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International Organisations

LIC HFL AM · General Awareness

Also prepare for:IBPS PO IBPS Clerk SBI PO SBI Clerk

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Core Concept

Read this first — the foundation of the topic

→United Nations System

UN (headquarters: New York), WHO (Geneva), UNESCO (Paris), UNICEF (New York) 2

→Economic Organisations

World Bank (Washington DC), IMF (Washington DC), WTO (Geneva) 3

→Regional Groups

SAARC (Kathmandu), ASEAN (Jakarta), EU (Brussels) 4

→Military Alliances

NATO (Brussels) 5

→Other Important Bodies

Commonwealth (London), Red Cross (Geneva)

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Exam Patterns

What examiners ask — read before attempting PYQs

SSC CGL typically asks 2-3 questions on international organisations. Common question types include: - Headquarters locations (60% of questions) - Current heads/leaders (20%) - Functions and objectives (15%) - Member countries (5%) Shortcut Trick - 'Geneva TRIO': Remember: WHO, WTO, and Red Cross all have headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. This covers 3 frequent exam answers in one memory trick.

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Worked Example

Solve this step-by-step before moving on

1

Step 1

Identify organisations in Washington DC - World Bank: YES (provides loans for development projects) - IMF: YES (provides financial stability and monetary cooperation) - WTO: NO (headquarters in Geneva)

2

Step 2

Check functions - Both World Bank and IMF provide financial assistance - World Bank focuses on long-term development - IMF focuses on short-term balance of payments

3

Step 3

Both organisations fit the description Answer: (c) Both (a) and (b) Memory Trick - 'Washington Twin Brothers': World Bank and IMF are like twin brothers living in the same city (Washington DC) but doing different jobs - one handles development projects, other handles monetary crises. Common Mistake: Students often confuse UNESCO (education/culture) with UNICEF (children's welfare). Remember: UNESCO = Education/Culture, UNICEF = Children. Both are UN agencies but serve different purposes. Another frequent error is mixing up regional organisations. SAARC is South Asian (includes India), ASEAN is Southeast Asian (excludes India). Use the trick: SAARC has 'AAR' which sounds like 'AAAR' (cry of frustration) - India often gets frustrated in SAARC meetings! For current affairs, always check the latest Secretary-Generals and Directors as these change periodically and are frequently tested in recent exams.

🔑 Key Points

UN headquarters in New York, established in 1945 with 193 member countries
Geneva hosts WHO, WTO, and International Red Cross headquarters
World Bank and IMF both located in Washington DC, provide financial assistance
SAARC includes 8 South Asian countries with secretariat in Kathmandu
NATO is military alliance with 30 member countries, headquarters in Brussels
UNESCO promotes education and culture, UNICEF focuses on children's welfare
Commonwealth has 54 member nations, mostly former British colonies
ASEAN has 10 Southeast Asian members, India is not a member

📌 Exam Facts

UN was established on October 24, 1945
WHO headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
World Bank President is traditionally an American citizen
SAARC was formed in 1985 with 8 member countries
NATO Article 5 provides collective defense clause
WTO was established on January 1, 1995, replacing GATT
Commonwealth Secretary-General serves 4-year renewable term
IMF has 190 member countries as of 2023

🚀 60-Second Revision

Remember: Geneva Trinity - WHO, WTO, Red Cross all in Geneva
Washington DC hosts both World Bank and IMF headquarters
Trap: UNESCO is education, UNICEF is children - don't mix them
SAARC has 8 members, ASEAN has 10 members
UN has 193 members, established October 24, 1945
NATO Article 5 = collective defense principle
Formula: More questions on headquarters than on functions in recent papers

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