Internationational Organizations are constituted to form the international agenda, mediate political bargaining and to provide a place for political initiatives. They act as catalysts for the coalition- formation for its member nations. Moreover, they also facilitate cooperation and coordination among member nations.
In the General Studies paper of UPSC, international organizations are often asked. Hence, we have compiled the list of international organizations relevant for UPSC 2021 along with its headquarters and the year of foundation.
Here’s a ministry-wise list of important government schemes for UPSC for the past year. You need to study each of them in detail to ensure you mark the correct answer in UPSC Prelims.
International Organizations |
Headquarters |
Year of Foundation |
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) |
Avenue du Mont-Blanc, Gland, Vaud, Switzerland |
1961 |
World Trade Organisation (WTO) |
Geneva, Switzerland |
1995 |
World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) |
Geneva, Switzerland |
1950 |
World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) |
Geneva, Switzerland |
1967 |
World Health Organization (WHO) |
Geneva, Switzerland |
1948 |
World Economic Forum (WEF) |
Geneva, Switzerland |
1971 |
World Bank (WB) |
Washington DC, US |
1944 |
Universal Postal Union (UPU) |
Berne |
1874 |
United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA) |
New York, US |
1969 |
United Nations Organization (UN) |
New York, US |
1945 |
United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) |
Vienna, Austria |
1966 |
United Nations Education Scientific & Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) |
Paris, France |
1945 |
United Nations Conference on Trade & Development (UNCTAD) |
Geneva, Switzerland |
1964 |
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) |
New York, US |
1946 |
UN Women (UW) |
New York |
2010 |
Transparency International (TI) |
Berlin |
1993 |
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) |
Beijing China |
2001 |
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) |
The Hague, The Netherlands |
1997 |
The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) |
Washington D.C. |
1944 |
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) |
Montreal, Canada |
1945 |
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) |
Zurich, Switzerland |
1904 |
The Arab League |
Al Tahrir Sq., Cairo, Egypt |
1945 |
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) |
Kathmandu, Nepal |
1985 |
Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) |
Jeddah |
1969 |
Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) |
Vienna, Austria |
1960 |
Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) |
Paris, France |
1961 |
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) |
Brussels, Belgium |
1949 |
New Development Bank (BRICS Development Bank) |
Shanghai, China |
2014 |
Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) |
Washington D.C. |
1988 |
Médecins Sans Frontières or Doctors without Borders (MSF) |
Geneva, Switzerland |
1971 |
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) |
Los Angeles, USA |
1998 |
International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) |
Zurich, Switzerland |
1919 |
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) |
Gland, Switzerland |
1948 |
International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) |
Munich, Germany |
1907 |
International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) |
Abu Dhabi (UAE) |
2009 |
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) |
Geneva |
1947 |
International Olympic Committee (IOC) |
Lausanne, Switzerland |
1894 |
International Monetary Fund (IMF) |
Washington DC, US |
1945 |
International Maritime Organisation |
London, UK |
1948 |
International LabourOrganisation (ILO) |
Geneva, Switzerland |
1919 |
International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) |
Monaco |
1921 |
International Hockey Federation (FIH) |
Lausanne,Switzerland |
1924 |
International Finance Corporation (IFC) |
Washington D.C. |
1956 |
International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) |
Lyon, France |
1923 |
International Cricket Council (ICC) |
Dubai, UAE |
1909 |
International Court of Justice (ICJ) |
The Hague, The Netherland |
1945 |
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) |
Geneva, Switzerland |
1863 |
International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) |
Washington D.C. |
1957 (But operating starts in 1966) |
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) |
Vienna |
1957 |
International Atomic Agency |
Vienna, Austria |
1957 |
International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) |
Monaco |
1912 |
Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IORA) |
Ebene, Mauritius |
1997 |
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) |
Riyadh, SaudiArabia |
1981 |
Food & Agricultural Organisation (FAO) |
Rome, Italy |
1945 |
Federation international des échecs or World Chess Federation (FIDE) |
Athens, Greece |
1924 |
Commonwealth of Nations |
London, UK |
1931 |
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) |
Minsk Russia |
1991 |
Bank for International Settlements (BIS) |
Basel, Switzerland |
1930 |
Association of South East Nations (ASEAN) |
Jakarta, Indonesia |
1967 |
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) |
Beijing, China |
2016 |
Asian Development Bank (ADB) |
Manila, Philippines |
1966 |
Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) |
Singapore |
1989 |
Amnesty International |
London, UK |
1961 |
African Union |
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |
2001 |
The International Relations that India maintains with other countries are largely attributed to the international organizations that the country is associated with. Hence, it is important to remember the international organizations of which India is a member. These International Organizations are often asked in USPC Prelims and other one day examinations.
International Organization |
Headquaters |
Year of Foundation |
AALCO - Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization |
New Delhi |
1956 |
ADB - Asian Development Bank |
Manila, Philippines |
1956 |
AfDB - African Development Bank (non-regional members) |
Tunis, Tunisia |
1964 |
AG - Australia Group |
Brussels, Belgium |
1985 |
ASEAN Regional Forum - The Association of Southeast Asian Nations |
Jakarta, Indonesia |
1967 |
BIMSTEC - Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation |
Dhaka, Bangladesh |
1997 |
BIS - Bank for International Settlements |
Basel, Switzerland |
1930 |
BRICS - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa |
Shanghai, China |
2006 |
CoN - Commonwealth of Nations |
London, UK |
1931 |
CERN - European Organization for Nuclear Research |
Geneva, Switzerland |
1954 |
CP - Colombo Plan |
Colombo, Srilanka |
1950 |
EAS - East Asia Summit |
Colombo, Sri Lanka |
1950 |
FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |
Rome, Itlay |
1945 |
G-15 - Group of 15 |
Geneva, Switzerland |
1989 |
G-20 - Group of 20 |
Cancun, Mexico |
1999 |
G-77 - Group of 77 |
New York |
1964 |
IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency |
Vienna, Austria |
1957 |
IBRD - International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank) |
Washington DC, US |
1944 |
ICAO - International Civil Aviation Organization |
Montreal, Canada |
1944 |
ICC - International Chamber of Commerce |
Paris, France |
1919 |
IDA - International Development Association |
Washington DC |
1950 |
IEA - International Energy Agency |
Paris, France |
1974 |
IFAD - International Fund for Agricultural Development |
Rome, Italy |
1977 |
IFC - International Finance Corporation |
Washington DC, US |
1956 |
ILO - International Labour Organization |
Geneva, Switzerland |
1919 |
IMF - International Monetary Fund |
Washington DC, US |
1945 |
IMO - International Maritime Organization |
London, UK |
1948 |
IMSO - International Mobile Satellite Organization |
London, UK |
1999 |
Interpol - International Criminal Police Organization |
Lyon, France |
1923 |
IOC - International Olympic Committee |
Lausanne, Switzerland |
1894 |
IPEEC - International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation |
Paris, France |
2009 |
ISO - International Organization for Standardization |
Geneva, Switzerland |
1947 |
ITSO - International Telecommunications Satellite Organization |
Washington DC |
1964 |
ITU - International Telecommunication Union |
Geneva, Switzerland |
1864 |
ITUC - International Trade Union Confederation (the successor to ICFTU (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions) and the WCL (World Confederation of Labour)) |
Brussels, Belgium |
2006 |
MTCR Missile Technology Control Regime |
Japan |
1987 |
NAM - Non-Aligned Movement |
Jakarta, Indonesia |
1961 |
OPCW - Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons |
Hague, Netherland |
1997 |
PCA - Permanent Court of Arbitration |
Hague, Netherland |
1899 |
PIF - Pacific Islands Forum (partner) |
Suva, Fiji |
1971 |
SAARC - South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation |
Kathmandu, Nepal |
1985 |
SACEP - South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme |
Colombo, Sri Lanka |
1982 |
SCO - Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (member) |
Beijing, China |
1996 |
UN - United Nations |
New York |
1945 |
UNAIDS - United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS |
New York |
1994 |
UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation |
London, Uk |
1946 |
WHO- World Health Organization |
Geneva, Switzerland |
1948 |
Read More | Important Government Schemes For UPSC 2021
These are some of the important international organizations for UPSC preparation. Make sure you read about the area of work for each one of them in detail.