International Organisations and Their Headquarters: Quick Answer
The headquarters asked most often in SSC and Railway exams are: United Nations (New York), WHO, WTO, ILO and UNHCR (Geneva), UNESCO (Paris), FAO (Rome), IMF and World Bank (Washington DC), IAEA and OPEC (Vienna), ICJ (The Hague), UNEP (Nairobi), ADB (Manila), SAARC (Kathmandu), ASEAN (Jakarta) and Interpol (Lyon). Learn them city by city, not as a random list: one city (Geneva) alone covers about a dozen likely questions.
Key takeaway: For every organisation, remember full form, headquarters city, founding year and, for the big ones, the current head. SSC asks the city 80% of the time. Watch the traps: Interpol is in Lyon (not Paris), WWF and IUCN are in Gland (not Geneva), UPU is in Bern, and the International Solar Alliance is in Gurugram, India.
United Nations and Its Headquarters (Basic Facts)
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Founded | 24 October 1945 (UN Day), when the UN Charter came into force |
| Charter signed | 26 June 1945, San Francisco |
| Headquarters | New York, USA (other main offices: Geneva, Vienna, Nairobi) |
| Members | 193 member states (South Sudan, 2011, is the newest) |
| Official languages | 6: English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic |
| Principal organs | 6: General Assembly, Security Council, ECOSOC, Trusteeship Council, International Court of Justice, Secretariat |
| Secretary-General | António Guterres (Portugal), 9th SG, term ends 31 December 2026; selection of the 10th SG is under way as of October 2026 |
| Only principal organ outside New York | International Court of Justice, The Hague |
India is a founding member: it signed the UN Declaration in 1942 and joined on 30 October 1945, before independence.
UN Specialised Agencies and Their Headquarters List
| Organisation (full form) | Headquarters | Founded |
|---|---|---|
| WHO: World Health Organization | Geneva, Switzerland | 1948 (7 April, World Health Day) |
| ILO: International Labour Organization | Geneva, Switzerland | 1919 |
| ITU: International Telecommunication Union | Geneva, Switzerland | 1865 (oldest UN agency) |
| WMO: World Meteorological Organization | Geneva, Switzerland | 1950 |
| WIPO: World Intellectual Property Organization | Geneva, Switzerland | 1967 |
| UPU: Universal Postal Union | Bern, Switzerland | 1874 |
| UNESCO: UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization | Paris, France | 1945 |
| FAO: Food and Agriculture Organization | Rome, Italy | 1945 |
| IFAD: International Fund for Agricultural Development | Rome, Italy | 1977 |
| IMF: International Monetary Fund | Washington DC, USA | 1944 (Bretton Woods) |
| World Bank (IBRD) | Washington DC, USA | 1944 (Bretton Woods) |
| ICAO: International Civil Aviation Organization | Montreal, Canada | 1944 (Chicago Convention) |
| IMO: International Maritime Organization | London, UK | 1948 (convention; in force 1958) |
| UNIDO: UN Industrial Development Organization | Vienna, Austria | 1966 |
| UN Tourism (formerly UNWTO) | Madrid, Spain | 1975 |
Not a specialised agency but asked with them: IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), Vienna, 1957, reports to the UN General Assembly and Security Council. WTO (World Trade Organization), Geneva, 1 January 1995, replaced GATT and is outside the UN system.
UN Funds, Programmes and Other UN Bodies with Headquarters
| Organisation | Headquarters | Founded |
|---|---|---|
| UNICEF: UN Children's Fund | New York | 1946 |
| UNDP: UN Development Programme | New York | 1965 |
| UNFPA: UN Population Fund | New York | 1969 |
| UN Women | New York | 2010 |
| UNHCR: UN High Commissioner for Refugees | Geneva | 1950 |
| UNCTAD: UN Conference on Trade and Development | Geneva | 1964 |
| OHCHR / UN Human Rights Council | Geneva | 1993 / 2006 |
| IPCC: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change | Geneva | 1988 |
| WFP: World Food Programme | Rome | 1961 |
| UNEP: UN Environment Programme | Nairobi, Kenya | 1972 |
| UN-Habitat | Nairobi, Kenya | 1978 |
| UNODC: UN Office on Drugs and Crime | Vienna | 1997 |
| UNFCCC secretariat (climate change convention) | Bonn, Germany | 1992 |
| International Court of Justice | The Hague, Netherlands | 1945 |
Financial and Economic Organisations Headquarters List
| Organisation | Headquarters | Founded | India link |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADB: Asian Development Bank | Manila (Mandaluyong), Philippines | 1966 | Founding member |
| AIIB: Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank | Beijing, China | 2016 (began operations) | India is the second-largest shareholder |
| NDB: New Development Bank (BRICS Bank) | Shanghai, China | 2015 | First president was K.V. Kamath of India |
| BIS: Bank for International Settlements | Basel, Switzerland | 1930 | "Central bank of central banks"; RBI is a member |
| OECD: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development | Paris, France | 1961 | India is not a member |
| IEA: International Energy Agency | Paris, France | 1974 | India is an association country |
| FATF: Financial Action Task Force | Paris, France (secretariat at OECD) | 1989 | India became a member in 2010 |
| OPEC: Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries | Vienna, Austria | 1960 (Baghdad conference) | India is not a member |
| World Economic Forum | Cologny (Geneva), Switzerland | 1971 | Publishes the Global Gender Gap Report |
Regional Groupings and Their Headquarters (SAARC, ASEAN, BIMSTEC and More)
| Organisation | Headquarters / secretariat | Founded | Members |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAARC: South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation | Kathmandu, Nepal | 1985 (Dhaka) | 8 |
| ASEAN: Association of Southeast Asian Nations | Jakarta, Indonesia | 1967 (Bangkok Declaration) | 11 (Timor-Leste joined in October 2025) |
| BIMSTEC | Dhaka, Bangladesh | 1997 | 7 |
| SCO: Shanghai Cooperation Organisation | Beijing, China (RATS anti-terror body: Tashkent) | 2001 | India joined in 2017 |
| APEC: Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation | Singapore | 1989 | India is not a member |
| IORA: Indian Ocean Rim Association | Ebene, Mauritius | 1997 | India is a founder |
| European Union | Brussels, Belgium | 1993 (Maastricht Treaty) | 27 |
| NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization | Brussels, Belgium | 1949 | 32 |
| African Union | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | 2002 (replaced OAU of 1963) | 55; joined the G20 in 2023 |
| Arab League | Cairo, Egypt | 1945 | 22 |
| OIC: Organisation of Islamic Cooperation | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | 1969 | 57 |
| OSCE | Vienna, Austria | 1975 (Helsinki) | 57 |
| Commonwealth of Nations | London, UK (Marlborough House) | 1949 (London Declaration) | 56 |
No permanent headquarters: BRICS, G20, G7, NAM (Non-Aligned Movement) and QUAD. Exams love this trap; an option such as "Jakarta" for NAM is wrong.
Sports, Humanitarian and Environment Organisations Headquarters
| Organisation | Headquarters | Founded |
|---|---|---|
| ICRC: International Committee of the Red Cross | Geneva | 1863 |
| IFRC: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies | Geneva | 1919 |
| Amnesty International | London | 1961 |
| Greenpeace International | Amsterdam, Netherlands | 1971 |
| WWF: World Wide Fund for Nature | Gland, Switzerland | 1961 |
| IUCN: International Union for Conservation of Nature (Red List) | Gland, Switzerland | 1948 |
| Interpol | Lyon, France | 1923 |
| Europol | The Hague, Netherlands | 1999 (full operations) |
| OPCW: Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons | The Hague | 1997 |
| International Criminal Court | The Hague | 2002 |
| IOC: International Olympic Committee | Lausanne, Switzerland | 1894 |
| FIFA | Zurich, Switzerland | 1904 |
| ICC: International Cricket Council | Dubai, UAE | 1909 |
| WADA: World Anti-Doping Agency | Montreal, Canada | 1999 |
| ISA: International Solar Alliance | Gurugram (Gwal Pahari), Haryana, India | 2015 (launched at COP21, Paris) |
| CDRI: Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure | New Delhi, India | 2019 |
| International Seabed Authority | Kingston, Jamaica | 1994 |
International Organisations Headquarters City-Wise (Best Way to Memorise)
| City | Organisations headquartered there |
|---|---|
| Geneva | WHO, ILO, WTO, ITU, WMO, WIPO, UNHCR, UNCTAD, OHCHR/UNHRC, IPCC, ICRC, IFRC |
| New York | UN, UNICEF, UNDP, UNFPA, UN Women |
| Washington DC | IMF, World Bank |
| Vienna | IAEA, OPEC, UNIDO, UNODC, OSCE |
| Paris | UNESCO, OECD, IEA, FATF |
| Rome | FAO, IFAD, WFP |
| The Hague | ICJ, International Criminal Court, OPCW, Europol |
| London | IMO, Amnesty International, Commonwealth |
| Brussels | NATO, European Union |
| Nairobi | UNEP, UN-Habitat |
| Montreal | ICAO, WADA |
| Gland | WWF, IUCN |
| Beijing | AIIB, SCO |
Memory Tricks for Headquarters
- Rome feeds the world: all three food agencies (FAO, IFAD, WFP) sit in Rome.
- Vienna = atoms and oil: IAEA (atoms) and OPEC (oil) are both in Vienna.
- Paris = "culture and rich clubs": UNESCO (culture) plus OECD and IEA (rich-country clubs).
- Hague = courts: the World Court (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court are both in The Hague.
- Nairobi = nature and homes: UNEP (environment) and UN-Habitat (housing) are the only UN headquarters in Africa among these.
- Bretton Woods twins live together: IMF and World Bank, both 1944, both in Washington DC.
- Planes in Canada: ICAO, the civil aviation body, is in Montreal. Ships go to London (IMO).
Heads of Major International Organisations (as of October 2026)
| Organisation | Head | Country |
|---|---|---|
| United Nations (Secretary-General) | António Guterres (term ends 31 Dec 2026) | Portugal |
| WHO (Director-General) | Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus | Ethiopia |
| IMF (Managing Director) | Kristalina Georgieva | Bulgaria |
| World Bank (President) | Ajay Banga | USA (born in India) |
| WTO (Director-General) | Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala | Nigeria |
| UNESCO (Director-General) | Khaled El-Enany (since 15 Nov 2025) | Egypt |
| ILO (Director-General) | Gilbert F. Houngbo | Togo |
| ADB (President) | Masato Kanda | Japan |
| NDB (President) | Dilma Rousseff | Brazil |
| IOC (President) | Kirsty Coventry (first woman IOC president) | Zimbabwe |
Heads change; always check the latest before the exam. The UN race to pick Guterres's successor (who takes office on 1 January 2027) was still open after the Security Council's sixth straw poll on 16 October 2026.
International Organisations: PYQ-Style Practice Questions with Answers
1. Where is the headquarters of the World Health Organization? (a) New York (b) Geneva (c) Paris (d) Rome Answer: (b) Geneva. WHO was founded on 7 April 1948, which is why 7 April is World Health Day.
2. The International Court of Justice is located in: (a) Geneva (b) Vienna (c) The Hague (d) Brussels Answer: (c) The Hague. It is the only principal UN organ not in New York.
3. Which pair is NOT correctly matched? (a) UNESCO – Paris (b) FAO – Rome (c) Interpol – Paris (d) UNEP – Nairobi Answer: (c). Interpol's headquarters is in Lyon, France.
4. OPEC and IAEA both have their headquarters in: (a) Vienna (b) Geneva (c) Riyadh (d) Washington DC Answer: (a) Vienna.
5. The headquarters of the Asian Development Bank is in: (a) Tokyo (b) Beijing (c) Manila (d) Singapore Answer: (c) Manila. ADB was set up in 1966; the AIIB is the one in Beijing.
6. Where is the secretariat of SAARC? (a) New Delhi (b) Dhaka (c) Colombo (d) Kathmandu Answer: (d) Kathmandu. SAARC was founded in Dhaka in 1985; BIMSTEC's secretariat is in Dhaka.
7. The International Solar Alliance has its headquarters in: (a) Paris (b) Gurugram (c) Abu Dhabi (d) New Delhi Answer: (b) Gurugram, Haryana. It was launched by India and France at COP21 in Paris in 2015.
8. Which organisation replaced GATT in 1995? (a) UNCTAD (b) WTO (c) IMF (d) OECD Answer: (b) WTO, headquartered in Geneva.
9. WWF has its headquarters in: (a) Geneva (b) Gland (c) Zurich (d) London Answer: (b) Gland, Switzerland, which also hosts IUCN.
10. Which of these has NO permanent headquarters? (a) ASEAN (b) SCO (c) BRICS (d) NATO Answer: (c) BRICS. ASEAN is in Jakarta, SCO in Beijing and NATO in Brussels. BRICS's bank (NDB) is in Shanghai, but BRICS itself has no secretariat.
11. ICAO, which sets global civil aviation standards, is headquartered in: (a) Montreal (b) Chicago (c) London (d) Geneva Answer: (a) Montreal. It was created by the 1944 Chicago Convention, which is the usual trap.
12. UNEP was established in which year? (a) 1965 (b) 1972 (c) 1945 (d) 1992 Answer: (b) 1972, after the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment.
International Organisations and Headquarters FAQs
Which city has the most international organisations?
Geneva. It hosts WHO, ILO, WTO, ITU, WMO, WIPO, UNHCR, UNCTAD, the UN Human Rights Council, IPCC and the Red Cross, among many others.
Which international organisations have headquarters in India?
The International Solar Alliance (Gurugram, Haryana) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (New Delhi) are the two most asked. The SAARC Development Fund is in Thimphu, not India.
Where is the headquarters of the United Nations?
New York, USA, on Manhattan's East River. The UN also has major offices in Geneva, Vienna and Nairobi.
Is the WTO a UN specialised agency?
No. The WTO (Geneva, 1995) works closely with the UN but is an independent organisation outside the UN system.
Where is the headquarters of the IMF and World Bank?
Both are in Washington DC, USA. They came out of the Bretton Woods Conference of July 1944.
Which organisation's headquarters is in Lyon?
Interpol (International Criminal Police Organization), founded in 1923.
How many international organisations should I learn for SSC CGL?
About 50 to 60 cover almost every question asked: the UN bodies, financial institutions, regional groups and the sports and humanitarian bodies in the tables above.
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