Definition

Noun: - A United Nations agency: An organization that operates under the authority of the United Nations (UN) to address specific international issues, such as health, education, refugees, or development. These agencies are established by the UN to carry out its work in specialized fields.

Usage

• The term "UN agency" is used to refer to a specific, autonomous organization within the United Nations system.
• It functions as a countable noun.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The World Health Organization (WHO) is a major UN agency focused on global public health.
  • Funding for the refugee program was provided by a UN agency.
  • She began her career working for a UN agency dedicated to children's welfare.

Advanced Usage

• "Specialized UN agency": Often used to describe agencies with a specific technical or humanitarian mandate.
  • The International Civil Aviation Organization is a specialized UN agency.
• The term can be used in both formal reports and general news contexts to identify the institutional actor.

Variants and Related Words

• United Nations agency: A full, formal synonym for "UN agency."
• UN body / UN organ: These are broader terms that can include agencies but also refer to other principal organs like the Security Council or the General Assembly. A "UN agency" is a type of "UN body."
• UN programme / fund (e.g., UNDP, UNICEF): These are also part of the UN system and perform similar functions, though their specific legal and operational structures may differ slightly from those of specialized agencies.

Synonyms

• United Nations organization
• International agency (of the UN)

Notes on Meaning

• The core meaning is an organization that is part of the United Nations system but often operates with a degree of independence. It is not simply a department within the UN Secretariat.
• The phrase should not be confused with the actions ("agency") of the UN as a whole. Here, "agency" means an organization or institution.

Noun

1. an agency of the United Nations