International Organisations | Major International Organisations
An International Organisation is an authority or an institution that has a certain set of rules and norms that other states and members need to follow in an international system, governed by international law. The members of the organization need to be answerable to the authority in any matter of violation. The increasingly independent world needs to be interconnected so that big issues can be raised and solved systematically and here International Organisations do their part by encouraging cooperation and diplomatic resolutions to global problems.
Organizations may be established by a formal written agreement possessing their own legal traits and all their members are held together by a formal agreement. The Organisations may be intergovernmental (IGOs), non-governmental (INGOs), with a worldwide, single or regional purpose. The Organisations make sure the international peace and that every member is law-biding.
This article takes you to some major international organizations.
Table of Contents
Major International Organisations


Abbreviation: WHO
Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
Establishment Year: 1964

United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization
Abbreviation: UNESCO
Headquarters: Paris, France
Establishment Year: 1945

Abbreviation: IMF
Headquarters: Washington DC, USA
Establishment Year: 1945

United Nations Children’s Fund
Abbreviation: UNICEF
Headquarters: New York, USA
Establishment Year: 1946




Abbreviation: WWF
Headquarters: Gland, Switzerland
Establishment Year: 1961

Association of Southeast Asian Nations
Abbreviation: ASEAN
Headquarters: Jakarta, Indonesia
Establishment Year: 1967

Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
Abbreviation: APEC
Headquarters: Singapore
Establishment Year: 1989


International Food Policy Research Institute
Abbreviation: IFPI
Headquarters: Washington, USA
Establishment Year: 1975

Organization of the Petroleum Exploring Countries
Abbreviation: OPEC
Headquarters: Vienna, Austria
Establishment Year: 1960

Bank of International Settlements
Abbreviation: BIS
Headquarters: Basel, Switzerland
Establishment Year: 1930

World Intellectual Property Organization
Abbreviation: WIPO
Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
Establishment Year: 1967

Organization of Islamic Cooperation
Abbreviation: OIC
Headquarters: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Establishment Year: 1969

International Union for Conservation of Nature
Abbreviation: IUCN
Headquarters: Gland, Switzerland
Establishment Year: 1948

United Nations World Tourism Organization
Abbreviation: UNWTO
Headquarters: Madrid, Spain
Establishment Year: 1974

South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
Abbreviation: SAARC
Headquarters: Kathmandu, Nepal
Establishment Year: 1985

North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Abbreviation: NATO
Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium
Establishment Year: 1949

Food and Agricultural Organization
Abbreviation: FAO
Headquarters: Rome, Italy
Establishment Year: 1945

International Maritime Organization
Abbreviation: IMO
Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
Establishment Year: 1959

Abbreviation: AI
Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
Establishment Year: 1961

International Organization for Standardization
Abbreviation: IOS
Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
Establishment Year: 1947

World Meteorological Organization
Abbreviation: WMO
Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
Establishment Year: 1950

International Labor Organization
Abbreviation: ILO
Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
Establishment Year: 1919

Abbreviation: WTO
Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
Establishment Year: 1995

International Court of Justice
Abbreviation: ICJ
Headquarters: The Hague, Netherlands
Establishment Year: 1945

International Hydrographic Organization
Abbreviation: IHO
Headquarters: Monaco
Establishment Year: 1921

United Nations World Tourism Organization
Abbreviation: UNWTO
Headquarters: Madrid, Spain
Establishment Year: 1974

International Civil Aviation Organization
Abbreviation: ICAO
Headquarters: Montreal, Canada
Establishment Year: 1947

International Council on Monuments and Sites
Abbreviation: ICOMOS
Headquarters: Paris. France
Establishment Year: 1965

International Union for Conservation of Nature
Abbreviation: IUCN
Headquarters: Gland, Switzerland
Establishment Year: 1948

United Nations Human Rights Council
Abbreviation: UNHRC
Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
Establishment Year: 2006

United Nations Human Settlements Programme
Abbreviation: UN-Habitat
Headquarters: Vancouver, Canada
Establishment Year: 1978

United Nations Environment Programme
Abbreviation: UNEP
Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya
Establishment Year: 1972




Shanghai Cooperation Organization
Abbreviation: SCO
Headquarters: Beijing, China
Establishment Year: 1996


Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa
Abbreviation: BRICS
Headquarters: Shanghai, China
Establishment Year: 2006
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is an International Organisation?
An International Organisation is an authority or an institution that has a certain set of rules and norms that other states and members need to follow in an international system, governed by international law.
What are the major types of International Organisations?
The Organisations may be intergovernmental (IGOs), non-governmental (INGOs), with a worldwide, single or regional purpose.
When is the World Health Organisation established?
The World Health Organisation was established in 1964 and has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
What is an Intergovernmental Organisation (IGO)?
An IGO is an organization comprised of sovereign states and is established by treaty or agreement that acts as a charter creating the group.
Why are international organizations created?
The international organizations are created to maintain peace and monitor the following rules of all the members. They help in setting international agendas and facilitating coordination.