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A Dictionary of International Organizations: UN, WHO, IMF, NATO, EU, and More

A summary of the roles of, and differences between, 9 international organizations that frequently appear in the news but are easy to confuse.

United Nations (UN) β€” International peace and health organizations Β· Founded 1945

Established after World War II with the goal of maintaining international peace and security. It consists of the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Secretariat, and other bodies, and oversees various specialized agencies such as the WHO and UNESCO.

World Health Organization (WHO) β€” International peace and health organizations Β· Founded 1948

A UN specialized agency for health that sets standards for responding to infectious diseases and coordinates member states' health policies. It holds the authority to declare an international public health emergency.

UNESCO β€” International peace and health organizations Β· Founded 1945

A UN specialized agency that promotes international cooperation in education, science, and culture. It is widely known for its World Heritage and Intangible Cultural Heritage designation programs.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) β€” International economic and financial organizations Β· Founded 1945 (agreed at the 1944 Bretton Woods Conference)

An organization that provides funding to member countries facing balance-of-payments crises and monitors exchange rate and financial stability. Its financial support is usually accompanied by policy conditions such as structural reforms.

World Bank β€” International economic and financial organizations Β· Founded 1945 (agreed at the 1944 Bretton Woods Conference)

Launched alongside the IMF at the Bretton Woods Conference, it focuses on providing long-term funding for poverty reduction and infrastructure and development projects in developing countries.

World Trade Organization (WTO) β€” International economic and financial organizations Β· Founded 1995 (succeeding the GATT system)

Established as the successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) system launched in 1947. It sets trade norms between countries and mediates trade disputes.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) β€” Regional cooperation bodies Β· Founded 1949

A military alliance built on a collective defense treaty (Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty) that treats an armed attack on any member as an attack on all.

European Union (EU) β€” Regional cooperation bodies Β· Founded 1993 (Maastricht Treaty takes effect)

Rooted in the European Economic Community (EEC), launched by the 1957 Treaty of Rome, it developed into today's EU β€” a political and economic union β€” with the 1993 Maastricht Treaty. It is characterized by a single market and a shared currency (the euro).

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) β€” Regional cooperation bodies Β· Founded 1967

A regional cooperation body formed for economic, political, and security cooperation among Southeast Asian countries, also well known for its "ASEAN Way" decision-making culture, which emphasizes consensus among member states.

UN Security Council β€” the body that can bind member states

Within the UN, the Security Council is the organ with primary responsibility for international peace and security. It has fifteen members: five permanent members (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States), each holding a veto, and ten elected members who serve for set terms. Its resolutions can be legally binding, for example when it authorizes sanctions or peacekeeping missions, which is a different status from the General Assembly, where resolutions are generally recommendations.

ICJ vs. ICC β€” two courts that are often confused

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague is the principal judicial organ of the UN and settles disputes between states and gives advisory opinions. The International Criminal Court (ICC), also in The Hague, is a separate treaty-based institution created by the Rome Statute of 1998, which entered into force in 2002, and it prosecutes individuals for the gravest crimes, such as genocide and war crimes. Not every country has joined the ICC.

OECD β€” a policy club of mostly wealthy economies

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, founded in 1961 and based in Paris, is a forum where member governments compare policies and produce statistics and reports on topics such as education, taxation and economic outlook. It does not lend money like the IMF or enforce rules like the WTO. Its PISA student assessment is one of its best-known products.

African Union (AU) β€” the continental body

The African Union was launched in 2002 as the successor to the Organization of African Unity, which had been established in 1963. It promotes political and economic integration among African states and has mechanisms for peace and security. Like the EU, it is a regional organization, but its powers and degree of integration are different, and it does not have a single currency.

What's the difference between the IMF and the World Bank?

Both were conceived together at the 1944 Bretton Woods Conference and formally established soon after, but their roles differ. The IMF provides short-term funding to countries experiencing a temporary foreign exchange crisis and monitors exchange rate and financial stability, while the World Bank focuses on providing long-term development funding for infrastructure-building or poverty-reduction projects in developing countries.

What is the relationship between the UN and its specialized agencies?

A significant number of organizations that don't include "UN" in their name, like the WHO or UNESCO, are actually UN "specialized agencies." They operate with their own independent budgets and member-state systems while cooperating with the UN as a whole through the UN Economic and Social Council.

Three types of international organization to keep apart

It helps to sort organizations by what they do. Some are global political bodies, such as the UN. Some are specialized functional bodies for one field, such as the WHO for health, the IMF for monetary stability, or the WTO for trade rules. Others are regional groupings, such as NATO for defense, the EU for economic and political integration, and ASEAN for Southeast Asian cooperation. Putting a new name into one of these three groups usually answers half of the question about what it can and cannot do.

Common mix-ups in the news

The EU is not the same as the eurozone: the euro is used by only some EU members, and some countries outside the EU use it informally or by agreement. NATO is a military alliance, while the EU is a political and economic union, and membership of the two overlaps without being identical. The WHO is a UN specialized agency, but it has its own governing assembly, and the same is true for UNESCO. The World Bank and the IMF are often mentioned together but lend for different purposes. Membership numbers change, so for the current count of members in any organization check its official site.

How organizations get power: treaties and consent

International organizations have only the powers that member states give them through founding treaties. NATO's Article 5, for example, is a commitment among members: it says an armed attack against one is considered an attack against all, and it was formally invoked once, after the attacks of 11 September 2001. The WTO can adjudicate trade disputes because members agreed to that process. When an organization seems weak, it is often because its members chose to keep the power for themselves.

Frequently Asked Questions

I'm also curious about electoral systems around the world.

If you're curious how different countries choose their representatives, take a look at our dictionary of the world's electoral systems as well.

Are the descriptions on this page the official position of each organization?

No, this page is general-knowledge content that briefly introduces the founding background and role of each organization at a common-knowledge level. For accurate, up-to-date information, please refer to each organization's official website.

How do countries join these organizations?

Each has its own process. The UN admits states on the recommendation of the Security Council and with a vote of the General Assembly. NATO and the EU require approval by existing members and a long period of meeting entry conditions. The IMF and World Bank require applicants to meet financial and legal requirements and to pay a subscription, called a quota, that determines voting weight.

Can a country leave an international organization?

Generally yes, but the procedure differs. The EU treaties contain an explicit withdrawal clause, which was used by the United Kingdom, while many other organizations rely on notice periods set in their founding documents. A withdrawal can have legal and financial effects, so it is usually handled through formal notification rather than a simple announcement.