UN

The United Nations officially came into being on October 24, 1945, after the majority of the 51 Member States that signed the Organization’s founding document, the UN Charter, ratified it. Today, 193 States are members of the United Nations, which are represented in the deliberative body, the General Assembly.

Because of its Charter powers and unique international character, the United Nations can take action on issues facing humanity in the 21st century, such as peace and security, climate change, sustainable development, human rights, disarmament, terrorism, humanitarian and health emergencies, gender equality, governance, food production and much more.

The UN also provides a forum for its members to express their views in the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council and other bodies and committees. By enabling dialogue among its members, and by organizing negotiations, the Organization has become a mechanism for governments to find areas of agreement and solve problems together. Further information

What the UN does: Peacekeeping, Human Rights, Humanitarian Affairs, Development, International Law.

UNCTAD

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is a permanent intergovernmental body established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1964. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, with offices in New York and Addis Ababa. UNCTAD is part of the UN Secretariat. It reports to the UN General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council, has its own membership, leadership and budget. It is also part of the United Nations Development Group.

UNCTAD helps developing countries access the benefits of a globalized economy more fairly and effectively. It helps equip them to cope with the potential drawbacks of greater economic integration. To this end, they provide analysis, facilitate consensus building and offer technical assistance. This helps them use trade, investment, finance and technology as vehicles for inclusive and sustainable development. More Information

UNCTAD translates the concerns of the Sustainable Development Goals into advice and actions that produce concrete results. They do this by working on:

1. a) Debt and financial development
2. b) Investment and Company
3. c) Technology and Innovation Policies.
4. d) Developing countries
5. e) Negotiations and Trade Agreements
6. f) Trade trends and regulations
7. g) Trade, culture and environment.
8. h) Commodities and development
9. i) Marketing facilities
10. j) Transportation and Logistics
11. k) E-commerce legislation
12. l) Development Statistics
13. m) Business development
14. n) International Standards
15. o) Leadership and skills development training

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