❖ Unit 8 ❖ International Organisations ❖ Vocabulary ❖

International Organisations Vocabulary

Acronyms, diplomacy terms, and the language of international cooperation, peace and conflict resolution.

Major acronyms — must know

Acronym	Full name
UN	United Nations
UNESCO	United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
UNICEF	United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund
UNHCR	United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
WHO	World Health Organisation
MSF	Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders)
FAO	Food and Agriculture Organization
ICRC	International Committee of the Red Cross
TI	Transparency International
AI	Amnesty International
NGO	Non-Governmental Organisation

Key concepts

Word	Definition
charter	Written statements about the main functions and principles of an organisation.
court	A body that looks into conflicts between people, organisations or countries.
sanctions	Measures taken (by the UN) to force a state to respect an international resolution.
diplomacy	Management of relations between countries.
bilateral	Involving two countries.
violation	Disrespect, disobedience, or refusal to comply with the law.
peacekeeping	Maintaining peace, often through military operations.
resolution	A formal decision taken by a UN body.
treaty	A formal agreement between countries.
embargo	A ban on trade with a country.

Practice 1 — Charter context

Fill with: charter · court · sanctions · diplomacy · bilateral · violation

The United Nations was established in the 1940s to maintain international peace and security. According to its charter, member states are supposed to refrain from the use of force against other member states. This document also calls on countries to settle bilateral disputes by peaceful means. That is to say, international discords should be solved by diplomacy and negotiations. Any violation of this principle can result in severe economic and political sanctions. The UN has a court in the Netherlands whose function is to look into conflicts between countries.

Practice 2 — Collocations

Match to make collocations

maintain → peace
humanitarian → aid
bilateral → relations
farewell → speech
member → state
impose → sanctions
secretary → general
low-interest → loans
high → priority
general → assembly

Practice 3 — Fill in

Use: set up · donations · headquarters · stand for · Secretary General

Ban Ki-Moon was the Secretary General of the United Nations.
The UN was set up after World War II.
A: What does WHO stand for? B: World Health Organisation.
The UN headquarters is located in New York.
NGOs usually depend on donations given by supporters or foundations.

Practice 4 — Synonyms

Match each word with its synonym

maintain → keep, support
eradicate → eliminate, put an end to
collaborate → work together
participate → take part in
assist → help
respect → comply with, abide by
develop → promote

❖ Key Takeaways ❖

① Memorise acronyms

Know at least 8 international organisation acronyms by heart. These appear in almost every exam.

② Diplomacy vocabulary

Charter, treaty, resolution, sanctions, peacekeeping, mediation — the formal language of international relations.

③ Synonyms count

"Maintain peace" = "keep peace". "Eradicate poverty" = "put an end to poverty". Learn pairs of synonyms.

❖ Exam tip

If a text mentions an acronym, you'll likely be asked: "What does [X] stand for?" Always memorise both the abbreviation AND the meaning.