Important Organizations – Quick Revision
Important Organizations – Quick Revision
Key Points (One-Liners)
- UNO – 24 Oct 1945, HQ New York, 6 official languages including Arabic & Chinese.
- UNESCO – 16 Nov 1945, HQ Paris, slogans “Building peace in the minds of men”.
- WHO – 7 Apr 1948 (World Health Day), HQ Geneva, publishes World Health Report.
- IMF – 27 Dec 1945, HQ Washington D.C., 190 members, SDR as unit of account.
- World Bank – Bretton Woods 1944, HQ Washington, 5 institutions (IBRD + IDA + IFC + MIGA + ICSID).
- WTO – 1 Jan 1995, HQ Geneva, replaced GATT, Ministerial Conference highest decision body.
- SAARC – 8 Dec 1985, HQ Kathmandu, 8 members, Afghanistan joined 2007.
- ASEAN – 8 Aug 1967, Jakarta HQ, 10 members, motto “One Vision, One Identity, One Community”.
- BRICS – 2009 1st summit, HQ Shanghai (NDB), 5 members → expanded 2024 (Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE, Saudi).
- G-20 – 1999, rotates presidency, 2023 India, 2024 Brazil, 2025 South Africa.
- OPEC – 1960, HQ Vienna, 12 members, 2016 OPEC+ formed (Russia-led).
- NATO – 4 Apr 1949, HQ Brussels, Art. 5 collective defence, 32 members (Finland 2023, Sweden 2024).
- Commonwealth – 1931 Statute of Westminster, 56 members, Head King Charles III.
- African Union – 9 July 2002 (replaced OAU), HQ Addis Ababa, 55 states.
- OECD – 1961, HQ Paris, 38 members, publishes “Better Life Index”.
- Interpol – 1923, HQ Lyon (France), 195 member countries, notice 7 colours (Red corner most famous).
- International Court of Justice – 1945, HQ The Hague, 15 judges, 9-yr term, only UN organ outside NY.
- IUCN – 1948, HQ Gland (Switzerland), maintains Red List of Threatened Species.
- FIFA – 1904, HQ Zurich, 211 members, World Cup 2026 expands to 48 teams.
- BIS – 1930, HQ Basel, “central bank of central banks”, publishes Basel norms.
| Formula / Rule |
Application |
| UNSC permanent seats |
5 (P-5) → veto power; 10 non-permanent (2-yr term). |
| World Bank lending rate |
IDA = 0-0.75 % interest to poorest; IBRD = near-market to middle-income. |
| WTO consensus rule |
1 country can block any decision; MC held every 2 yrs. |
| SAARC GDP threshold |
LDCs (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal) get SAFTA concession. |
| BRICS share formula |
NDB subscribed capital = 5 founders × 20 % each; equal voting. |
| OPEC basket price |
Average of 7 crude streams; decides production quotas. |
| NATO 2 % rule |
Members target 2 % GDP on defence by 2024. |
| Commonwealth membership rule |
Must accept King as Head; republics allowed (e.g., India). |
| Interpol Red Notice |
Not an arrest warrant; asks to locate & provisionally arrest. |
| ICJ jurisdiction |
Only states; no individuals/companies; UNSC can enforce verdict. |
Memory Tricks
- UNO birthday card – “24-10-45” looks like a train ticket (RRB loves dates).
- “WHO cares for Health, Geneva cares for WHO” – both start with ‘G’.
- BRICS bank in Shanghai – “BRICS & S(hanghai)” both have ‘S’.
- OPEC oil → “Vienna waits for Oil” – both have ‘O’ & ‘I’.
- ICJ & Peace Palace – both in The Hague; think “Justice needs Peace”.
Common Mistakes
| Mistake |
Correct Approach |
| Confusing IMF & World Bank HQ |
IMF → Washington D.C. (same city) but different buildings; remember IMF = Monetary (money) so “M”oney & “M”F both M. |
| Writing 2025 G-20 chair as India |
India chaired 2023; 2025 = South Africa (alphabetical after Brazil 2024). |
| Counting 31 NATO members |
32 after Sweden joined 7 Mar 2024. |
| Calling Red Notice an arrest warrant |
It is only a request; domestic court issues warrant. |
| Saying SAARC currency exists |
No common currency; only SAARC Visa Exemption Sticker for diplomats. |
Last Minute Tips
- Revise HQ cities – 1-mark sure-shot; pair with country capital if different (e.g., BIS-Switzerland-Geneva).
- Numeric traps – number of members changes yearly (NATO 32, BRICS 10 now).
- Founding year = 5-10-15 pattern – UN 1945, IMF 1945, World Bank 1945, WHO 1948 (+3).
- Attempt matching first in shift-1; same questions repeat in shift-2 with jumbled options.
- Star mark questions on UN language & UNSC veto – asked every cycle.
Quick Practice (5 MCQs)
1. Headquarters of International Court of Justice is located at
A) Geneva B) New York C) The Hague D) Vienna
**Correct:** C) The Hague
2. Which of the following organizations is NOT part of World Bank Group?
A) IFC B) MIGA C) IDA D) IMF
**Correct:** D) IMF
3. The 2025 G-20 summit will be held in
A) Brazil B) South Africa C) India D) China
**Correct:** B) South Africa
4. The currency of Special Drawing Rights (SDR) basket does NOT include
A) US Dollar B) Euro C) Indian Rupee D) Chinese Renminbi
**Correct:** C) Indian Rupee
5. The “Red List” is published by
A) UNEP B) IUCN C) WWF D) UNESCO
**Correct:** B) IUCN
BETA
