International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement

established - NA 1928

aim - to promote worldwide humanitarian aid through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in wartime, and League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (LORCS) in peacetime

members - (9) 2 representatives from ICRC, 2 from LORCS, and 5 from national societies elected by the international conference of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement

International Telecommunication Union (itu)

established - 9 December 1932

effective - 1 January 1934 affiliated with the UN - 15 November 1947

aim - UN specialized agency concerned with world telecommunications

members - (164)

Population Commission

established - 3 October 1946

aim - ECOSOC organization dealing with population matters

members - (27) selected on a rotating basis from all regions

United Nations Center Human Settlements (UNCHS or Habitat)

established - 12 October 1978

aim - to assist in solving human settlement problems

members - (88) selected on a rotating basis from all regions

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

Note - acronym retained from the predecessor organization UN International Children's Emergency Fund

established - 11 December 1946

aim - to help establish child health and welfare services

members - (41) selected on a rotating basis from all regions

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

established - 16 November 1945

effective - 4 November 1946

aim - to promote cooperation in education, science, and culture

members - (159) all UN members except Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Brunei, Croatia, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Singapore, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, UK, US, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu; other members are Cook Islands, Kiribati, Monaco, Switzerland, Tonga

associate members - (3) Aruba, British Virgin Islands, Netherlands Antilles

United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)

established - 15 December 1972

aim - to promote international cooperation on all environmental matters

members - (58) selected on a rotating basis from all regions

United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

established - 3 December 1949

effective - 1 January 1951

aim - to try to ensure the humanitarian treatment of refugees and find permanent solutions to refugee problems

members - (43) Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Lesotho, Madagascar, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UK, US, Vatican City, Venezuela, Yugoslavia, Zaire

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

Note - acronym retained from predecessor organization UN Fund for Population Activities

Established - NA July 1967

aim - to promote assistance in dealing with population problems

members - (51) selected on a rotating basis from all regions

World Health Organization (WHO)

established - 22 July 1946

effective - 7 April 1948

aim - UN specialized agency concerned with health matters

members - (164) all UN members except Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belize, Bosnia and Hercegovina, China, Croatia, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan; other members are Cook Islands, Kiribati, Monaco, Switzerland, Tonga