
The International Labour Organization (ILO), founded in 1919 and headquartered in Geneva. Its tripartite structure and social-security work map directly onto the EPFO syllabus.
How many members are in the WTO?
166 members, after Timor-Leste joined in August 2024.
Which countries are in the SCO?
China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan, Iran and Belarus — 10 members.
Who chairs BRICS in 2026?
India holds the BRICS Chairship in 2026.
Last updated October 2026. Static facts from UN, IMF, World Bank and WTO official sites and standard GS references; 2026 items (BRICS chair, UN SG race) checked October 2026. Membership counts and office-holders checked October 2026.