Specialized Agencies of the UN || Chapter 21 || CIVICS

Q1) What are specialized agencies of UNO?

Ans) A number of specialized agencies have been established to
achieve the goal to solve economic, social, cultural and humanitarian
problems. They work under the supervision of the UN Economic and
Social Council in the interest of human welfare.
The agencies are:
 UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization
 UNICEF: United Nations Children’s Fund
 ILO: International Labor Organization
 FAO: Food and Agricultural Organization
 WHO: World Health Organization
 UNDP : United Nations Development Programme
Q2) Which is the first specialized UNO?
Ans) The first specialized agency was ILO.
Q2) Which agency eradicated Smallpox from the world?
Ans) WHO eradicated Smallpox from the world.
Q3) Write a brief note on UNESCO?
Ans) The UNESCO was set up in 1945 with its headquarters in Paris. Its functions
are based on the belief that the best way of preventing war is to educate people’s
minds in the pursuit of peace.
 It encourages the spread of universal education. It emphasizes that education
is a human right.
 It also encourages international cooperation between artists, scientists and
scholars in all fields.
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Q4) Write a brief note on UNICEF?

Ans) UNICEF was established in 1946 to provide emergency aid to children and
their mothers in countries which were devastated by the Second World War. In
1953, the words international and emergency were dropped from its name & it
became United Nations Children’s Fund. Its headquarters are in New York.
The long term goals of UNICEF are:
 To focus on improving the quality of life of children by creating awareness
about children’s health and education.
 To focus on the realization, for every child, of the opportunity to enjoy the
basic rights and privileges
Q5) What are the activities of UNICEF?
Ans) The activities of UNICEF are as follows:
 It tries to solve the problem of exploitation of children and child labor.
 It provided assistance to nations for running childcare centers.
 It provides assistance to young mothers and also provided medicines to
newborn babies and mothers.
 UNICEF continues to work for the welfare of children (in developing countries)
in the fields of education, health and sanitation, nutrition, water, environment,
women’s welfare, social justice etc.
Q6) What is ILO?
Ans) The ILO was set up in 1919 at the end of the First World War, with its
headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
Functions of ILO:
 The ILO seeks to promote peace and prosperity in the world by ensuring social
and economic justice to workers all over the world.
 The ILO sets guidelines for improving the living and working conditions of workers
everywhere.
Q7) What is FAO?
Ans) The FAO was founded in 1945 with its headquarters in Rome. The member
nations meet every alternate year to work out the policy and approve the budget
and work schedule. The aims of the FAO are as follows:
 Specialized Agencies of the UN || Chapter 21 || CIVICS

 To raise the standard of living of the people.

 To raise the level of nutrition.
 To eliminate hunger through its most important program called “Food for All”.
 To increase agricultural production and distribution of food and promote rural
development.
Q8) What is WHO?
Ans) The WHO was established in 1948. Its headquarters are in Geneva. The
WHO is the largest specialized agency of the UN. It is guided by the belief that
good health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being. Its main
purpose is to improve the standard of health all over the world. World Health Day
is observed on 7 April every year to mark the founding of the WHO.
Q9) What are the activities of the WHO?
Ans) The activities of the WHO are as follows:
 It carries out worldwide campaigns to combat diseases like AIDS, cholera,
malaria, plague, polio, etc.
 It encourages medical research, provided information on diseases, organizes
health services and spreads health awareness.
Q10) What the projects WHO supports?
Ans) The WHO supports projects related to:
 Education concerning health problems.
 Proper food supply and nutrition.
 Safe water and sanitation
 Maternal and child health, including family planning.
 Immunization against major infectious diseases.
 Proper treatment of common diseases and injuries.
 Provision of essential drugs.
Q11) What is United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Ans) The UNDP is the largest agency in the world for promoting technical and
investment among nations. It coordinates development activities in almost every
economic and social sector, including farming, mining, fisheries, forestry,
environmental protection, social welfare and community development. The
Specialized Agencies of the UN || Chapter 21 || CIVICS

UNDP’s assistance is provided only at the request of the governments according

to their list of urgent needs.