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55-826: The World Food Programme ( WFP ) is an international organization within the United Nations that provides food assistance worldwide. It is the world's largest humanitarian organization and the leading provider of school meals. Founded in 1961, WFP is headquartered in Rome and has offices in 87 countries. In 2023 it supported over 152 million people, and it is present in more than 120 countries and territories. In addition to emergency food relief, WFP offers technical and development assistance, such as building capacity for emergency preparedness and response, managing supply chains and logistics, promoting social safety programs , and strengthening resilience against climate change . It

110-493: A treaty that acts as a charter creating the group. Treaties are formed when lawful representatives (governments) of several states go through a ratification process, providing the IGO with an international legal personality. Intergovernmental organizations are an important aspect of public international law . Intergovernmental organizations in a legal sense should be distinguished from simple groupings or coalitions of states, such as

165-735: A capitalist economy. The oldest regional organization is the Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine , created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna . There are several different reasons a state may choose membership in an intergovernmental organization. But there are also reasons membership may be rejected. Reasons for participation: Reasons for rejecting membership: Intergovernmental organizations are provided with privileges and immunities that are intended to ensure their independent and effective functioning. They are specified in

220-640: A fair trial . Otherwise, the organizations' immunities may be put in question in national and international courts. Some organizations hold proceedings before tribunals relating to their organization to be confidential, and in some instances have threatened disciplinary action should an employee disclose any of the relevant information. Such confidentiality has been criticized as a lack of transparency . The immunities also extend to employment law . In this regard, immunity from national jurisdiction necessitates that reasonable alternative means are available to effectively protect employees' rights; in this context,

275-854: A first instance Dutch court considered an estimated duration of proceedings before the Administrative Tribunal of the International Labour Organization of 15 years to be too long. An international organization does not pay taxes, is difficult to prosecute in court and is not obliged to provide information to any parliament. The United Nations focuses on five main areas: "maintaining peace and security , protecting human rights , delivering humanitarian aid , supporting sustainable development , and upholding international law ". UN agencies , such as UN Relief and Works Agency , are generally regarded as international organizations in their own right. Additionally,

330-534: A good resource for developmental projects in developing countries. The UN has to protect against any kind of human rights violation, and in the UN system, some specialized agencies, like ILO and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees ( UNHCR ), work in the human rights' protection fields. The UN agency, ILO, is trying to end any kind of discrimination in the work field and child labor; after that, this agency promotes fundamental labor rights and to get safe and secure for

385-569: A record USD 14.1 billion – up by almost 50 percent from 2021 – against an operational funding need of USD 21.4 billion. The United States was the largest donor. In 2023, the WFP received USD 8.3 billion in funding, likely marking the first time since 2010 that funding decreased from the previous year, creating a funding gap of 64%. WFP is governed by an executive board that consists of representatives of 36 member states and provides intergovernmental support, direction, and supervision of WFP's activities. Of

440-564: A statement about the nature and severity of a crisis and implications for strategic response. The IPC was originally developed in 2004 for use in Somalia by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization 's Food Security Analysis Unit (FSAU). Several national governments and international agencies, including CARE International , European Commission Joint Research Centre (EC JRC), Food and Agricultural Organization of

495-595: A variety of issues—was the League of Nations , founded on 10 January 1920 with a principal mission of maintaining world peace after World War I. The United Nations followed this model after World War II . This was signed on 26 June 1945, in San Francisco, at the conclusion of the United Nations Conference on International Organization, and came into force on 24 October 1945. Currently, the UN

550-599: Is a chronological list of those who have served as executive director of the World Food Programme: About two-thirds of WFP life-saving food assistance goes to people facing high degrees of food insecurity, predominantly resulting from violence and armed conflict. Over 60% of the people facing hunger globally live in regions experiencing armed violence, which compounds with increased displacement, destruction of food systems, and increased humanitarian access challenges to pose massive risks to food security in

605-764: Is a slight improvement from the previous year. The IPC’s projections for October-December 2024 suggest ongoing needs for humanitarian assistance, particularly for vulnerable populations in crisis and emergency phase. The latest IPC analysis for Yemen, covering July 2024 to February 2025, highlights severe food insecurity affecting nearly half of the population in government-controlled areas. From July to September 2024, about 4.7 million people faced Crisis (IPC Phase 3) or Emergency (IPC Phase 4) levels of food insecurity. The economic decline, persistent conflict, and irregular humanitarian aid remain key drivers of food insecurity, worsened by recent floods in August 2024. A marginal improvement

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660-653: Is also a major provider of direct cash assistance, and provides passenger services for humanitarian workers through its management of the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) . WFP is an executive member of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group , a consortium of UN entities that aims to fulfil the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), with a priority to achieve SDG 2 , "zero hunger", by 2030. The World Food Programme

715-499: Is also preemptive in offsetting the potential impact of disasters. In the Sahel region of Africa, amidst economic challenges, climate change, and armed militancy, WFP's activities included working with communities and partners to harvest water for irrigation, restore degraded land, and support livelihoods through skills training. It uses early-warning systems to help communities prepare for disasters. In Bangladesh, weather forecasting led to

770-457: Is anticipated, but humanitarian aid is crucial to prevent further deterioration. The challenges of the IPC scale include data quality issues, particularly in conflict zones or areas with limited access for data collection. This often leads to reliance on available but sometimes unreliable data. There are also challenges with subjective interpretation, as expert judgment is required in cases where data

825-484: Is intended to be ensured by legal mechanisms that are internal to the intergovernmental organization itself and access to administrative tribunals. In the course of many court cases where private parties tried to pursue claims against international organizations, there has been a gradual realization that alternative means of dispute settlement are required as states have fundamental human rights obligations to provide plaintiffs with access to court in view of their right to

880-551: Is part of integrated school health and nutrition programmes, which include services such as malaria control, menstrual hygiene and guidance on sanitation and hygiene. WFP is a member of a global consortium that forms the Farm to Market Alliance , which helps smallholder farmers receive information, investment and support, so they can produce and sell marketable surplus and increase their income. WFP connects smallholder farmers to markets in more than 40 countries. In 2008, WFP coordinated

935-817: Is the main IGO with its arms such as the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the General Assembly (UNGA), the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the Secretariat (UNSA), the Trusteeship Council (UNTC) and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). When defined as "organizations with at least three state parties, a permanent headquarters or secretariat, as well as regular meetings and budgets",

990-738: The COVID-19 pandemic , during a joint meeting of their governing bodies in October 2020. In the United States, Washington, D.C. -based 501(c)(3) organization World Food Program USA supports the WFP. The American organisation frequently donates to the WFP, though the two are separate entities for taxation purposes. WFP joined the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) in 2013 as its 150th member and has regularly published data since then using

1045-782: The G7 or the Quartet . Such groups or associations have not been founded by a constituent document and exist only as task groups . Intergovernmental organizations must also be distinguished from treaties. Many treaties (such as the North American Free Trade Agreement , or the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade before the establishment of the World Trade Organization ) do not establish an independent secretariat and instead rely on

1100-672: The International Telecommunication Union and other standards organizations ). Common types include: In regional organizations like the European Union , African Union , NATO , ASEAN and Mercosur , there are restrictions on membership due to factors such as geography or political regimes. To enter the European Union (EU), the states require different criteria; member states need to be European, liberal-democratic political system, and be

1155-813: The United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot (UNHRD), a global network of hubs that procure, store and transport emergency supplies for the organization and the wider humanitarian community. WFP logistical support, including its air service and hubs, has enabled staff and supplies from WFP and partner organizations to reach areas where commercial flights have not been available during the COVID-19 pandemic. WFP provided cash to vulnerable groups ahead of torrential rains in Bangladesh in July 2019. Its response to Hurricane Dorian in

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1210-570: The 2021 IPC analysis highlighted a severe food insecurity crisis, with over 5.5 million people in Tigray, Amhara, and Afar facing high levels of acute food insecurity due to conflict, displacement, and disrupted markets. As of May 2021, approximately 3.1 million were in Crisis (IPC Phase 3), 2.1 million were in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) and 353,000 were experiencing Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5). In Sudan,

1265-679: The 36 board members, 18 are elected by the United Nations Economic and Social Council and 18 by the Food and Agriculture Organization . The European Union is a permanent observer in WFP and, as a major donor, participates in the work of its executive board. WFP is headed by an executive director, who is appointed jointly by the UN Secretary-General and the director-general of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of

1320-662: The April–May 2024 IPC analysis indicated severe food insecurity, with 25.6 million people facing Crisis (IPC Phase 3) or worse. A total of 8.5 million are facing Emergency (IPC Phase 4), and 755,000 people - Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5). Key factors include ongoing conflict and limited humanitarian access, particularly in Greater Darfur and Kordofan regions. The analysis warns of possible famine if conditions deteriorate, particularly for displaced populations and refugees in conflict-affected areas. The July–December 2024 IPC analysis for

1375-589: The Bahamas in September 2019 was assisted by a regional office in Barbados, which had been set up the previous year to enable better disaster preparedness and response. In advance of Dorian, WFP deployed technical experts in food security, logistics and emergency telecommunication to support a rapid needs assessment. Assessment teams also conducted an initial aerial reconnaissance mission with the aim to put teams on

1430-608: The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) indicates severe food insecurity affecting 25.6 million people, categorized as Crisis (IPC Phase 3) or worse. Among them, 3.1 million face Emergency (IPC Phase 4) conditions, particularly in conflict-impacted provinces like North Kivu, Ituri, and South Kivu. Projected conditions from January to June 2025 suggest similar challenges due to ongoing armed conflict, economic instability, and high food prices. Displaced populations remain especially vulnerable. IPC scale has been used to monitor

1485-950: The FAO and the United Nations General Assembly on a three-year experimental basis, supporting the Nubian population at Wadi Halfa in Sudan. In 1965, the programme was extended to a continuing basis. WFP works across a broad spectrum of Sustainable Development Goals . Food shortages , hunger , malnutrition , and foodborne illness lead to poor health, which affects other areas of sustainable development, such as education, employment, and poverty (Sustainable Development Goals Four , Eight , and One respectively). WFP operations are primarily funded by voluntary donations by governments worldwide, along with contributions from corporations and private donors. In 2022, funding reached

1540-657: The French Emperor Napoleon. States then became the main decision makers who preferred to maintain their sovereignty as of 1648 at the Westphalian treaty that closed the 30 Years' War in Europe. The first and oldest international organization—being established employing a treaty, and creating a permanent secretariat, with a global membership—was the International Telecommunication Union (founded in 1865). The first general international organization—addressing

1595-1185: The Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness (2005), the Accra Agenda for Action (2008), and the Busan Partnership Agreement (2011). There is wide general debate on the net effectiveness of aid , including unintended consequences such as increasing the duration of conflicts and increasing corruption. WFP faces difficult decisions in working with some regimes. Some surveys have shown internal culture problems at WFP, including sexual harassment. International organization Examples for international organizations include: UN General Assembly , World Trade Organization , African Development Bank , UN Economic and Social Council , UN Security Council , Asian Development Bank , International Bank for Reconstruction and Development , International Monetary Fund , International Finance Corporation , Inter-American Development Bank , United Nations Environment Programme. Scottish law professor James Lorimer has been credited with coining

1650-873: The Philippines, WFP is providing emergency response training and equipment to local government units, and helping set up automated weather stations. WFP's digital transformation centres on deploying the latest technologies and data to help achieve zero hunger. The WFP Innovation Accelerator has sourced and supported more than 60 projects spanning 45 countries. In 2017, WFP launched the Building Blocks programme. It aims to distribute money-for-food assistance to Syrian refugees in Jordan. The project uses blockchain technology to digitize identities and allow refugees to receive food by eye scanning. WFP's low-tech hydroponics kits allow refugees to grow barley that feed livestock in

1705-630: The Sahara desert. The SMP PLUS software is an AI-powered menu creation tool for school meals programmes worldwide WFP works with governments, the private sector, UN agencies, international finance groups, academia, and more than 1,000 non-governmental organisations . The WFP, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization , and the International Fund for Agricultural Development reaffirmed their joint efforts to end global hunger, particularly amid

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1760-716: The UN such as the World Health Organization (which was made up of regional organizations such as PAHO that predated the UN). A few UN special agencies are very centralized in policy and decision-making, but some are decentralized; for example, the country-based projects or missions' directors and managers can decide what they want to do in the fields. The UN agencies have a variety of tasks based on their specialization and their interests. The UN agencies provide different kinds of assistance to low-income countries and middle-income countries, and this assistance would be

1815-598: The United Nations (FAO), USAID / FEWS NET , Oxfam GB, Save the Children UK/US, and United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), have been working together to adapt it to other food security contexts. The following table includes a summary of the IPC scale: The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has been used in several countries to assess and respond to food insecurity, each presenting unique challenges and responses. In Ethiopia,

1870-640: The United Nations has Specialized Agencies , which are organizations within the United Nations System that have their member states (often nearly identical to the UN Member States ) and are governed independently by them; examples include international organizations that predate the UN, such as the International Telecommunication Union , and the Universal Postal Union , as well as organizations that were created after

1925-785: The United Nations. The executive director is appointed for fixed five-year terms and is responsible for the administration of the organization as well as the implementation of its programmes, projects, and other activities. Cindy McCain , previously Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the United States Mission to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Agencies in Rome, was appointed to the role in March 2023. In March 2023, WFP had over 22,300 staff. Since 1992, all executive directors have been American. The following

1980-411: The assets and their impact on people and communities rather than on the work to realize them, a shift away from previous approaches such as Food or Cash for Work programmes and large public works programmes. WFP uses cash transfers such as physical banknotes, a debit card or vouchers, aiming to give more choices to aid recipients and encourage the funds to be invested back into local economies. During

2035-640: The distinction from international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), which are non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that operate internationally. These include international nonprofit organizations such as the World Organization of the Scout Movement , International Committee of the Red Cross and Médecins Sans Frontières , as well as lobby groups that represent the interests of multinational corporations. IGOs are established by

2090-675: The distribution of cash to vulnerable farmers to pay for measures such as reinforcing their homes or stockpiling food ahead of heavy flooding. WFP is the lead agency of the Logistics Cluster , a coordination mechanism established by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC). It also co-leads the Food Security Cluster. The WFP-managed United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) serves over 300 destinations globally. WFP also manages

2145-574: The first half of 2022, WFP delivered US$ 1.6 billion in cash to 37 million people in 70 countries to alleviate hunger. A 2022 study by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative concluded that the Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN) cash programme "significantly reduced the incidence and intensity of multidimensional poverty" among the people receiving cash transfers. In the most climate disaster-prone provinces of

2200-1092: The five-year Purchase for Progress (P4P) pilot project. P4P assists smallholding farmers by offering them opportunities to access agricultural markets and become competitive players in the marketplace. The project spanned across 20 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and trained 800,000 farmers in improved agricultural production, post-harvest handling, quality assurance, group marketing, agricultural finance, and contracting with WFP. The project resulted in 366,000 metric tons of food produced and generated more than US$ 148 million in income for its smallholder farmers. WFP's Food Assistance for Assets (FFA) programme provides cash or food-based transfers to address recipients' immediate food needs, while they build or boost assets, such as repairing irrigation systems, bridges, and land and water management activities. FFA reflects WFP's drive towards food assistance and development rather than food aid and dependency. It does this by focusing on

2255-535: The ground as soon as possible. WFP works with governments, other UN agencies, NGOs and the private sector, supporting nutrition interventions, policies and programmes that include school meals and food fortification. School meals encourage parents in vulnerable families to send their children to school, rather than work. They have proved highly beneficial in areas including education and gender equality, health and nutrition, social protection, local economies and agriculture. WFP works with partners to ensure school feeding

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2310-1088: The humanitarian situation in Gaza since the beginning of Israel–Hamas war . According to the September-October 2024 IPC report, 1.84 million people facing Crisis (IPC Phase 3) or worse conditions, but only 6 percent of Gazans face IPC Phase 5 food insecurity, the lowest figure reported since the start of the war. Access to food has improved in some areas following more consistent aid efforts and better food distribution despite persistent challenges tied to infrastructure damage and ongoing conflict. As of July-September 2024, an estimated 4.4 million people in Somalia are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above), with around 1.6 million children likely to suffer from acute malnutrition. While recent rainfall improved agricultural conditions, localized floods and ongoing conflict still hinder food access and agricultural production. Despite these challenges, there

2365-411: The identifier XM-DAC-41140. The organisation was assessed by Publish What You Fund and included in the 2024 Aid Transparency Index with an overall score of 84.5, which is categorised as a "very good" score. WFP won the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize for its "efforts for combating hunger", its "contribution to creating peace in conflicted-affected areas", and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent

2420-529: The jurisdiction of national courts. Certain privileges and immunities are also specified in the Vienna Convention on the Representation of States in their Relations with International Organizations of a Universal Character of 1975,. which however has so far not been signed by 35 states and is thus not yet in force (status: 2022). Rather than by national jurisdiction, legal accountability

2475-467: The laborers. United Nations Environment Program(UNEP) is one of the UN's (United Nations) agencies and is an international organization that coordinates U.N. activities on the environment. An early prominent example of an international organization is the Congress of Vienna of 1814–1815, which was an international diplomatic conference to reconstitute the European political order after the downfall of

2530-478: The most concerning. WFP is also a first responder to sudden-onset emergencies. When floods struck Sudan in July 2020, it provided emergency food assistance to nearly 160,000 people. WFP provided food as well as vouchers for people to buy vital supplies, while also planning recovery, reconstruction, and resilience-building activities, after Cyclone Idai struck Mozambique and floods washed an estimated 400,000 hectares of crops on early 2019. WFP's emergency support

2585-452: The number of IGOs in the world increased from about 60 in 1940 to about 350 in 1980, after which it has remained roughly constant. Integrated Food Security Phase Classification The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) , also known as IPC scale , is a tool for improving food security analysis and decision-making. It is a standardised scale that integrates food security, nutrition and livelihood information into

2640-511: The parties for their administration, for example by setting up a joint committee . Other treaties have established an administrative apparatus which was not deemed to have been granted binding legal authority. The broader concept wherein relations among three or more states are organized according to certain principles they hold in common is multilateralism . Intergovernmental organizations differ in function, membership, and membership criteria. They have various goals and scopes, often outlined in

2695-567: The purpose of realizing a common end". He distinguished between bilateral and multilateral organizations on one end and customary or conventional organizations on the other end. In his 1922 book An Introduction to the Study of International Organization , Potter argued that international organization was distinct from " international intercourse " (all relations between states), "international law" (which lacks enforcement) and world government . International Organizations are sometimes referred to as intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), to clarify

2750-589: The regions. In 2023, more than 300 million people faced acute hunger globally. WFP said it had "reached 152 million people with essential aid" in 2023. The latest Hunger Hotspots outlook released June 2024 and co-published by WFP and FAO, emphasised that "acute food insecurity is likely to deteriorate further in 18 hotspots" between June and October 2024. These countries and country clusters face famine or risk of famine, with population already in or facing IPC Phase 5 (Catastrophe). Of those countries, Haiti , Mali , Palestine , South Sudan , and Sudan are classified as

2805-535: The term "international organization" in a 1871 article in the Revue de Droit International et de Legislation Compare . Lorimer use the term frequently in his two-volume Institutes of the Law of Nations (1883, 1884). Other early uses of the term were by law professor Walther Schucking in works published in 1907, 1908 and 1909, and by political science professor Paul S. Reinsch in 1911. In 1935, Pitman B. Potter defined international organization as "an association or union of nations established or recognized by them for

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2860-441: The treaties that give rise to the organization (such as the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations and the Agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of the International Criminal Court ), which are normally supplemented by further multinational agreements and national regulations (for example the International Organizations Immunities Act in the United States). The organizations are thereby immune from

2915-634: The treaty or charter . Some IGOs developed to fulfill a need for a neutral forum for debate or negotiation to resolve disputes. Others developed to carry out mutual interests with unified aims to preserve peace through conflict resolution and better international relations , promote international cooperation on matters such as environmental protection , to promote human rights , to promote social development (education, health care ), to render humanitarian aid , and to economic development . Some are more general in scope (the United Nations ) while others may have subject-specific missions (such as INTERPOL or

2970-521: The use of food as a weapon of war and conflict . Receiving the award, executive David Beasley called for billionaires to "step up" and help source the US$ 5 billion WFP needs to save 30 million people from famine. In 2018, the Center for Global Development ranked WFP last in a study of 40 aid programmes, based on indicators grouped into four themes: maximising efficiency, fostering institutions, reducing burdens, and transparency and learning. These indicators relate to aid effectiveness principles developed at

3025-444: Was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020 for its efforts to provide food assistance in areas of conflict and to prevent the use of food as a weapon of war and conflict. WFP was established in 1961 after the 1960 Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Conference, when George McGovern , director of the US Food for Peace Programmes, proposed establishing a multilateral food aid programme. WFP launched its first programmes in 1963 by

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