Which of the following specialised agencies connected with the United Nations system was already in existence before the Second World War?

Introduction / Context:
This question examines your knowledge of the history of major international organizations, especially those later linked with the United Nations. While most UN specialized agencies were created after the Second World War, one important labour-related organization already existed earlier and was later brought into the UN family. Being able to identify which organization pre-dated the UN helps you understand continuity between the League of Nations era and the post-war international system.

Given Data / Assumptions:
• You are given four organizations: the Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Labour Organization, the World Health Organization and the International Monetary Fund.
• The question asks which of these was in existence before the Second World War.
• It is assumed that you know the approximate founding years of these bodies or at least their broad historical timeframe.

Concept / Approach:
The key idea is to recall which organization was originally established under the League of Nations arrangement after the First World War and then later became a specialized agency of the United Nations. The International Labour Organization (ILO) fits this description because it was founded in 1919 as part of the peace settlement after the First World War. In contrast, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Health Organization and the International Monetary Fund were all created in the 1940s, within or alongside the new UN structure.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the International Labour Organization was created in 1919 to promote social justice and internationally recognized labour rights.Step 2: Note that the Second World War took place from 1939 to 1945, so any organization founded in 1919 clearly existed well before that conflict.Step 3: The Food and Agriculture Organization was established in 1945, the World Health Organization in 1948 and the International Monetary Fund from the Bretton Woods Conference in 1944, all around or after the Second World War.Step 4: Compare these dates and identify that only the International Labour Organization clearly predates the Second World War.Step 5: Therefore, the correct answer must be the International Labour Organization.

Verification / Alternative Check:
An alternative way to check is to remember associations: the IMF and World Bank are often linked with the Bretton Woods Conference of 1944, the FAO with post-war food security concerns and the WHO with global health governance after 1945. Only the ILO is routinely mentioned in both League of Nations history and United Nations history, confirming that it existed before the Second World War and later continued as a UN specialized agency.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
• Food and Agriculture Organization: Established in 1945, it is clearly a post-Second World War body.
• World Health Organization: Created in 1948 as the global health agency linked to the UN, not before the war.
• International Monetary Fund: Originates from 1944 and began operations in the mid-1940s, again after the war period, not before.

Common Pitfalls:
Many learners assume that all UN-related bodies were created at the same time and therefore guess randomly among the options. Another frequent mistake is to confuse the ILO with later economic institutions such as the IMF. To avoid these errors, keep in mind that the ILO is unique because it predates the UN and represents a bridge between the League of Nations era and the modern United Nations system.

Final Answer:
The agency that already existed before the Second World War and later became part of the UN system is the International Labour Organization.