Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)
The purpose of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia is to raise the level of economic activity in member countries, strengthen cooperation among them, and promote economic and social development in the region. ESCWA activities are coordinated with the divisions and main offices of the Headquarters of the UN, specialized agencies, and international and regional organizations, including the League of Arab States and its subsidiary bodies, and the Gulf Cooperation Council. ESCWA comprises 17 Arab countries in Western Asia: Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA)
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees is unique in terms of its long-standing commitment to one group of refugees. It has contributed to the welfare and human development of four generations of Palestine refugees. The Agency’s services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance and emergency assistance, including in times of armed conflict. UNRWA is committed to fostering the human development of Palestine refugees by helping them to acquire knowledge and skills, lead long and healthy lives, achieve decent standards of living, and enjoy human rights to the fullest possible extent. UNRWA Headquarters and the Jordan Field Office are located in Amman, Jordan. UNRWA also works in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Lebanon, and Syria.
UN Peacekeeping Operations in the Middle East
United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF)
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)
United Nations Truce Supervision Organizations (UNTSO)
Secretary-General
The Secretary-General of the United Nations has Special and Personal Representatives, Envoys and Advisers to the Middle East region.
Department of Political Affairs (DPA)
The UN’s Department of Political Affairs works on several issues and in many countries in the Middle East.
Department of Public Information (DPI)
There are 9 UN Information Centres in the Arab States.
UN System Offices in the Middle East
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
UNDP has country teams in the Arab States, and a Regional Centre in Cairo, Egypt.
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
UNICEF works in countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
UNFPA has a Regional Office for the Arab States in Cairo, Egypt.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR)
UNHCR works in the Middle East and North Africa.
World Food Programme (WFP)
WFP works in Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, State of Palestine, Syria, Turkey and Yemen.
World Health Organization (WHO)
WHO has a Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean which covers countries in the Middle East.
The Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
UNAIDS works in countries in North Africa and the Middle East.
International Labour Organization (ILO)
The ILO gives support to countries in the Arab States region.
UN Women
UN Women has a Regional Office in Cairo, Egypt, and country offices in the region.
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
UNIDO has a regional office in Cairo, and country offices in the region.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
UNESCO has offices in the Arab States region.
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
OHCHR has a Regional Office for the Middle East in Beirut, Lebanon. OHCHR's Regional Office for North Africa in Tunis covers countries in the area.
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
OCHA, part of the UN Secretariat, has a Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa in Egypt, and a presence in the occupied Palestinian territory, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and in many countries of the region.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
The UNODC Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa is in Cairo, Egypt. UNODC also has several Subregional and Programme Offices in the region.
The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
The UNOPS Asia, Europe and the Middle East Regional Office is located in Copenhagen, Denmark, along with its Headquarters. It also has country offices in Jordan and the State of Palestine.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
The FAO Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa is in Cairo, Egypt.
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
IFAD supports ongoing projects and programmes in some low- and middle-income countries and territories in the Near East and North Africa (NEN).
World Bank
The World Bank works in the Middle East and North Africa region.
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
The IMF works in Middle East countries.
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
The ICAO Middle East Regional Office is located in Cairo, Egypt.
International Maritime Organization (IMO)
The IMO works in the Arab States and Mediterranean Region.
International Telecommunications Union (ITU)
The ITU Arab Regional Office in Egypt, established in 1991, serves ITU Member States and ITU Sector Members and Associates, most of which have their headquarters in the region.
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
The WIPO Regional Bureau for Arab countries provides technical assistance to the Arab countries to enable them to modernize their registration operations and to better use intellectual property (IP) assets in order to reap benefits from the IP system.
United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)
The UN-Habitat Regional Office for the Arab States is in Dokki, Giza, Egypt.