The United Nations is an international organization, which was founded in 1945 after the Second World War by 51 countries committed to maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations and promoting social progress, better living standards and human rights. The UN now has 192 member states.
The central UN bodies (General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council, International Court of Justice and Secretariat) have, in recent times, become more involved in health issues (UN General Assembly and Security Council meetings on HIV and AIDS and ensuing activities, endorsement of the Millennium Development Goals).
The UN specialized agencies, principally the World Health Organization and the World Bank, are key actors in global health. In addition, many other UN agencies, programmes and commissions play a very important role in global health and development. These include UNDP, UNICEF, UNAIDS and agencies in the fields of drugs control, refugee health, women’s development and health, and food programmes.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), as the ‘UN’s global development network’, has for a long time stressed the important role of health in global cooperation and has played an important role in advocating the importance of social development and poverty reduction. It is also the coordinating agency for all UN agencies with respect to the Millennium Development Goals.
More on United Nations Organisations and Global Health
Useful Web Sites
- United Nations: Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- United Nations Development Programme: Millennium Development Goals
- World Health Organization: International Health Regulations
- World Health Organization: The Washington Consensus
- United Nations Children’s Fund
- UNAIDS: The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
- International Monetary Fund: Helping Countries on Health and Social Spending