🔖 One-Liner Capsule
UN = 1945, HQ New York, 6 organs, 193 members; IMF = 1945, HQ Washington, SDR; World Bank = 1945, 5 arms; WTO = 1995, Geneva; WHO = 1948, Geneva; ILO = 1919, Geneva, Nobel Peace Prize 1969.
🧠 Must-Know Facts (Bullet)
United Nations (UN)
- Born: 24 Oct 1945 (after WW-II, San Francisco)
- HQ: New York (USA)
- Members: 193 (South Sudan last in 2011); Observers: Holy See & Palestine
- Languages: 6 – English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic
- Principal Organs: 6
- General Assembly (GA) – all members, 1 vote each
- Security Council (SC) – 15 (5 permanent + 10 non-permanent)
- Economic & Social Council (ECOSOC) – 54
- Trusteeship Council – suspended 1994
- International Court of Justice (ICJ) – Hague (Netherlands)
- Secretariat – Head = Secretary-General (António Guterres, 9th SG)
Bretton Woods Triplets (1944 Conference → 1945)
| Body |
HQ |
Unique Point |
Current Head |
| IMF |
Washington DC |
Surveillance + SDR (currency basket) |
Kristalina Georgieva |
| World Bank |
Washington DC |
5 agencies: IBRD, IDA, IFC, MIGA, ICSID |
Ajay Banga |
| WTO |
Geneva |
Successor to GATT (1995), 164 members |
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala |
Key Specialized & Regional
- WHO – 1948, Geneva, Tedros Adhanom
- ILO – 1919 (League-era), Nobel 1969, Gilbert Houngbo
- UNESCO – 1946, Paris, Audrey Azoulay
- UNICEF – 1946, Nobel 1965, Catherine Russell
- UNFPA – 1969, New York
- SAARC – 1985, Kathmandu, 8 members, secretariat Kathmandu
- ASEAN – 1967, Jakarta, 10 members, charter 2007
- BRICS – 2006, 5 → 10 (2024), NDB Shanghai
- G-20 – 1999, 19+EU+AU, presidency rotates, 2023 India, 2024 Brazil
- APEC – 1989, 21 Pacific economies, HQ Singapore
🧩 Memory Tricks
- UN 6 organs = PEG-TIS – Principal organs: GA, SC, ECOSOC, Trusteeship, ICJ, Secretariat.
- Bretton Woods Twins – IMF & WB both in Washington → think W for Wallet & Watch (money & development).
- WTO year 1995 – GATT died at 50 (1948-1995) → reborn as WTO.
- SAARC 8 nations – BBINMMLS: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Maldives, Myanmar (observer), Lanka, Pakistan.
- Nobel Peace Orgs – UN (2001), UNICEF (1965), ILO (1969), OPCW (2013).
📊 Comparison Table: IMF vs World Bank
| Feature |
IMF |
World Bank |
| Purpose |
Monetary stability |
Development finance |
| Lending term |
Short-term balance-of-payments |
Long-term project loans |
| Data flagship |
World Economic Outlook |
World Development Indicators |
| Shareholder power |
Quota-based voting |
IBRD share capital |
⚡ Rapid-Fire MCQs
1. Where is the headquarters of the International Court of Justice?
Answer: The Hague, Netherlands
2. Which UN organ has suspended operations since 1994?
Answer: Trusteeship Council
3. Who is the current Secretary-General of the United Nations?
Answer: António Guterres
4. The currency basket of IMF is known as?
Answer: Special Drawing Rights (SDR)
5. In which year did WTO replace GATT?
Answer: 1995
6. Total number of permanent members in UN Security Council is?
Answer: 5
7. Which UN agency received Nobel Peace Prize in 1965?
Answer: UNICEF
8. The New Development Bank (NDB) was established by which group?
Answer: BRICS
9. SAARC secretariat is located at?
Answer: Kathmandu, Nepal
10. Who is the current President of the World Bank Group?
Answer: Ajay Banga
BETA
