← HCS syllabus
HCS (Haryana)Stage 2: Main Written Examination
International Institutions, Agencies and Fora
What the official syllabus says
HCS Main Written Examination, Paper IV: General Studies-II:
- Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.
Topics in detail
United Nations
- UN Charter (1945): purposes and principles
- Principal organs: General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council, Trusteeship Council, International Court of Justice, Secretariat
- Security Council: permanent and non-permanent members, veto; reform proposals and India's claim (G4)
- UN peacekeeping and India's contribution
- Specialised agencies and programmes: WHO, ILO, FAO, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNDP, UNEP, UNHCR
Economic and financial institutions
- International Monetary Fund: quotas, special drawing rights, surveillance
- World Bank Group: IBRD, IDA, IFC, MIGA, ICSID
- World Trade Organization (1995): agreements, dispute settlement, India's positions on agriculture and food security
- Asian Development Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, New Development Bank
- Financial Action Task Force; OECD
Other bodies
- International Atomic Energy Agency; nuclear non-proliferation treaties and India's position
- UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol, Paris Agreement; IPCC
- International Solar Alliance (headquartered in Gurugram, Haryana) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure
- International Criminal Court (India not a party); Interpol
- World Economic Forum and other non-governmental fora
For each institution
- Year and purpose of founding; headquarters
- Membership, governance structure and decision-making (voting, veto, quotas)
- Mandate and main functions
- India's role and demands for reform
Institutions at a glance
| Institution | Founded | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| United Nations | 1945 | New York |
| International Labour Organization | 1919 | Geneva |
| World Health Organization | 1948 | Geneva |
| International Monetary Fund | 1944 (Bretton Woods) | Washington, D.C. |
| World Bank | 1944 (Bretton Woods) | Washington, D.C. |
| World Trade Organization | 1995 | Geneva |
| Asian Development Bank | 1966 | Manila |
| International Solar Alliance | 2015 | Gurugram |
Reform of global governance
- Under-representation of developing countries in the Security Council, IMF and World Bank
- IMF quota reviews and voting shares
- WTO dispute settlement: the Appellate Body unable to function since December 2019
- Reform of multilateral development banks, taken up during India's G20 presidency
- Reformed multilateralism and the voice of the Global South
- Rise of plurilateral and minilateral groupings alongside the UN system