International Organizations: questions and answers
Study every question with its correct answer and explanation.
1. In which year was the United Nations founded?
- A. 1919
- B. 1942
- C. 1945
- D. 1948
Answer: 1945
The UN came into existence on 24 October 1945, when its Charter (signed in San Francisco on 26 June 1945) came into force; 24 October is celebrated as UN Day. Its headquarters is in New York, and it has six official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
2. Where is the headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO)?
- A. Geneva
- B. New York
- C. Paris
- D. Vienna
Answer: Geneva
The WHO is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 7 April 1948, which is why 7 April is observed every year as World Health Day.
3. Where is the Secretariat of SAARC located?
- A. Dhaka
- B. New Delhi
- C. Colombo
- D. Kathmandu
Answer: Kathmandu
The SAARC Secretariat is in Kathmandu, Nepal. SAARC was founded on 8 December 1985 at the Dhaka summit by seven countries, and Afghanistan joined as the eighth member in 2007.
4. Where is the headquarters of UNESCO?
- A. Geneva
- B. Paris
- C. Rome
- D. New York
Answer: Paris
UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is headquartered in Paris, France. Its constitution was signed in London in November 1945, and it maintains the World Heritage List.
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5. In which year was ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) founded?
- A. 1961
- B. 1965
- C. 1967
- D. 1971
Answer: 1967
ASEAN was founded on 8 August 1967 through the Bangkok Declaration by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Its Secretariat is located in Jakarta, Indonesia.
6. The IMF and the World Bank were created at which 1944 conference?
- A. Bretton Woods Conference
- B. Yalta Conference
- C. Potsdam Conference
- D. San Francisco Conference
Answer: Bretton Woods Conference
The IMF and the World Bank (IBRD) were agreed at the Bretton Woods Conference in New Hampshire, USA, in July 1944, and are often called the 'Bretton Woods twins'. Both are headquartered in Washington, D.C.
7. The World Trade Organization (WTO), established on 1 January 1995, replaced which arrangement?
- A. UNCTAD
- B. OECD
- C. IMF
- D. GATT
Answer: GATT
The WTO replaced the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which had governed world trade since 1948. The WTO was created under the Marrakesh Agreement of 1994 and is headquartered in Geneva.
8. Where is the seat of the International Court of Justice (ICJ)?
- A. Geneva
- B. The Hague
- C. Vienna
- D. Brussels
Answer: The Hague
The ICJ, the principal judicial organ of the UN, sits in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands. It consists of 15 judges elected for nine-year terms.
9. Where is the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)?
- A. Rome
- B. Paris
- C. Geneva
- D. Nairobi
Answer: Rome
The FAO is headquartered in Rome, Italy, and was founded on 16 October 1945, the date now marked as World Food Day. Nairobi, Kenya, hosts the headquarters of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
10. In which year was UNICEF established?
- A. 1945
- B. 1950
- C. 1946
- D. 1965
Answer: 1946
UNICEF was established on 11 December 1946 to provide emergency aid to children after the Second World War, and it is headquartered in New York. UNICEF was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1965.