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123-513: The World Health Organization ( WHO ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for global public health . It is headquartered in Geneva , Switzerland, and has six regional offices and 150 field offices worldwide. Only sovereign States can participate, and it is the largest intergovernmental health organization at the international level. The WHO's purpose is to achieve

246-488: A public health emergency of international concern, marking the second such declaration in the last two years due to the virus's transmission. The WHO's Constitution states that its objective "is the attainment by all people of the highest possible level of health". The WHO fulfils this objective through its functions as defined in its Constitution: As of 2012, the WHO has defined its role in public health as follows: Since

369-607: A French explorer of Egypt, became chief engineer of Egypt's Public Works . In addition to his normal duties, he surveyed the Isthmus of Suez and made plans for the Suez Canal. French Saint-Simonianists showed an interest in the canal and in 1833, Barthélemy Prosper Enfantin tried to draw Muhammad Ali's attention to the canal but was unsuccessful. Alois Negrelli , the Italian - Austrian railroad pioneer, became interested in

492-409: A canal might disrupt their commercial and maritime supremacy. Lord Palmerston , the project's most unwavering foe, confessed in the mid-1850s the real motive behind his opposition: that Britain's commercial and maritime relations would be overthrown by the opening of a new route, open to all nations, and thus deprive his country of its present exclusive advantages. As one of the diplomatic moves against

615-501: A convention concerning the bubonic plague was signed by sixteen of the nineteen states attending the Venice conference. While Denmark , Sweden-Norway , and the US did not sign this convention, it was unanimously agreed that the work of the prior conferences should be codified for implementation. Subsequent conferences, from 1902 until the final one in 1938, widened the diseases of concern for

738-671: A conversation with another monk, Fidelis, who had sailed on the canal from the Nile to the Red Sea during a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in the first half of the 8th century. The Abbasid caliph al-Mansur is said to have ordered this canal closed in 767 to prevent supplies from reaching Arabian detractors. The remaining section of the canal near the Nile, known as the Khalij , continued to serve as part of Cairo's water infrastructure until

861-492: A council of members elected from the assembly. The work of IMO is conducted through five committees, and these are supported by technical sub-committees. Member organizations of the U.N. organizational family may observe the proceedings of the IMO. Observer status may be granted to qualified non-governmental organizations. The IMO is supported by a permanent secretariat of employees who are representative of its members. The secretariat

984-567: A detailed description of the canal complete with plans and profiles. The Suez Canal Company ( Compagnie universelle du canal maritime de Suez ) came into being on 15 December 1858. The British government had opposed the project from the outset to its completion. The British, who controlled both the Cape route and the Overland route to India and the Far East, favored the status quo , given that

1107-752: A dream. Despite entering negotiations with Egypt's ruling Mamelukes , the Venetian plan to build the canal was quickly put to rest by the Ottoman conquest of Egypt in 1517 , led by Sultan Selim I . During the 16th century, the Ottoman Grand Vizier Sokollu Mehmed Pasha attempted to construct a canal connecting the Red Sea and the Mediterranean . This was motivated by a desire to connect Constantinople to

1230-602: A focus on the poorest countries. It is part of the World Bank Group (WBG). The International Finance Corporation is the largest multilateral source of loan and equity financing for private sector projects in the developing world. It is part of the World Bank Group (WBG). The World Health Organization (WHO) acts as a coordinating authority on international public health and deals with health, sanitation, and diseases and sends medical teams to help combat epidemics . Established on 7th April 1948, when 26 members of

1353-758: A forum for advice, negotiation and assistance on financial issues. It is headquartered in Washington D.C. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) was established to standardize and regulate international radio and telecommunications . It was founded as the International Telegraph Union in Paris on 17 May 1865. Its main tasks include standardization , allocation of the radio spectrum, and organizing interconnection arrangements between different countries to allow international phone calls—in which regard it performs for telecommunications

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1476-518: A leading role in several public health achievements, most notably the eradication of smallpox , the eradication of polio , and the development of an Ebola vaccine . Its current priorities include communicable diseases , such as HIV/AIDS , Ebola , malaria and tuberculosis ; non-communicable diseases such as heart disease and cancer ; healthy diet , nutrition, and food security ; occupational health ; and substance abuse . The agency advocates for universal health care coverage, engagement with

1599-488: A neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and debate policy. FAO's mandate is to raise levels of nutrition, improve agricultural productivity , better the lives of rural populations and contribute to the growth of the world economy. FAO is the largest of the U.N. agencies. It was established in 1945, succeeding the International Institute of Agriculture , and its headquarters

1722-683: A number of granite stelae that he set up on the Nile bank, including one near Kabret, and a further one a few kilometres north of Suez. Darius the Great's Suez Inscriptions read: King Darius says: I am a Persian; setting out from Persia I conquered Egypt. I ordered to dig this canal from the river that is called Nile and flows in Egypt, to the sea that begins in Persia. Therefore, when this canal had been dug as I had ordered, ships went from Egypt through this canal to Persia, as I had intended The canal left

1845-636: A portion of the first, was constructed under the reign of Necho II (610–595 BCE), but the only fully functional canal was engineered and completed by Darius I (522–486 BCE). James Henry Breasted attributes the earliest-known attempt to construct a canal to the first cataract , near Aswan, to the Sixth Dynasty of Egypt and its completion to Senusret III (1878–1839 BCE) of the Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt . The legendary Sesostris (likely either Pharaoh Senusret II or Senusret III of

1968-530: A resolution on disability prevention and rehabilitation , with a focus on community-driven care. 1977 and 1978: The first list of essential medicines was drawn up, and a year later the ambitious goal of " Health For All " was declared. 1986: The WHO began its global programme on HIV/AIDS . Two years later preventing discrimination against patients was attended to and in 1996 the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)

2091-427: A resolution passed on the subject, Alger Hiss , the secretary general of the conference, recommended using a declaration to establish such an organization. Sze and other delegates lobbied and a declaration passed calling for an international conference on health. The use of the word "world", rather than "international", emphasized the truly global nature of what the organization was seeking to achieve. The constitution of

2214-507: A series of conferences that took place until 1938, about 87 years. The first conference, in Paris, was almost solely concerned with cholera , which would remain the disease of major concern for the ISC for most of the 19th century. With the cause , origin, and communicability of many epidemic diseases still uncertain and a matter of scientific argument, international agreement on appropriate measures

2337-556: A significant infusion of financial and technical resources. The WHO's official mandate is to promote health and safety while helping the vulnerable worldwide. It provides technical assistance to countries, sets international health standards, collects data on global health issues, and serves as a forum for scientific or policy discussions related to health. Its official publication, the World Health Report , provides assessments of worldwide health topics. The WHO has played

2460-695: A similar function to what the Universal Postal Union (UPU) performs for postal services. It has its headquarters in Geneva , Switzerland, next to the U.N.'s Geneva campus. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945 with its headquarters in Paris , France . Its stated purpose is to contribute to peace and security by promoting international collaboration through education, science, and culture to propagate further universal respect for justice,

2583-401: Is a specialized agency of the United Nations created in 1967 and headquartered in Geneva , Switzerland . Its purpose is to encourage creative activity and to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world. The organization administers several treaties concerning the protection of intellectual property rights. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) originated from

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2706-654: Is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt , connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia (and by extension, the Sinai Peninsula from the rest of Egypt). The 193.30-kilometre-long (120.11 mi) canal is a key trade route between Europe and Asia. In 1858, French diplomat Ferdinand de Lesseps formed the Compagnie de Suez for

2829-636: Is an intergovernmental organization that provides services and advice concerning migration to governments and migrants, including internally displaced persons, refugees, and migrant workers. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is an intergovernmental organization, located in The Hague, Netherlands . The organization promotes and verifies the adherence to the Chemical Weapons Convention which prohibits

2952-568: Is composed of a Secretary-General who is periodically elected by the Assembly, and various divisions including, inter alia , marine safety, environmental protection, and a conference section. It also promotes international cooperation in education, science and culture. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is part of the United Nations system and has a formal relationship agreement with the U.N., but retains its independence. The IMF provides monetary cooperation and financial stability and acts as

3075-619: Is dedicated to eradicating rural poverty in developing countries. Its headquarters are in Rome , Italy . The International Labour Organization (ILO) deals with labour issues. Its headquarters are in Geneva , Switzerland . Founded in 1919, it was formed through the negotiations of the Treaty of Versailles and was initially an agency of the League of Nations. It became a member of the UN system after

3198-624: Is in [Rome]. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) was founded in 1947. It codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth. Its headquarters are located in Montreal , Quebec, Canada. The ICAO Council adopts standards and recommended practices concerning air navigation, prevention of unlawful interference, and facilitation of border-crossing procedures for international civil aviation . In addition, ICAO defines

3321-769: Is the International Refugee Organization (IRO), which existed from 1946 to 1952. In 1952, it was replaced by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which is a subsidiary organ of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). There are other intergovernmental organizations that have concluded cooperation agreements with the United Nations. In terms of cooperation structures, some agreements come very close to

3444-488: The Bitter Lakes and Lake Timsah ). In his Meteorology , Aristotle (384–322 BCE) wrote: One of their kings tried to make a canal to it (for it would have been of no little advantage to them for the whole region to have become navigable; Sesostris is said to have been the first of the ancient kings to try), but he found that the sea was higher than the land. So he first, and Darius afterwards, stopped making

3567-626: The Institution of Civil Engineers in London, and again Negrelli, to examine the plans developed by Linant de Bellefonds , and to advise on the feasibility of and the best route for the canal. After surveys and analyses in Egypt and discussions in Paris on various aspects of the canal, where many of Negrelli's ideas prevailed, the commission produced a unanimous report in December 1856 containing

3690-606: The Mediterranenan , Ismailia (1862) near the middle and north of Lake Timsah , and Port Twefik (1867) at the canal's southern entrance on the Red Sea. The canal opened under French control in November 1869. The opening ceremonies began at Port Said on the evening of 15 November, with illuminations, fireworks, and a banquet on the yacht of the Khedive Isma'il Pasha of Egypt and Sudan . The royal guests arrived

3813-550: The Spice Islands , and forever changed the balance of Mediterranean trade. One of the most prominent losers in the new order, as former middlemen, was the former spice trading center of Venice . Venetian leaders, driven to desperation, contemplated digging a waterway between the Red Sea and the Nile—anticipating the Suez Canal by almost 400 years—to bring the luxury trade flooding to their doors again. But this remained

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3936-574: The Suez Crisis of October–November 1956. The canal is operated and maintained by the state-owned Suez Canal Authority (SCA) of Egypt. Under the Convention of Constantinople , it may be used "in time of war as in time of peace, by every vessel of commerce or of war, without distinction of flag." Nevertheless, the canal has played an important military strategic role as a naval short-cut and choke point . Navies with coastlines and bases on both

4059-593: The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and smaller organizations. As of 2011, it has been working to immunize young children and prevent the re-emergence of cases in countries declared "polio-free". In 2017, a study was conducted as to why Polio Vaccines may not be enough to eradicate the Virus & conduct new technology. Polio is now on

4182-850: The USSR , called on the World Health Assembly to undertake a global initiative to eradicate smallpox, resulting in Resolution WHA11.54. 1965: The first report on diabetes mellitus and the creation of the International Agency for Research on Cancer . 1966: The WHO moved its headquarters from the Ariana wing at the Palace of Nations to a newly constructed headquarters elsewhere in Geneva. 1967: The WHO intensified

4305-1038: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the World Bank . 1975: The WHO launched the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical diseases (the TDR). Co-sponsored by UNICEF , UNDP, and the World Bank, it was established in response to a 1974 request from the WHA for an intensive effort to develop improved control of tropical diseases. The TDR's goals are, firstly, to support and coordinate international research into diagnosis, treatment and control of tropical diseases; and, secondly, to strengthen research capabilities within endemic countries. 1976: The WHA enacted

4428-695: The United Nations System by the United Nations Economic and Social Council acting under Articles 57 and 63 of the United Nations Charter . At present, the U.N. has in total 15 specialized agencies that carry out various functions on behalf of the UN. The specialized agencies are listed below. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as

4551-569: The World Health Assembly finished on 24 July 1948, having secured a budget of US$ 5 million (then £1,250,000 ) for the 1949 year. G. Brock Chisholm was appointed director-general of the WHO, having served as executive secretary and a founding member during the planning stages, while Andrija Štampar was the assembly's first president. Its first priorities were to control the spread of malaria , tuberculosis and sexually transmitted infections , and to improve maternal and child health , nutrition and environmental hygiene. Its first legislative act

4674-736: The pilgrimage and trade routes of the Indian Ocean , as well as by strategic concerns—as the European presence in the Indian Ocean was growing, Ottoman mercantile and strategic interests were increasingly challenged , and the Sublime Porte was increasingly pressed to assert its position . A navigable canal would allow the Ottoman Navy to connect its Red Sea , Black Sea , and Mediterranean fleets. However, this project

4797-522: The rule of law , and the human rights and fundamental freedoms proclaimed in the U.N. Charter. The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is the specialized agency of the United Nations, which promotes inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID), headquartered in Vienna , Austria. The organization addresses some of the most pressing issues of our time and works to accelerate economic growth to bring prosperity to all while at

4920-517: The 13th century BCE during the time of Ramesses II . Remnants of an ancient west–east canal through the ancient Egyptian cities of Bubastis , Pi-Ramesses , and Pithom were discovered by Napoleon Bonaparte and his engineers and cartographers in 1799. According to the Histories of the Greek historian Herodotus , about 600 BCE, Necho II undertook to dig a west–east canal through

5043-473: The 19th century. In later periods, the canal was closed with a dike for much of the year and reopened during the flood season. The Fatimid caliph al-Hakim is claimed to have repaired the Cairo to Red Sea passageway, but only briefly, circa 1000 CE, as it soon "became choked with sand". The successful 1488 navigation of southern Africa by Bartolomeu Dias opened a direct maritime trading route to India and

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5166-594: The Cattaui banking family, and their relationship with James de Rothschild of the French House of Rothschild bonds and shares were successfully promoted in France and other parts of Europe. All French shares were quickly sold in France. A contemporary British skeptic claimed "One thing is sure... our local merchant community doesn't pay practical attention at all to this grand work, and it is legitimate to doubt that

5289-503: The Health Organization of the League of Nations. After World War II , the United Nations absorbed all the other health organizations, to form the WHO. During the 1945 United Nations Conference on International Organization, Szeming Sze , a delegate from China, conferred with Norwegian and Brazilian delegates on creating an international health organization under the auspices of the new United Nations. After failing to get

5412-662: The Heroopolite Gulf and the Red Sea in the vicinity of the Egyptian town of Shaluf (alt. Chalouf or Shaloof ), located just south of the Great Bitter Lake, had become so blocked with silt that Darius needed to clear it out so as to allow navigation once again. According to Herodotus, Darius's canal was wide enough that two triremes could pass each other with oars extended, and required four days to traverse. Darius commemorated his achievement with

5535-489: The IAEA is not a specialized agency. Instead, its relationship with the United Nations is governed by a special agreement as well as by its statute that commits the IAEA to report annually to the General Assembly and, when appropriate, to the Security Council. Since September 2016, the International Organization for Migration has been a related organization to the United Nations with its headquarters in Geneva , Switzerland . The International Organization for Migration (IOM)

5658-421: The ISC, and included discussions of responses to yellow fever , brucellosis , leprosy , tuberculosis , and typhoid . In part as a result of the successes of the Conferences, the Pan-American Sanitary Bureau (1902), and the Office International d'Hygiène Publique or " International office of Public Hygiene " in english(1907) were soon founded. When the League of Nations was formed in 1920, it established

5781-564: The International Finance Corporation ( IFC ), the International Development Association ( IDA ), the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency ( MIGA ), and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes ( ICSID ). It is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world. Its mission is to fight poverty with passion and professionalism for lasting results and to help people help themselves and their environment by providing resources, sharing knowledge, building capacity and forging partnerships in

5904-415: The International Meteorological Organization (IMO), which was founded in 1873. Established in 1950, WMO became the specialized agency of the United Nations for modern meteorology (weather and climate), operational hydrology and related geophysical sciences. It has its headquarters in Geneva , Switzerland . The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO or WTO) was established in 1974 in Madrid , Spain, to replace

6027-425: The International Union of Official Tourist Publicity Organizations (IUOTPO). UNWTO has 160 member states and 350 affiliated members representing private organizations, educational institutions, and others. It is headquartered in Madrid, Spain. The World Tourism Organization serves as a forum for tourism policies and acts as a practical source for tourism know-how. The only U.N. specialized agency to go out of existence

6150-464: The Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea ( Egypt and Israel ) have a particular interest in the Suez Canal. After Egypt closed the Suez Canal at the beginning of the Six-Day War on 5 June 1967, the canal remained closed for eight years, reopening on 5 June 1975. The Egyptian government launched construction in 2014 to expand and widen the Ballah Bypass for 35 km (22 mi) to speed up the canal's transit time. The expansion intended to nearly double

6273-399: The Nile at Bubastis. An inscription on a pillar at Pithom records that in 270 or 269 BCE, it was again reopened, by Ptolemy II Philadelphus . In Arsinoe , Ptolemy constructed a navigable lock , with sluices , at the Heroopolite Gulf of the Red Sea, which allowed the passage of vessels but prevented salt water from the Red Sea from mingling with the fresh water in the canal. In

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6396-410: The Persian king Darius had the same idea, and yet again Ptolemy II , who made a trench 100 feet (30 m) wide, 30 feet (9 m) deep and about 35 miles (55 km) long, as far as the Bitter Lakes. In the 20th century, the northward extension of the later Darius I canal was discovered, extending from Lake Timsah to the Ballah Lakes. This was dated to the Middle Kingdom of Egypt by extrapolating

6519-426: The Red Sea when it once extended north to Lake Timsah. ) The Red Sea is believed by some historians to have gradually receded over the centuries, its coastline slowly moving southward away from Lake Timsah and the Great Bitter Lake. Coupled with persistent accumulations of Nile silt , maintenance and repair of Ptolemy's canal became increasingly cumbersome over each passing century. Two hundred years after

6642-413: The Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt ) may have constructed the ancient canal, the Canal of the Pharaohs , joining the Nile with the Red Sea (1897–1839 BCE), when an irrigation channel was constructed around 1848 BCE that was navigable during the flood season , leading into a dry river valley east of the Nile River Delta named Wadi Tumilat . (It is said that in ancient times the Red Sea reached northward to

6765-416: The UN. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) established such an agreement with the UN in 1957. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) also used this model for agreements of their own with the UN. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization Preparatory Commission is tasked with preparing

6888-430: The United Nations ratified its Constitution, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health Organization, which had been an agency of the League of Nations. 7 April is now celebrated as World Health Day every year. The WHO is governed by 194 Member States through the World Health Assembly. It is headquartered in Geneva , Switzerland . The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

7011-433: The United Nations together with the exchange of letters related thereto, and taking into account the respective co-ordinating responsibilities of both organizations, it is recognized by the World Health Organization that the International Atomic Energy Agency has the primary responsibility for encouraging, assisting and co-ordinating research and development and practical application of atomic energy for peaceful uses throughout

7134-430: The WHO over the organization's unwillingness to share the penicillin recipe. They would not return until 1956. 1950: A mass tuberculosis inoculation drive using the BCG vaccine gets under way. 1955: The malaria eradication programme was launched, although objectives were later modified. (In most areas, the programme goals became control instead of eradication.) 1958: Viktor Zhdanov , Deputy Minister of Health for

7257-510: The WHO was to report as to whether RTS,S /AS01, were a viable malaria vaccine . For the time being, insecticide -treated mosquito nets and insecticide sprays are used to prevent the spread of malaria, as are antimalarial drugs – particularly to vulnerable people such as pregnant women and young children. In 1988, WHO launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative to eradicate polio . It has also been successful in helping to reduce cases by 99% since WHO partnered with Rotary International ,

7380-424: The WHO's role and priorities in public health, ranging from narrowing its mandate to strengthening its independence and authority. During the 1970s, WHO had dropped its commitment to a global malaria eradication campaign as too ambitious, it retained a strong commitment to malaria control. WHO's Global Malaria Programme works to keep track of malaria cases, and future problems in malaria control schemes. As of 2012,

7503-420: The Wadi Tumilat between Bubastis and Heroopolis , and perhaps continued it to the Heroopolite Gulf and the Red Sea. Regardless, Necho is reported as having never completed his project. Herodotus was told that 120,000 men perished in this undertaking, but this figure is doubtless exaggerated. According to Pliny the Elder , Necho's extension to the canal was about 92 kilometres (57 statute miles), equal to

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7626-442: The World Health Organization was signed by all 51 countries of the United Nations, and by 10 other countries, on 22 July 1946. It thus became the first specialized agency of the United Nations to which every member subscribed. Its constitution formally came into force on the first World Health Day on 7 April 1948, when it was ratified by the 26th member state. The WHO formally began its work in September 1, 1948. The first meeting of

7749-512: The activities of the nuclear non-proliferation organization. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an intergovernmental organization for scientific and technical cooperation in the field of nuclear technology. It is headquartered in Vienna, Austria. It seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for military purposes . The IAEA was set up as an autonomous organization on 29 July 1957. Before this, in 1953, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower envisioned

7872-422: The basis for global prevention, treatment, and support the plan to fight the AIDS pandemic . 2006: The WHO launches the Global action plan for influenza vaccines 2016: The Global action plan for influenza vaccines ends with a report which concludes that while substantial progress has been made over the 10 years of the Plan, the world is still not ready to respond to an influenza pandemic. 2016: Following

7995-412: The beach. In the evening there were more illuminations and fireworks. On the morning of 17 November, a procession of ships entered the canal, headed by the L'Aigle . Among the ships following was  HMS Newport , captained by George Nares , which surveyed the canal on behalf of the Admiralty a few months later. The Newport was involved in an incident that demonstrated some of the problems with

8118-422: The budget and activities. The WHO is funded primarily by contributions from member states (both assessed and voluntary), followed by private donors. Its total approved budget for 2020–2021 is over $ 7.2 billion, while the approved budget for 2022–2023 is over $ 6.2 billion. The budget is $ 6.83 billion for 2024–2025. The International Sanitary Conferences (ISC), the first of which was held on 23 June 1851, were

8241-615: The canal's receipts... could ever be sufficient to recover its maintenance fee. It will never become a large ship's accessible way in any case." Work started on the shore of the future Port Said on 25 April 1859. The excavation took some 10 years, with forced labour ( corvée ) being employed until 1864 to dig out the canal. Some sources estimate that over 30,000 people were working on the canal at any given period, that more than 1.5 million people from various countries were employed, and that tens of thousands of labourers died, many of them from cholera and similar epidemics. Estimates of

8364-421: The canal, lest the sea should mix with the river water and spoil it. Strabo wrote that Sesostris started to build a canal, and Pliny the Elder (23/24–79 CE) wrote: 165. Next comes the Tyro tribe and, the harbour of the Daneoi , from which Sesostris, king of Egypt, intended to carry a ship-canal to where the Nile flows into what is known as the Delta; this is a distance of over 60 miles (100 km). Later

8487-421: The canal. There were suggestions that the depth of parts of the canal at the time of the inauguration were not as great as promised, and that the deepest part of the channel was not always clear, leading to a risk of grounding. The first day of the passage ended at Lake Timsah , 76 kilometres (41 nmi) south of Port Said. The French ship Péluse anchored close to the entrance, then swung around and grounded,

8610-456: The capacity of the Suez Canal, from 49 to 97 ships per day. At a cost of LE 59.4 billion (US$ 9 billion), this project was funded with interest-bearing investment certificates issued exclusively to Egyptian entities and individuals. The Suez Canal Authority officially opened the new side channel in 2016. This side channel, at the northern side of the east extension of the Suez Canal, serves the East Terminal for berthing and unberthing vessels from

8733-523: The construction challenges that could have been the result of the alleged difference in sea levels, the idea of finding a shorter route to the east remained alive. In 1830, General Francis Chesney submitted a report to the British government that stated that there was no difference in elevation and that the Suez Canal was feasible, but his report received no further attention. Lieutenant Waghorn established his "Overland Route", which transported post and passengers to India via Egypt. Linant de Bellefonds ,

8856-548: The construction of Ptolemy's canal, Cleopatra seems to have had no west–east waterway passage, because the Pelusiac branch of the Nile, which fed Ptolemy's west–east canal, had by that time dwindled, being choked with silt. In support of this contention one can note that in 31 BCE, during a reversal of fortune in Mark Antony 's and Cleopatra's war against Octavian , she attempted to escape Egypt with her fleet by raising

8979-792: The continuing effects of nuclear disasters in Chernobyl and Fukushima . They believe WHO must regain what they see as independence. Independent WHO held a weekly vigil from 2007 to 2017 in front of WHO headquarters. However, as pointed out by Foreman in clause 2 it states: In particular, and in accordance with the Constitution of the World Health Organization and the Statute of the International Atomic Energy Agency and its agreement with

9102-547: The creation of this international body to control and develop the use of atomic energy, in his " Atoms for Peace " speech before the U.N. General Assembly. The organization and its former Director-General, Mohamed ElBaradei , were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize announced on 7 October 2005. As of March 2015, the IAEA's membership is 164 countries. Due to historical reasons and the political nature of its work,

9225-559: The dates of ancient sites along its course. The reliefs of the Punt expedition under Hatshepsut , 1470 BCE, depict seagoing vessels carrying the expeditionary force returning from Punt. This suggests that a navigable link existed between the Red Sea and the Nile. Recent excavations in Wadi Gawasis may indicate that Egypt's maritime trade started from the Red Sea and did not require a canal. Evidence seems to indicate its existence by

9348-722: The demise of the League and the formation of the UN at the end of World War II. Its Constitution , as amended to date, includes the Declaration of Philadelphia on the aims and purposes of the Organization. Its secretariat is known as the International Labour Office. The International Maritime Organization (IMO), formerly known as the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO),

9471-578: The discovery of an ancient canal extending northward from the Red Sea and then westward toward the Nile. Later, Napoleon, who became the French Emperor in 1804, contemplated the construction of a north–south canal to connect the Mediterranean with the Red Sea. But the plan was abandoned because it incorrectly concluded that the waterway would require locks to operate, the construction of which would be costly and time-consuming. The belief in

9594-664: The establishment of international standards for biological products. The WHO was established on April 7, 1948, and formally began its work on September 1, 1948. It incorporated the assets, personnel, and duties of the League of Nations ' Health Organization and the Paris-based Office International d'Hygiène Publique , including the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). The agency's work began in earnest in 1951 after

9717-831: The express purpose of building the canal . Construction of the canal lasted from 1859 to 1869. The canal officially opened on 17 November 1869. It offers vessels a direct route between the North Atlantic and northern Indian oceans via the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, avoiding the South Atlantic and southern Indian oceans and reducing the journey distance from the Arabian Sea to London by approximately 8,900 kilometres (5,500 mi), to 10 days at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) or 8 days at 24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph). The canal extends from

9840-548: The fiftieth anniversary of WHO's founding. He, did, however, accept that more had to be done to assist maternal health and that progress in this area had been slow. 2000: The Stop TB Partnership was created along with the UN's formulation of the Millennium Development Goals . 2001: The measles initiative was formed, and credited with reducing global deaths from the disease by 68% by 2007. 2002: The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

9963-510: The first century AD, who named it Amnis Traianus after himself. He reportedly moved its mouth on the Nile further south, at the site of what is now Old Cairo . By the time of the Arab conquest in 641 AD, this canal had fallen out of use. The commander of the Muslim force, Amr ibn al-As , ordered that it be restored so as to improve connections between Egypt and Medina , the Muslim capital at

10086-738: The following morning: the Emperor Franz Joseph I , the French Empress Eugenie in the Imperial yacht L'Aigle , the Crown Prince of Prussia , and Prince Louis of Hesse . Other international guests included the American natural historian H. W. Harkness . In the afternoon there were blessings of the canal with both Muslim and Christian ceremonies, a temporary mosque and church having been built side by side on

10209-445: The global smallpox eradication campaign by contributing $ 2.4 million annually to the effort and adopted a new disease surveillance method, at a time when 2 million people were dying from smallpox per year. The initial problem the WHO team faced was inadequate reporting of smallpox cases. WHO established a network of consultants who assisted countries in setting up surveillance and containment activities. The WHO also helped contain

10332-451: The highest possible level of health for all the world's people, defining health as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." The main functions of the World Health Organization include: to promote the control of epidemic and endemic diseases; to provide and improve the teaching and training in public health, the medical treatment of disease and related matters; and to promote

10455-409: The idea in 1836. In 1846, Prosper Enfantin's Société d'Études du Canal de Suez invited a number of experts, among them Robert Stephenson , Negrelli and Paul-Adrien Bourdaloue to study the feasibility of the Suez Canal (with the assistance of Linant de Bellefonds). Bourdaloue's survey of the isthmus was the first generally accepted evidence that there was no practical difference in elevation between

10578-548: The intergovernmental level, and through the Chief Executives Board for co-ordination (CEB) at the inter-secretariat level. One of the principal objectives of the UN is to solve economic, social, cultural and humanitarian issues through international cooperation. Several specialized agencies have been set up to achieve these goals, agencies which may or may not have been created by the UN, but were incorporated into

10701-532: The last European outbreak in Yugoslavia in 1972 . After over two decades of fighting smallpox, a Global Commission declared in 1979 that the disease had been eradicated – the first disease in history to be eliminated by human effort. 1974: The Expanded Programme on Immunization and the control programme of onchocerciasis was started, an important partnership between the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO),

10824-453: The late 20th century, the rise of new actors engaged in global health—such as the World Bank , the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief ( PEPFAR ) and dozens of public-private partnerships for global health—have weakened the WHO's role as a coordinator and policy leader in the field; subsequently, there are various proposals to reform or reorient

10947-478: The limited reported data of the time, the number would be fewer than 1,000. From its inauguration, till 1925, the Suez Canal Company built a series of company towns along the canal to serve its operation. They included ports and their facilities as well as housing for employees segregated by race or nationality. These were Port Said (1869) and Port Fuad (1925) at the canal's northern entrance by

11070-475: The monitoring of public health risks, coordinating responses to health emergencies, and promoting health and well-being generally. The WHO is governed by the World Health Assembly (WHA), which is composed of its 194 member states. The WHA elects and advises an executive board made up of 34 health specialists; selects the WHO's chief administrator, the director-general (currently Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of Ethiopia ); sets goals and priorities; and approves

11193-413: The need for locks was based on the erroneous belief that the Red Sea was 8.5 m (28 ft) higher than the Mediterranean. This was the result of using fragmentary survey measurements taken in wartime during Napoleon's Egyptian Expedition . As late as 1861, the unnavigable ancient route discovered by Napoleon from Bubastis to the Red Sea still channelled water as far east as Kassassin . Despite

11316-559: The northern terminus of Port Said to the southern terminus of Port Tewfik at the city of Suez . In 2021, more than 20,600 vessels traversed the canal (an average of 56 per day). The original canal featured a single-lane waterway with passing locations in the Ballah Bypass and the Great Bitter Lake . It contained, according to Alois Negrelli 's plans, no locks , with seawater flowing freely through it. In general,

11439-424: The number of deaths vary widely with Gamal Abdel Nasser citing 120,000 deaths upon nationalisation of the canal in a 26 July 1956 speech and the company's chief medical officer reporting no higher than 2.49 deaths per thousand in 1866. Doubling these estimates with a generous assumption of 50,000 working staff per year over 11 years would put a conservative estimate at fewer than 3,000 deaths. More closely relying on

11562-474: The other organization has or may have a substantial interest, the first party shall consult the other with a view to adjusting the matter by mutual agreement. The nature of this statement has led some groups and activists including Women in Europe for a Common Future to claim that the WHO is restricted in its ability to investigate the effects on human health of radiation caused by the use of nuclear power and

11685-563: The perceived failure of the response to the West Africa Ebola outbreak , the World Health Emergencies programme was formed, changing the WHO from just being a "normative" agency to one that responds operationally to health emergencies. 2020: the World Health Organization announced that it had classified the novel coronavirus outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern. The novel coronavirus

11808-434: The project when it nevertheless went ahead, it disapproved of the use of "forced labour" for construction of the canal. Involuntary labour on the project ceased, and the viceroy condemned the corvée, halting the project. International opinion was initially skeptical, and shares of the Suez Canal Company did not sell well overseas. Britain, Austria , and Russia did not buy a significant number of shares. With assistance from

11931-456: The protocols for air accident investigation followed by transport safety authorities in countries signatory to the Convention on International Civil Aviation . The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) was established as an international financial institution in 1977, as one of the major outcomes of the 1974 World Food Conference and a response to the situation in the Sahel . It

12054-497: The public and private sectors. WBG's headquarters are in Washington, D.C. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development makes loans to developing countries for development programmes with the stated goal of reducing poverty. It is part of the World Bank Group (WBG). The International Development Association 's mandate is close to that of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development , with

12177-403: The relationship agreements concluded under articles 57 and 63 of the U.N. Charter with the specialized agencies, but due to Charter requirements that the agencies deal with "economic, social, cultural, educational, health, and related fields", organizations with such agreements are not formally specialized agencies of the United Nations. These organizations are termed Related Organizations by

12300-482: The same time safeguarding the environment. UNIDO's mandate is fully aligned with the global development agenda, which underlines the central role of industrialization and its importance as a key enabler for all 17 Global Goals , and especially for SDG9. The Director General is Gerd Müller . The Universal Postal Union (UPU), headquartered in Bern , Switzerland, coordinates postal policies between member nations, and hence

12423-399: The second half of the 19th century, French cartographers discovered the remnants of an ancient north–south canal past the east side of Lake Timsah and ending near the north end of the Great Bitter Lake. This proved to be the canal made by Darius I, as his stele commemorating its construction was found at the site. (This ancient, second canal may have followed a course along the shoreline of

12546-582: The ship and its hawser blocking the way into the lake. The following ships had to anchor in the canal itself until the Péluse was hauled clear the next morning, making it difficult for them to join that night's celebration in Ismailia . Except for the Newport : Nares sent out a boat to carry out soundings, and was able to manoeuver around the Péluse to enter the lake and anchor there for the night. Ismailia

12669-460: The ships out of the Mediterranean and dragging them across the isthmus of Suez to the Red Sea. Then, according to Plutarch , the Arabs of Petra attacked and burned the first wave of these ships and Cleopatra abandoned the effort. (Modern historians, however, maintain that her ships were burned by the enemy forces of Malichus I .) The ancient canal was re-excavated by Roman emperor Trajan in

12792-609: The spread and effect of tuberculosis, and stabilising the drug supply. It has also recognized the vulnerability of victims of HIV/AIDS to tuberculosis. List of specialized agencies of the United Nations United Nations Specialized Agencies are autonomous organizations working with the United Nations and each other through the co-ordinating machinery of the United Nations Economic and Social Council at

12915-644: The terminal. As the East Container Terminal is located on the Canal itself, before the construction of the new side channel it was not possible to berth or unberth vessels at the terminal while a convoy was running. Ancient west–east canals were built to facilitate travel from the Nile to the Red Sea . One smaller canal is believed to have been constructed under the auspices of Senusret II or Ramesses II . Another canal, probably incorporating

13038-538: The time. The Muslim canal was excavated further north from Trajan's canal, joining the Nile close to what is now the Sayyida Zaynab neighbourhood of Cairo. This canal reportedly ended near modern Suez . The site of the former Roman channel near the Nile was absorbed into the new city of Fustat . A geography treatise De Mensura Orbis Terrae written by the Irish monk Dicuil (born late 8th century) reports

13161-402: The total distance between Bubastis and the Great Bitter Lake, allowing for winding through valleys . The length that Herodotus tells, of over 1,000 stadia (i.e., over 183 kilometres or 114 miles), must be understood to include the entire distance between the Nile and the Red Sea at that time. With Necho's death, work was discontinued. Herodotus tells that the reason the project was abandoned

13284-485: The two seas. Britain, however, feared that a canal open to everyone might interfere with its India trade and therefore preferred a connection by train from Alexandria via Cairo to Suez, which Stephenson eventually built. In 1854 and 1856, Ferdinand de Lesseps obtained a concession from Sa'id Pasha , the Khedive of Egypt and Sudan , to create a company to construct a canal open to ships of all nations. The company

13407-599: The use of chemical weapons and requires their destruction. The verification consists of both evaluations of declarations by member states and on-site inspections. The World Trade Organization was established instead of the failed proposal for a specialized agency dealing with trade issues , the International Trade Organization . WTO headquarters are in Geneva , Switzerland . Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( / ˈ s uː . ɛ z / ; Arabic : قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ , Qanāt as-Suwais )

13530-546: The verge of extinction, thanks to a Global Vaccination Drive. The World Health Organization (WHO) stated the eradication programme has saved millions from deadly disease. Between 1990 and 2010, WHO's help has contributed to a 40% decline in the number of deaths from tuberculosis, and since 2005, over 46 million people have been treated and an estimated 7 million lives saved through practices advocated by WHO. These include engaging national governments and their financing, early diagnosis, standardising treatment, monitoring of

13653-472: The water in the canal north of the Bitter Lakes flows north in winter and south in summer. South of the lakes, the current changes with the tide at Suez. The canal was the property of the Egyptian government, but European shareholders, mostly British and French, owned the concessionary company which operated it until July 1956, when President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalised it—an event which led to

13776-486: The world without prejudice to the right of the World Health Organization to concern itself with promoting, developing, assisting and co-ordinating international health work, including research, in all its aspects. The key text is highlighted in bold, the agreement in clause 2 states that the WHO is free to perform any health-related work. 1947: The WHO established an epidemiological information service via telex . 1949: The Soviet Union and its constituent republics quit

13899-492: The worldwide postal system. Each member country agrees to the same set of terms for conducting international postal duties. The World Bank Group is part of the United Nations System and has a formal relationship agreement with the U.N., but retains its independence. The WBG comprises a group of five legally separate but affiliated institutions: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development ( IBRD ),

14022-512: Was a new strain of coronavirus that had never been detected in humans before. The WHO named this new coronavirus " COVID-19 " or "2019-nCov". 2022: The WHO suggests formation of a Global Health Emergency Council, with a new global health emergency workforce, and recommends revision of the International Health Regulations. 2024: WHO has declared the spread of mpox (formerly monkeypox) in several African countries

14145-435: Was because of a warning received from an oracle that others would benefit from its successful completion. Necho's war with Nebuchadnezzar II most probably prevented the canal's continuation. Necho's project was completed by Darius I of Persia , who ruled over Ancient Egypt after it had been conquered by his predecessor Cambyses II . It may be that by Darius's time a natural waterway passage which had existed between

14268-540: Was concerning the compilation of accurate statistics on the spread and morbidity of disease. The logo of the World Health Organization features the Rod of Asclepius as a symbol for healing. In 1959, the WHO signed Agreement WHA 12–40 with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which says: whenever either organization proposes to initiate a programme or activity on a subject in which

14391-524: Was deemed too expensive, and was never completed. During the French campaign in Egypt and Syria in late 1798, Napoleon expressed interest in finding the remnants of an ancient waterway passage. This culminated in a cadre of archaeologists , scientists, cartographers and engineers scouring northern Egypt. Their findings, recorded in the Description de l'Égypte , include detailed maps that depict

14514-472: Was difficult to reach. Seven of these international conferences, spanning 41 years, were convened before any resulted in a multi-state international agreement. The seventh conference, in Venice in 1892, finally resulted in a convention. It was concerned only with the sanitary control of shipping traversing the Suez Canal , and was an effort to guard against importation of cholera. Five years later, in 1897,

14637-413: Was drawn up to improve the resources available. 2005: The WHO revises International Health Regulations (IHR) in light of emerging health threats and the experience of the 2002/3 SARS epidemic , authorizing WHO, among other things, to declare a health threat a Public Health Emergency of International Concern . 2006: The WHO endorsed the world's first official HIV/AIDS Toolkit for Zimbabwe, which formed

14760-476: Was established in 1948 by the United Nations to coordinate international maritime safety and related practices. However, the IMO did not enter into full force until 1958. Headquartered in London , United Kingdom, IMO promotes cooperation between government and the shipping industry to improve maritime safety and prevent marine pollution . IMO is governed by an Assembly of members and is financially administered by

14883-698: Was formed. 1988: The Global Polio Eradication Initiative was established. 1995: The WHO established an independent International Commission for the Certification of Dracunculiasis Eradication (Guinea worm disease eradication; ICCDE). The ICCDE recommends to the WHO which countries fulfil requirements for certification. It also has role in advising on progress made towards elimination of transmission and processes for verification. 1998: The WHO's director-general highlighted gains in child survival, reduced infant mortality , increased life expectancy and reduced rates of "scourges" such as smallpox and polio on

15006-519: Was the scene of more celebrations the following day, including a military "march past", illuminations and fireworks, and a ball at the Governor's Palace. The convoy set off again on the morning of 19 November, for the remainder of the trip to Suez. After Suez, many of the participants headed for Cairo, and then to the Pyramids, where a new road had been built for the occasion. An Anchor Line ship,

15129-552: Was to operate the canal for 99 years from its opening. De Lesseps had used his friendly relationship with Sa'id, which he had developed while he was a French diplomat in the 1830s. As stipulated in the concessions, de Lesseps convened the International Commission for the piercing of the isthmus of Suez ( Commission Internationale pour le percement de l'isthme de Suez ) consisting of 13 experts from seven countries, among them John Robinson McClean , later President of

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