Understanding the Structure of the United Nations
Understanding how the UN is structured will help you understand its activities and what agency within the UN system is likely to work on the topic you are researching.
United Nations Structure
- About the United Nations
An "introduction to the structure & work of the United Nations". Select one of the links to the major bodies for additional detail. Includes online tours. - Facts about the United Nations
- The UN in Brief
from the United Nation's Department of Public Information - The World Map of UN Web sites
a map with links to UN offices around the world - Charter of the United Nations
In addition to the main bodies of the UN (General Assembly, Security Council, etc.) there is a UN "system" of agencies with special missions. There are subsidiary agencies with programs that report directly to the Secretary General, such as UNICEF or the UN Development Programme. There are also specialized and autonomous agencies such as the World Health Organization or International Telecommunications Union that have their own governing structure.
Links to the web sites of these agencies can be found at the Official Web Site Locator for the United Nations System of Organizations.
Print Resources
- Basic Facts about the United Nations
- Understanding the United Nations : the official guidebook
A glossy overview of the UN, but it has an excellent chart of the UN system in the back of the book.
(e-reference)