The Security Council is the most powerful organ of the UN. It consists of 5 permanent members and 10 members elected for two‑year terms. Its main function is to do everything that the principles of the UN allow to maintain international peace and security. Apart from its advisory role, it can also take military action against an aggressor and send UN troops to conflict zones.

Each member state has got one vote, although they can send up to 5 representatives to the General Assembly. It’s a forum of multilateral negotiations where burning issues of international importance are discussed and decided. The General Assembly sessions happen annually from September to December. Between January and September, it gathers if the global situation requires that. The General Assembly deliberates and makes recommendations on issues of international peace, security and cooperation.

The International Court of Justice is the UN’s judicial organ and it’s been operating since 1946. It’s located in the Peace Palace, in the Hague, in the Netherlands. 15 judges have got the role of settling disputes between states and giving opinions on any other legal issues referred to them by specialised agencies. Individuals are not eligible to appear before the Court, only states can do that, and they don’t have to be UN member states.

The United Nations Economic and Social Council, or ECOSOC, is the place where international economic and social issues are discussed. Each year 54 members, and the membership is rotating, meet for a four‑week session in July. The council oversees and reviews the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which is a list of 17 goals aimed at ensuring peace and prosperity for all people and the planet.

The United Nations Trusteeship Council was established as one of the six main organs of the organisation. Its purpose was to ensure that so‑called trust territories, so those which are not independent and are managed by other countries, were administered for the best interest of their inhabitants. After Palau gained independence and became a member state of the UN in 1994, the Council suspended its activity.

The Secretariat is the executive organ of the UN. It means that it is responsible for collecting information about all issues that may be of interest to the UN so that the member states’ delegates can discuss them and make their recommendations. The Secretariat 43,000 staff members also make sure the decisions made by different organs of the UN are implemented. They organise conferences, translate speeches and documents and deal with many other administrative matters.

The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund protects children’s rights and supports them in reaching their full potential. The organisation makes an effort to safeguard kids, provide them with equal opportunities in terms of education, healthcare and many other services. UNICEF also reacts to emergencies and sends its workers to places affected by conflicts and natural catastrophes to aid children and their families.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation is one of the UN’s specialised agencies. UNESCO is responsible for promoting international cooperation through education, arts, sciences and culture. One of its landmark actions is running the World Heritage Site List. The purpose of this project is protecting cultural and natural sites which have outstanding value for humanity. There are currently 1154 sites on the list.

As health in the 21st century is a global responsibility, the function of the World Health Organisation is to establish and monitor international standards which will ensure effective reaction to health risks. WHO gathers specialists who discuss global health issues and provide evidence‑based options and technical support to countries which have found themselves in health emergencies. Like in the recent case of COVID‑19, the organisation can declare the state of global pandemic and make recommendations on how to deal with the danger.

The World Trade Organisation was created in 1995 and it has been operating as a forum for trade negotiations ever since. Apart from settling trade disputes, it supports emerging economies in building their trade capacity and gives weaker countries a strong voice, encourages good practices in international commercial exchange and all that in the effort to maintain global peace.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’s main purpose is to support people displaced as a result of conflicts, natural catastrophes, or any other reasons in their search for a safe refuge in another country. It is believed that everyone should have the right to seek asylum for the time they cannot live in their country of origin, and when the situation allows that they should be given the option to return home or resettle and integrate with a new environment.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation is another specialised agency of the United Nations. It takes actions to improve global food security, fight hunger and provide better nutrition. Its Latin motto fiat panis means “let there be bread.” FAO supports governments in many countries to improve their agriculture, forestry, fisheries, land and water management.