Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
The United Nations family contains many specialised agencies that work in specific fields such as health, food, agriculture, education and finance. Competitive examinations often test whether you can distinguish between true UN specialised agencies and other important international organisations that simply cooperate with the UN. This question focuses on that distinction by asking which organisation listed is not a specialised agency of the United Nations.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
Specialised agencies of the UN are autonomous organisations that work with the UN and each other through cooperative agreements. They include bodies such as WHO, FAO, UNESCO, IMF, World Bank institutions and others. On the other hand, some international organisations, even if very prominent, are not UN agencies but instead are independent nongovernmental or international humanitarian organisations. The Red Cross movement, whose key institution is the International Committee of the Red Cross, falls into this category. The approach is to separate formally affiliated UN agencies from independent bodies.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the World Health Organisation is a well known UN specialised agency dealing with global public health, so option A is a UN agency.
Step 2: The International Monetary Fund is also part of the UN system as a specialised agency focusing on global monetary cooperation and financial stability, so option B is a UN related agency.
Step 3: The Food and Agriculture Organisation is another specialised agency of the UN dealing with hunger, food security and agriculture, which makes option D a UN agency.
Step 4: UNESCO, mentioned in option E, is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, again clearly a specialised agency.
Step 5: The International Committee of the Red Cross, in option C, is an independent humanitarian institution founded under Swiss law. It cooperates with the UN but is not a formal specialised agency. Therefore it is the only option that does not belong to the group of UN specialised agencies.
Verification / Alternative check:
One quick way to verify is to remember that specialised agencies usually have the word Organisation or Fund in their full names and are created by treaties between states under UN arrangements. The Red Cross, however, is a neutral humanitarian body that predates the UN and has its own legal basis. If you have studied lists of UN agencies, you will regularly see WHO, IMF, FAO and UNESCO included, but the International Committee of the Red Cross appears under separate headings related to humanitarian law and nongovernmental organisations.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A is wrong as an answer because WHO is clearly a specialised agency of the UN, so it cannot be the choice that is not an agency.
Option B is wrong because the IMF is part of the UN family, even though it has considerable autonomy in its operations.
Option D is wrong because FAO is a core UN specialised agency focusing on food and agriculture issues.
Option E is wrong because UNESCO is also a recognised UN specialised agency, not an external organisation.
Common Pitfalls:
Many learners confuse the importance of an organisation with its formal status. Because the International Committee of the Red Cross works closely with the UN in conflict zones and humanitarian crises, some candidates assume it must be a UN body. Another common mistake is to forget that both IMF and World Bank institutions are considered part of the UN system even though they appear in economic news independently. Always differentiate between legal status as a UN agency and mere cooperation with the UN.
Final Answer:
The organisation that is not an official specialised agency of the United Nations is the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
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