Global bodies: who holds power above national governments
40 international bodies that make rules, lend money, settle disputes or bring leaders together, from the UN and the IMF to the G20 and Davos. Each page sets out who leads it, who its members are, what it decides and the records you can check, with a link to the official source for every fact.
They sit at the top four of the site's ten levels of power. Below them are national governments, then devolved and state governments, councils and your neighbourhood.
Level 10: G7, G20, Davos and global forums
Meetings where leaders, ministers and business meet outside treaty bodies: the G7 and G20 summits, the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Bilderberg Meeting, the Trilateral Commission and the Council on Foreign Relations. More on this level.
Bilderberg Meeting Bilderberg
The Bilderberg Meeting is a private annual conference of politicians, business people and academics.
UK: In June 2013 the Prime Minister's spokesperson confirmed that the Prime Minister would attend the Bilderberg Group meeting in Watford, as an invited head of government, and would not make a speech (gov.uk press briefing, published 10 June 2013).
Council on Foreign Relations CFR
Founded 1921 · 58 East 68th Street, New York, NY 10065 (where member records are kept) · 5,397 members
The Council on Foreign Relations is a US membership organisation, think tank and publisher of Foreign Affairs, founded in 1921, whose stated mission is 'to inform U.S.
UK: CFR's corporate programme offers regular programming in London among other cities (CFR Annual Report 2025).
G20
Founded 1999 (leaders' summits since the 2008 financial crisis) · None (no permanent secretariat; presidency rotates annually) · NaN members
The G20 is a forum of major advanced and emerging economies, representing about 85% of global GDP and two-thirds of the world's population, that coordinates economic policy through an annual leaders' summit and meetings of finance ministers and central bank governors (2026 US presidency site).
UK: The UK is a G20 member.
G7
Founded 1975 (as the G6) · None (no permanent secretariat; the rotating presidency provides resources) · 7 members
The G7 is an annual meeting of the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, with the European Union fully involved since 1977 (French G7 presidency site).
UK: The UK is one of the seven members.
World Economic Forum WEF
Founded 1971 · 91-93 route de la Capite, 1223 Cologny (Geneva), Switzerland (Swiss commercial register) · 973 members
The World Economic Forum is a Swiss not-for-profit foundation, founded in 1971 and headquartered in Geneva, that convenes business, government and other leaders, most visibly at its Annual Meeting in Davos (WEF Annual Report 2025-2026).
UK: UK ministers attend the Davos Annual Meeting: in January 2026 the Chancellor led a 'Team UK' delegation including the Business Secretary, the Foreign Secretary and the Minister for Investment (gov.uk).
Level 9: The IMF, World Bank and global finance
The lenders to governments: the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank Group, the Bank for International Settlements and regional development banks such as the EBRD, ADB and AfDB, plus the Paris Club of creditor countries. More on this level.
African Development Bank AfDB
The African Development Bank Group is a development bank for Africa; its concessional arm, the African Development Fund, gives grants and cheap loans to the poorest African countries.
UK: UK law authorises the Secretary of State to pay up to £450 million to the African Development Fund's 16th replenishment (SI 2023/1284) and up to £110 million to the Bank's increased capital stock (SI 2020/1441).
Asian Development Bank ADB
Founded 1966 (opened on 19 December 1966 with 31 members) · Manila, Philippines · 69 members
The Asian Development Bank is a development bank based in Manila that lends to and invests in Asia and the Pacific; it committed $29.3 billion from its own resources in 2025 (ADB).
UK: The UK is a founding member holding 216,786 shares (2.038% of total) and 1.92% of total membership votes, with a capital subscription of $2.97 billion valued at 31 December 2025 (ADB United Kingdom page).
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank AIIB
Founded 2015 (Articles of Agreement signed 29 June 2015; opened 16 January 2016) · Beijing, China · 111 members
The AIIB is a Beijing-based development bank that finances infrastructure in Asia and beyond; it has 111 approved members and is capitalised at USD 100 billion (AIIB).
UK: The UK has been a member since 25 December 2015, holding 3.1288% of total subscriptions and 2.8534% of voting power (AIIB members table, updated 16 October 2026).
Bank for International Settlements BIS
Founded 1930 · Basel, Switzerland (representative offices in Hong Kong SAR and Mexico City) · 63 members
The BIS is a bank owned by 63 central banks, set up in 1930 in Basel, which acts as a bank for central banks and a forum for central bankers and financial supervisors (BIS website).
UK: The Bank of England is a member central bank, and its Governor is one of six ex officio members of the BIS Board; Andrew Bailey is listed as a Board member (BIS website).
Basel Committee on Banking Supervision BCBS
Founded 1974 (first meeting 1975) · Basel, Switzerland (Secretariat hosted by the Bank for International Settlements) · 45 members
The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision is the primary global standard setter for the prudential regulation of banks, according to its charter.
UK: The UK is represented on the Committee by the Bank of England and the Prudential Regulation Authority, according to the Committee's organisation page.
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development EBRD
Founded 1991 (opened for business in London in April 1991) · Five Bank Street, Canary Wharf, London · NaN members
The EBRD is a London-based development bank that invests mainly in private businesses to support the transition to market economies across three continents; it invested a record €16.8 billion in 2025 (EBRD).
UK: The UK is a founding shareholder (joined 28 March 1991) with a capital subscription of €2,900,110 thousand; the EBRD lists the UK Governor as John Healey and the Alternate as Kirsty McNeill.
European Investment Bank EIB
98-100 boulevard Konrad Adenauer, L-2950 Luxembourg · 27 members
The European Investment Bank is the lending arm of the European Union, owned by the 27 EU member states; the EIB Group signed €100 billion of new financing in 2025 (EIB).
UK: The UK is no longer a shareholder.
Financial Stability Board FSB
Founded April 2009 (successor to the Financial Stability Forum of 1999) · Basel, Switzerland (hosted by the Bank for International Settlements) · 24 members
The Financial Stability Board is an international body that coordinates national financial authorities and international standard-setting bodies to promote global financial stability.
UK: The UK holds three seats on the FSB Plenary, filled by the Bank of England, HM Treasury and the Financial Conduct Authority, according to the FSB's members page.
International Monetary Fund IMF
Founded 1944 (conceived in July 1944 at the Bretton Woods Conference; UK member since 27 December 1945) · Not stated on the IMF pages read. Article XIII of the Articles of Agreement places the principal office in the territory of the member with the largest quota. · 191 members
The IMF is an international organisation of 191 member countries that oversees the international monetary system and lends to members with balance-of-payments problems, usually with policy conditions attached.
UK: The UK has been a member since 27 December 1945 and has a quota of SDR 20,155.1 million (IMF country page for the United Kingdom).
Paris Club
Founded 1956 (first meeting 14-16 May 1956, with Argentina) · Secretariat at the Direction générale du Trésor, 139 rue de Bercy, Paris · 22 members
The Paris Club is an informal group of 22 government creditors, including the UK, that agrees joint debt relief for countries that cannot pay; since 1956 it has treated $616 billion of debt for 102 debtor countries (Paris Club).
UK: The United Kingdom is one of the 22 permanent members (Paris Club governance and members page).
World Bank Group WBG
Founded 1944 (IBRD formed at the Bretton Woods conference, July 1944) · 1818 H Street, NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA · 189 members
The World Bank Group lends, grants and guarantees money for development in poorer and middle-income countries; it committed $123.5 billion in fiscal year 2026 (World Bank Group Annual Report 2026).
UK: The UK holds 3.75% of voting power in the IBRD (data as of 30 June 2026) and 6.92% in IDA (as of 30 June 2026), according to the World Bank's voting tables.
Level 8: The UN and global treaty bodies
Bodies set up by treaty between countries worldwide: the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council, the World Health Organization, the World Trade Organization, Interpol and NATO. More on this level.
Commonwealth of Nations Commonwealth
Founded 1949 (London Declaration); Secretariat established 1965 · Marlborough House, Pall Mall, London (Commonwealth Secretariat) · 56 members
The Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary association of 56 independent countries across Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Pacific, home to about 2.7 billion people.
UK: The UK is one of the 56 members, one of three European members with Cyprus and Malta, and the Commonwealth Secretariat is headquartered at Marlborough House in London.
International Court of Justice ICJ
Founded 1945 (UN Charter and Statute in force 24 October 1945); began work April 1946 · The Hague, Netherlands (Peace Palace) · 15 members
The International Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations.
UK: The UK has a declaration recognising the Court's compulsory jurisdiction, deposited on 22 February 2017, according to the ICJ's declarations page.
International Criminal Court ICC
Founded 1998 (Rome Statute adopted 17 July 1998; in force 1 July 2002) · The Hague, Netherlands · 125 members
The International Criminal Court is a permanent court based in The Hague that can prosecute individuals for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression.
UK: The UK signed the Rome Statute on 30 November 1998 and ratified it on 4 October 2001, according to the UN Treaty Collection.
International Labour Organization ILO
Founded 1919 (Treaty of Versailles); UN specialised agency since 1946 · Geneva, Switzerland · 187 members
The International Labour Organization is the United Nations agency for work and labour standards.
UK: The UK is an ILO member state and holds one of the ten non-elective government seats on the Governing Body reserved for states of chief industrial importance, according to the ILO.
Interpol INTERPOL
Founded 1923 (International Criminal Police Commission, Vienna) · Lyon · 196 members
Interpol, the International Criminal Police Organization, is an inter-governmental organisation of 196 member countries that helps police work together across borders.
UK: Interpol says the UK's National Central Bureau is in Manchester and is part of the National Crime Agency, with seven sub-bureaus covering UK Overseas Territories.
NATO
Founded 1949 (North Atlantic Treaty signed 4 April 1949) · Brussels · 32 members
NATO is an alliance of 32 countries in Europe and North America, created by the North Atlantic Treaty of 4 April 1949.
UK: NATO lists the United Kingdom among its 12 founding members, which signed the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington, D.C.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Founded 1950 (General Assembly, 14 December 1950) · Geneva, Switzerland · 125 members
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is the United Nations body that leads international action to protect refugees, returnees, internally displaced and stateless people.
UK: The UK is not among the six countries that host 36 per cent of the world's refugees (Colombia, Germany, Turkey, Uganda, Iran and Chad), according to UNHCR's June 2026 Global Trends briefing.
United Nations (General Assembly and Security Council)
Founded 1945 (Charter in force 24 October 1945) · New York · 193 members
The United Nations is the world body of 193 member states, set up under the UN Charter in 1945.
UK: The UN lists the United Kingdom as a member admitted on 24 October 1945.
United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF
Founded 1946 · New York, United States (UNICEF Archives are at its New York Headquarters) · 190 members
UNICEF is the United Nations agency that works for children.
UK: The UK appears in UNICEF's 2025 annual report as a Regular Resources partner, with a contribution of US$21 million in 2025.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO
Founded 1945-46 (first member states admitted 4 November 1946) · Paris, France · 194 members
UNESCO is the United Nations specialised agency for education, science, culture and communication and information.
UK: The UK has been a UNESCO member since 1 July 1997, according to UNESCO's membership list.
United Nations Human Rights Council HRC
Founded 2006 (General Assembly resolution 60/251, 15 March 2006) · Geneva, Switzerland · 47 members
The UN Human Rights Council is an intergovernmental body of 47 UN member states based in Geneva.
UK: The UK is a UN member state and so eligible to stand for election, as membership is open to all UN members (resolution 60/251).
United Nations Security Council UNSC
Founded 1945 (UN Charter in force 24 October 1945) · United Nations Headquarters, New York · 15 members
The United Nations Security Council has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security under Article 24 of the UN Charter, and members agree under Article 25 to accept and carry out its decisions.
UK: The UK is one of the five permanent members of the Security Council and holds the veto, according to the UN.
World Food Programme WFP
Founded 1962 (launch; 15 Executive Directors since) · Rome, Italy · 36 members
The World Food Programme is the United Nations' food assistance agency, which describes itself as the world's largest humanitarian organisation.
UK: The UK was WFP's fourth-largest donor in 2025, giving US$435,167,050 according to WFP's contributions page as of 16 February 2026.
World Health Organization WHO
Founded 1948 (Constitution in force 7 April 1948) · Geneva · 194 members
The World Health Organization is the United Nations specialised agency for health, set up by a Constitution that came into force on 7 April 1948.
UK: WHO's list of member states includes the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
World Trade Organization WTO
Founded 1995 (established 1 January 1995) · Geneva · 166 members
The World Trade Organization is the only international organisation dealing with the global rules of trade between nations, according to the WTO.
UK: The WTO says the United Kingdom has been a WTO member since 1 January 1995 and a member of GATT since 1 January 1948.
Level 7: Regional blocs and supranational bodies
Groups of countries that pool some decisions: the European Union, the Council of Europe and its European Court of Human Rights, the African Union, ASEAN and Mercosur. More on this level.
African Union AU
Founded 2002 (launched July 2002 in Durban; OAU founded 1963) · Addis Ababa · 55 members
The African Union is a continental body of 55 member states covering every country in Africa, launched in 2002 as successor to the Organisation of African Unity.
UK: The UK is not a member: the AU says its 55 member states are the countries of the African continent.
Association of Southeast Asian Nations ASEAN
Founded 1967 (Bangkok Declaration, 8 August 1967) · Jakarta · 11 members
ASEAN is a regional organisation of 11 South-East Asian countries, founded in Bangkok on 8 August 1967.
UK: The UK is not a member.
Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights CoE / ECtHR
Founded 1949 (Council of Europe created 5 May 1949); Court set up 1959 · Strasbourg · 46 members
The Council of Europe is a pan-European organisation of 46 member states, separate from the EU, set up in 1949 to promote human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
UK: The UK Government says the United Kingdom was one of the Council of Europe's founding members.
European Central Bank ECB
Founded 1 June 1998 (euro introduced 1 January 1999) · Frankfurt am Main, Germany · 21 members
The European Central Bank is the central bank of the euro area.
UK: The UK is not a member of the euro area or of the ECB's Governing Council: the 21 national central bank governors listed on the Council are from the 21 euro area countries, and the UK is not among them.
European Court of Human Rights ECtHR
Founded 1959 (earliest year in the Court's list of judges) · Strasbourg, France · 46 members
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is the court of the Council of Europe that rules on applications alleging breaches of the European Convention on Human Rights by member states.
UK: The UK ratified the European Convention on Human Rights in 1951, according to the Court.
European Union (incl. Parliament, Commission, Council)
Founded 1958 (European Economic Community; earliest founding members joined in 1958) · Brussels (Parliament also sits in Strasbourg and Luxembourg) · 27 members
The European Union is a union of 27 countries that make shared laws, run a single market and agree a common budget.
UK: The European Commission says the United Kingdom left the European Union on 31 January 2020.
Gulf Cooperation Council GCC
Founded 1981 (charter signed 25 May 1981) · Riyadh, Saudi Arabia · 6 members
The Gulf Cooperation Council, formally the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, is a regional organisation of six states: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
UK: The UK is not a member of the GCC, which has six member states: the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait.
Mercosur
Founded 1991 (Treaty of Asunción, 26 March 1991) · Montevideo (Mercosur Secretariat) · 5 members
Mercosur (the Southern Common Market) is a South American trade bloc created by the Treaty of Asunción, signed on 26 March 1991 by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay; Bolivia became a full State Party on 7 August 2024.
UK: The UK is not a member or associated state.
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation SCO
Founded 2001 (established in Shanghai 15 June 2001; Charter signed 7 June 2002) · Beijing, China (Secretariat); Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure in Tashkent · 10 members
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is a Eurasian intergovernmental organisation of ten member states: Belarus, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
UK: The UK is not an SCO member state, observer or dialogue partner, according to the SCO's lists of member states (10), observers (Afghanistan, Mongolia) and dialogue partners.
Where to go next
- World leaders: every country's head of state and government.
- Every country's official record.
- The UK compared with other countries, from IMF, OECD and WHO figures.