The United Nations System for UPSC: Organs, Security Council Reform, Agencies, Peacekeeping, UN80 and India's Role

How UPSC Tests the UN System

🎯 Exam priority: Tier-1. The UN system is the most reliable IR topic: about 18 of our 100 questions. UPSC asked: the Credentials Committee and observers in the General Assembly (2022); the Nobel Prize and UN agencies (2026); UN peacekeeping missions and their dates (2026); the Global Compact for Migration (2023); migration platforms such as the Colombo Process (2026); UNCAC, UNTOC and UNODC (2019); Médecins Sans Frontières (2016); the Alma-Ata Declaration and the Talanoa Dialogue (2020); the World Toilet Organization (2024); International Years (2025); and FAO's 'Blue Transformation' (2026). In Mains: UN reform (2025), the Counter-Terrorism Committee (2024), the IMO (2023), WHO and Covid (2020), UNESCO (2019) and ECOSOC (2017).

These questions test one skill: placing a body correctly (is it a UN organ, a specialised agency, a programme, a convention secretariat or an NGO?) and knowing one fact about it. The note has four boxes: the organs, the agencies, peace and security, and India and the 2025-26 changes.

The Six Organs, the Security Council and Reform

The UN was founded on 24 October 1945 and has 193 member states; the Holy See and Palestine are non-member observer states. Its principal organs are the following.

The six principal organs

Security Council in 2026

• Elected members for 2026: Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Latvia and Liberia (terms 2026-27) with Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama and Somalia (terms 2025-26). In June 2026 the Assembly elected Austria, Kyrgyzstan, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago and Zimbabwe for 2027-28.

• India's reform position: India is in the G4 (with Brazil, Germany and Japan) seeking permanent seats, and works with the L-69 and C-10 groups; the 'Uniting for Consensus' group opposes new permanent seats. India's last term ended in December 2022; in July 2026 it launched its campaign for a non-permanent seat for 2028-29 (election in June 2027) against Tajikistan for the Asia-Pacific seat.

Agencies, Programmes, Look-alikes and UN Conventions

The classification of agencies is where many pairs go wrong.

Agencies, programmes and look-alikes

UN conventions UPSC has asked

• UNCAC (corruption, 2003) is the first legally binding global anti-corruption instrument; UNTOC (organised crime, 2000) has a protocol against smuggling of migrants; UNODC supports both (2019).

• Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (2018): not adopted by all states, non-binding, and about international migration. Regional platforms such as the Colombo Process, the Abu Dhabi Dialogue and the Global Forum on Migration and Development are voluntary and non-binding (2026).

• UNCLOS (see the Indo-Pacific article), the Chemical Weapons Convention (OPCW) and the Biological Weapons Convention (50 years in 2025; India hosted a conference on it in December 2025).

• International Years designated by the UN: 2025 (Peace and Trust), 2026 (Woman Farmer), 2027 (Sustainable and Resilient Tourism), 2029 (Asteroid Awareness and Planetary Defence).

Peacekeeping, India's Role and the 2025-26 Changes

Peacekeeping is a favourite for lists of missions and dates, and India is central to it.

Peacekeeping missions asked in 2026

India and UN peacekeeping (MEA Annual Report 2025)

• India is cumulatively the largest troop and police contributor, with about 300,000 personnel since 1950; 183 Indian peacekeepers have died on duty. At present 4,267 peacekeepers (158 women) serve in nine of the 11 UN missions, the largest contingents being UNMISS in South Sudan (1,811), MONUSCO in the DRC (1,039) and UNIFIL in Lebanon (643).

• India co-hosted the International Day of UN Peacekeepers (29 May) with Austria and leads the Group of Friends on Accountability for Crimes against UN Peacekeepers (launched in December 2022).

The 2025-26 changes

• UN80: the UN's 80th anniversary (24 October 2025); the Secretary-General's UN80 initiative (March 2025) for efficiency and structural change. India urged that it go beyond cost cutting.

• Presidents of the General Assembly: Annalena Baerbock presided over the 80th session (elected 2 June 2025); Bangladesh's Khalilur Rahman was elected to preside over the 81st session from 8 September 2026 (99 votes to 91).

• Selecting the next Secretary-General: Guterres's term ends on 31 December 2026; the Security Council began straw polls on 30 July 2026 with about eight candidates (including Rafael Grossi of Argentina, Michelle Bachelet of Chile and Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica); results are unofficial.

• US withdrawals: on 7 January 2026 the US announced withdrawal from 66 international organisations, 31 of them UN bodies, reported to include the UNFCCC, the IPCC, IRENA and the International Solar Alliance (secondary sources).

• India at the UN in 2025: the India-UN Development Partnership Fund, an exhibition on the 'Human Cost of Terrorism' at UN headquarters, the 20th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in New Delhi (8-13 December) and the second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine (December).

Further Reading

• the Ministry of External Affairs Annual Report, MEA and PIB press releases and joint statements, United Nations and treaty-body websites, and an atlas — the primary sources behind every fact above.

How UPSC Could Ask This Next

Here are the questions this chapter is most likely to produce next.

How UPSC could ask this next

• Classification: 'which of these is a specialised agency of the UN', 'which is not a UN body' (WTO, WEF, MSF, World Toilet Organization, FATF, Interpol).

• Counts: 'how many of these agencies won the Nobel Prize', 'how many permanent members use the veto', 'how many judges are on the ICJ'.

• Peacekeeping: mission and country matching, India's largest contingents, the 29 May observance.

• Current affairs: UN80, the Secretary-General race, the 81st General Assembly president, US withdrawals, India's 2028-29 bid, and the International Years of 2026-29.

• Mains: UN reform and the East-West confrontation (2025), the Counter-Terrorism Committee (2024), WHO's role in Covid (2020), UNESCO's funding crisis (2019), the IMO (2023).

Test Yourself: Practice Questions and PYQs

Twelve practice questions on the organs, agencies, peacekeeping and India's UN role, followed by the real UPSC Prelims questions and exact Mains questions.

Practice Questions

Q1. How many members does the UN Security Council have, and how many are elected for two-year terms?

• (a) 20 members, of which 15 are elected

• (b) 12 members, of which 7 are elected

• (c) 15 members, of which 10 are elected

• (d) 15 members, of which 5 are elected

Q2. Which one of the following UN organs is currently suspended?

• (a) The Trusteeship Council

• (b) The Secretariat

• (c) The Economic and Social Council

• (d) The International Court of Justice

Q3. Consider the following organisations:
1. World Health Organization
2. World Trade Organization
3. International Maritime Organization
4. World Economic Forum
How many of the above are specialised agencies of the United Nations?

• (a) All four

• (b) Only two

• (c) Only one

• (d) Only three

Q4. The Secretary-General of the United Nations is appointed by

• (a) the Security Council on the recommendation of the General Assembly

• (b) the Economic and Social Council

• (c) the International Court of Justice

• (d) the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council

Q5. The International Court of Justice has

• (a) 21 judges elected for six-year terms

• (b) 15 judges elected for two-year terms

• (c) 9 judges elected for five-year terms

• (d) 15 judges elected for nine-year terms

Q6. Which one of the following UN agencies has won the Nobel Peace Prize twice?

• (a) UNHCR

• (b) ILO

• (c) World Food Programme

• (d) UNICEF

Q7. Consider the following statements about India and UN peacekeeping (2025):
1. India is cumulatively the largest troop and police contributor since 1950.
2. India's largest current contingent is in South Sudan.
3. India does not deploy women peacekeepers.
Which of the statements given above are correct?

• (a) 2 and 3 only

• (b) 1 and 3 only

• (c) 1, 2 and 3

• (d) 1 and 2 only

Q8. The G4 group seeking permanent seats on the Security Council consists of

• (a) India, Brazil, Germany and Japan

• (b) India, Germany, Italy and Japan

• (c) India, Brazil, South Africa and Japan

• (d) India, Pakistan, Brazil and Egypt

Q9. Consider the following statements about the International Criminal Court:
1. It was created by the Rome Statute.
2. It is a principal organ of the United Nations.
3. India is a party to the Rome Statute.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

• (a) 1 and 2 only

• (b) 2 and 3 only

• (c) 1 only

• (d) 1, 2 and 3

Q10. Which of the following is NOT a UN body or UN-related organisation?

• (a) World Food Programme

• (b) UNHCR

• (c) UNICEF

• (d) Médecins Sans Frontières

Q11. UN80, announced by the Secretary-General in March 2025, is

• (a) a new peacekeeping force

• (b) an initiative for financial efficiencies and structural reform of the UN system

• (c) a treaty on artificial intelligence

• (d) a climate fund

Q12. India launched its campaign for a non-permanent Security Council seat for which term, with the election scheduled for June 2027?

• (a) 2026-27

• (b) 2030-31

• (c) 2027-28

• (d) 2028-29

UPSC Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Real UPSC Prelims questions, checked against the official paper and answer key.

Q1. (2022) With reference to the 'United Nations Credentials Committee', consider the following statements:
1. It is a committee set up by the UN Security Council and works under its supervision.
2. It traditionally meets in March, June and September every year.
3. It assesses the credentials of all UN members before submitting a report to the General Assembly for approval.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

• (a) 2 and 3

• (b) 1 and 3

• (c) 1 and 2

• (d) 3 only

Q2. (2022) With reference to the United Nations General Assembly, consider the following statements:
1. The UN General Assembly can grant observer status to the non-member States.
2. Inter-governmental organisations can seek observer status in the UN General Assembly.
3. Permanent Observers in the UN General Assembly can maintain missions at the UN headquarters.
Which of the statements given above are correct?

• (a) 1 and 3 only

• (b) 1 and 2 only

• (c) 2 and 3 only

• (d) 1, 2 and 3

Q3. (2026, provisional key) Consider the following UN organisations/agencies:
1. World Food Programme
2. United Nations Children's Fund
3. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
4. International Labour Organisation
How many of the above has/have been awarded the Nobel Prize twice?

• (a) 1

• (b) 4

• (c) 3

• (d) 2

Q4. (2026, provisional key) Match List I with List II and select the answer using the code given below the Lists:
List I (UN Peacekeeping Operation) : List II (Period of Operation)
A. UNMIL : 1. 2007-2010
B. MINURCAT : 2. 2002-2005
C. MINUSTAH : 3. 2003-2018
D. UNMISET : 4. 2004-2017
Code (A B C D):

• (a) 2 4 1 3

• (b) 3 1 4 2

• (c) 2 1 4 3

• (d) 3 4 1 2

Q5. (2023) Consider the following statements:
1. Recently, all the countries of the United Nations have adopted the first-ever compact for international migration, the 'Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM)'.
2. The objectives and commitments stated in the GCM are binding on the UN member countries.
3. The GCM addresses internal migration or internally displaced people also in its objectives and commitments.
How many of the above statements are correct?

• (a) Only two

• (b) All three

• (c) None

• (d) Only one

Q6. (2026, provisional key) Consider the following statements about platforms for multilateral co-operation:
1. The 'Colombo Process' is a regional consultative process in which member states take binding decisions by consensus.
2. The 'Abu Dhabi Dialogue' is a voluntary non-binding consultative process among Asian countries of labour origin and destination to facilitate regional cooperation on contractual labour mobility.
3. The 'Global Forum for Migration and Development', created upon the proposal of a former UN Secretary General, is a voluntary forum whose decisions are non-binding in nature.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

• (a) 1 and 3 only

• (b) 1, 2 and 3

• (c) 2 only

• (d) 2 and 3 only

Q7. (2019) Consider the following statements:
1. The United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) has a 'Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air'.
2. The UNCAC is the ever-first legally binding global anti-corruption instrument.
3. A highlight of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) is the inclusion of a specific chapter aimed at returning assets to their rightful owners from whom they had been taken illicitly.
4. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is mandated by its member States to assist in the implementation of both UNCAC and UNTOC.
Which of the statements given above are correct?

• (a) 1, 2, 3 and 4

• (b) 2 and 4 only

• (c) 1 and 3 only

• (d) 2, 3 and 4 only

Q8. (2016) 'Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières)', often in the news, is

• (a) a division of World Health Organization

• (b) a specialized agency of the United Nations

• (c) an inter-governmental agency sponsored by European Union

• (d) a non-governmental international organization

Q9. (2020) Consider the following pairs:
International agreement/set-up : Subject
1. Alma-Ata Declaration : Healthcare of the people
2. Hague Convention : Biological and chemical weapons
3. Talanoa Dialogue : Global climate change
4. Under2 Coalition : Child rights
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

• (a) 4 only

• (b) 1 and 2 only

• (c) 2, 3 and 4 only

• (d) 1 and 3 only

Q10. (2024) Consider the following statements regarding World Toilet Organization:
1. It is one of the agencies of the United Nations.
2. World Toilet Summit, World Toilet Day and World Toilet College are the initiatives of this organization, to inspire action to tackle the global sanitation crisis.
3. The main focus of its function is to grant funds to the least developed countries and developing countries to achieve the end of open defecation.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

• (a) 3 only

• (b) 2 only

• (c) 1 and 2

• (d) 2 and 3

Q11. (2025) Consider the following pairs:
International Year : Year
I. International Year of the Woman Farmer : 2026
II. International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism : 2027
III. International Year of Peace and Trust : 2025
IV. International Year of Asteroid Awareness and Planetary Defence : 2029
How many of the correctly matched pairs given above are there?

• (a) Only three

• (b) All the four

• (c) Only two

• (d) Only one

Q12. (2026, provisional key) At the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) held in June, 2025 in France, the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations demonstrated its leading voice on marine and ocean issues, especially on sustainable fisheries and aquaculture for resilient livelihood and 'Blue Transformation'. Which of the following combinations about the 'Four Betters' proposed by FAO for 'Blue Transformation' is correct?

• (a) Better estuaries, better nutrition, better environment and better mangrove vegetation

• (b) Better coral reefs, better nutrition, better environment and better life

• (c) Better production, better nutrition, better environment and better life

• (d) Better production, better nutrition, better environment and better ocean

Q13. (2018) With reference to the 'Global Alliance for Climate-Smart Agriculture (GACSA)', which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. GACSA is an outcome of the Climate Summit held in Paris in 2015.
2. Membership of GACSA does not create any binding obligations.
3. India was instrumental in the creation of GACSA.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:

• (a) 1, 2 and 3

• (b) 2 only

• (c) 1 and 3 only

• (d) 2 and 3 only

Q14. (2016) With reference to an initiative called 'The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB)', which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. It is an initiative hosted by UNEP, IMF and World Economic Forum.
2. It is a global initiative that focuses on drawing attention to the economic benefits of biodiversity.
3. It presents an approach that can help decision-makers recognize, demonstrate and capture the value of ecosystems and biodiversity.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.

• (a) 3 only

• (b) 1 and 2 only

• (c) 2 and 3 only

• (d) 1, 2 and 3

Q15. (2016) Which of the following statements is/are correct? Proper design and effective implementation of UN-REDD+ Programme can significantly contribute to
1. protection of biodiversity
2. resilience of forest ecosystems
3. poverty reduction
Select the correct answer using the code given below.

• (a) 3 only

• (b) 2 and 3 only

• (c) 1 and 2 only

• (d) 1, 2 and 3

Q16. (2016) With reference to 'Agenda 21', sometimes seen in the news, consider the following statements:
1. It is a global action plan for sustainable development.
2. It originated in the World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg in 2002.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

• (a) Neither 1 nor 2

• (b) 1 only

• (c) Both 1 and 2

• (d) 2 only

Q17. (2025) Which one of the following launched the Nature Solutions Finance Hub for Asia and the Pacific?

• (a) The Asian Development Bank (ADB)

• (b) The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)

• (c) The New Development Bank (NDB)

• (d) The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)

Q18. (2025) Which organization has enacted the Nature Restoration Law (NRL) to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss?

• (a) The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

• (b) The European Union

• (c) The World Bank

• (d) The Food and Agriculture Organization

Mains Practice Questions

Use these to frame full-length answers. You don't have to answer one exactly — they show the angles UPSC tests, so let them guide which points you cover.

• "The reform process in the United Nations remains unresolved, because of the delicate imbalance of East and West and entanglement of the USA vs. Russo-Chinese alliance." Examine and critically evaluate the East-West policy confrontations in this regard.

• Evaluate the effectiveness of the UN Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee and its associated bodies.

• Critically examine the role of WHO in providing global health security during a pandemic, and the effect of the 2026 US withdrawals on UN bodies.

• How credible is India's case for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, and what does the G4 need to do to convert support into a Charter amendment?

UPSC Mains — Previous Years’ Questions on this topic (last 10 years)

These are the actual GS Mains questions UPSC has asked on this theme — real proof of how, and when, it is tested. Try to write a full answer to each.

• 2025 (GS-II): "The reform process in the United Nations remains unresolved, because of the delicate imbalance of East and West and entanglement of the USA vs. Russo-Chinese alliance." Examine and critically evaluate the East-West policy confrontations in this regard.

• 2024 (GS-II): "Terrorism has become a significant threat to global peace and security." Evaluate the effectiveness of the United Nations Security Council's Counter Terrorism Committee (CTC) and its associated bodies in addressing and mitigating this threat at the international level.

• 2023 (GS-II): 'Sea is an important Component of the Cosmos.' Discuss in the light of the above statement the role of the IMO (International Maritime Organisation) in protecting environment and enhancing maritime safety and security.

• 2020 (GS-II): Critically examine the role of WHO in providing global health security during the Covid-19 pandemic.

• 2017 (GS-II): What are the main functions of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)? Explain different functional commissions attached to it.

• 2016 (GS-II): What are the aims and objectives of the McBride Commission of the UNESCO? What is India's position on these?