Business
General
The UN and its specialized agencies offer a wealth of information and services impacting foreign trade.
N.B. Where a country is a member or otherwise affiliated to any of these organizations the relevant link is provided in the Country Specific General, Economic, or Trade Profile (as appropriate) section.
Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization
The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) bans nuclear explosions by everyone, everywhere: on the Earth's surface, in the atmosphere, underwater and underground. |
Conference on Disarmament
The single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum of the international community. |
Food and Agriculture Organization
Leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Our goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. |
International Atomic Energy Agency
The Agency was set up as the world’s “Atoms for Peace” organization within the United Nations family. From the beginning, it was given the mandate to work with its Member States and multiple partners worldwide to promote safe, secure and peaceful nuclear technologies. |
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
The World Bank is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world. |
International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes
The ICSID dispute settlement system has unique features with separate rules for arbitration, conciliation and fact-finding cases. |
International Civil Aviation Organization
A UN specialized agency, established by States in 1944 to manage the administration and governance of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention). |
International Development Association
Part of the World Bank that helps the world’s poorest countries. Overseen by 173 shareholder nations, IDA aims to reduce poverty by providing loans (called “credits”) and grants for programs that boost economic growth, reduce inequalities, and improve people’s living conditions. |
International Finance Corporation
IFC was founded on a bold idea: that the private sector is essential to development. We now reach millions of people in more than 100 countries, creating jobs, raising living standards, and building a better future to support the World Bank Group's two goals: ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity. |
International Fund for Agricultural Development
Established to finance agricultural development projects primarily for food production in the developing countries. |
International Labor Organization
The ILO brings together governments, employers and workers of 187 member States, to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes promoting decent work for all women and men. |
International Maritime Organization
The United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships. |
International Monetary Fund
An organization of 189 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world. |
International Telecommunications Union
Allocates global radio spectrum and satellite orbits, develop the technical standards that ensure networks and technologies seamlessly interconnect, and strive to improve access to ICTs to underserved communities worldwide. |
Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency
Our mission is to promote foreign direct investment (FDI) into developing countries to help support economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve people's lives... |
Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
The mission of the OPCW is to implement the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) in order to achieve the OPCW’s vision of a world that is free of chemical weapons and of the threat of their use, and in which cooperation in chemistry for peaceful purposes for all is fostered. |
The Caribbean Development Portal
Enhances the diffusion of knowledge about the current state of economic and social development in the Caribbean. As an a aggregator of reports and statistics from national, regional, and global organizations, it aims to increase the visibility of these resources, and thereby provide a service for researchers seeking information to support development efforts in the region. |
UN Development Programme
UNDP works in about 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion. We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities and build resilience in order to sustain development results. |
UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
The regional development arm of the United Nations for the Asia-Pacific region. |
UN Economic Commission for Africa
One of the UN's five regional commissions, ECA's mandate is to promote the economic and social development of its member States, foster intra-regional integration, and promote international cooperation for Africa's development. |
UN Economic Commission for Europe
One of five regional commissions of the United Nations. UNECE's major aim is to promote pan-European economic integration. |
UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
ECLAC is one of the five regional commissions of the United Nations. It was founded with the purpose of contributing to the economic development of Latin America, coordinating actions directed towards this end, and reinforcing economic ties among countries and with other nations of the world. The promotion of the region's social development was later included among its primary objectives. |
UN Economic Commission for Western Asia
Its purpose is to stimulate economic activity in member countries, strengthen cooperation between them promote development. |
UNIDO
Promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability. |
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
We support developing countries to access the benefits of a globalized economy more fairly and effectively. And we help equip them to deal with the potential drawbacks of greater economic integration. To do this, we provide analysis, consensus-building, and technical assistance. This helps them to use trade, investment, finance, and technology as vehicles for inclusive and sustainable development. |
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
Responsible for coordinating international cooperation in education, science, culture and communication. It strengthens the ties between nations and societies, and mobilizes the wider public. |
United Nations Environment Fund
The leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system, and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. |
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Protecting and assisting refugees around the world. |
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
UNODC is a global leader in the fight against illicit drugs and international crime. |
United Nations World Tourism Organization
The United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism. |
Universal Postal Union
With its 192 member countries, the UPU is the primary forum for cooperation between postal sector players. It helps to ensure a truly universal network of up-to-date products and services.It sets the rules for international mail exchanges and makes recommendations to stimulate growth in mail, parcel and financial services volumes and improve quality of service for customers. |
UN Web TV
The United Nations live and on demand. |
World Bank Group
The World Bank is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world. We are not a bank in the ordinary sense but a unique partnership to reduce poverty and support development. The World Bank Group comprises five institutions managed by their member countries. |
World Health Organization
Our goal is to build a better, healthier future for people all over the world. Working through offices in more than 150 countries, WHO staff work side by side with governments and other partners to ensure the highest attainable level of health for all people. Together we strive to combat diseases. |
World Intellectual Property Organization
WIPO is the global forum for intellectual property services, policy, information and cooperation. Our mission is to lead the development of a balanced and effective international intellectual property (IP) system that enables innovation and creativity for the benefit of all. |
World Meteorological Organization
WMO provides world leadership and expertise in international cooperation in the delivery and use of high-quality, authoritative weather, climate, hydrological and related environmental services by its Members, for the improvement of the well-being of societies of all nations. |
World Organisation for Animal Health
We work to improve animal health and welfare across the globe. By collecting, analysing and disseminating veterinary scientific information, we encourage international solidarity in the control of animal health risks. Furthermore, we work across borders to foster a One Health approach, recognising that the health of animals, humans and the environment are interdependent. |
World Trade Organization
The only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. At its heart are the WTO agreements, negotiated and signed by the bulk of the world’s trading nations and ratified in their parliaments. The goal is to ensure that trade flows as smoothly, predictably and freely as possible. |