How the UN works
The UN's operations are funded by contributions from 193 member states. These are represented in the General Assembly, the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), where the mandate of each organisation is defined.
Nearly 65,000 UN employees, including around 16,000 in the Secretariat alone, work on these mandates, either based in headquarters in New York, Geneva, Nairobi or others, or in the field.
Focus areas
UN organisations and specialised agencies aim to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030: