International Trade Centre (ITC)
ITC is engaged in a number of activities geared towards helping African countries to strengthen enterprise competitiveness and to develop new trade promotion strategies.  It does so by working with these countries in  product and market development and helping to establish trade support services and trade information.  It assists countries with international purchasing and supply management, provides needs assessment and designs programmes for trade promotion.  ITC also collaborates with other international organizations in providing technical assistance to African and least developed countries.

United Nations Capital Development Fund  (UNCDF)
UNCDF seeks to reduce poverty in least developed countries, the majority of which are in Africa, through a variety of innovative approaches in both local governance and microfinance initiatives. 

United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (UNCHS)
Habitat's goals are to assist African countries to develop institutional capacity for  sustainable social, economic and environmental urban development.  It does so by providing advisory services and project identification and formulation at the request of interested Governments and local authorities.

United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF)
UNICEF programmes in Africa (West and Central Africa , Eastern and Southern Africa and North Africa)seek to ensure that children have the best possible care from birth.  Much of its resources are devoted to immunization and feeding programmes. It also supports humanitarian interventions to help meet emergency needs of children and women in crisis countries and also seeks to have the rights of children embedded in the laws of all countries.

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
UNCTAD supports the development of trade and investment in Africa and the Least Developed Countries, paying particular attention to the expanding supply capacity. It is also has the responsibility for the monitoring and follow-up of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries.

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
The Convention to Combat Desertification acknowledges that the problem of desertification and drought is the severest in Africa.  Consequently, the Secretariat of the Convention devotes a substantial part of its resources to, among other things, assisting African countries in setting up their national plans to combat desertification and promoting inter-regional cooperation and exchange of experiences.

United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)
UNIFEM's regional programme in Africa seeks to strengthen women's economic capacity as entrepreneurs and producers, especially in the context of the new trade agenda and the emergence of new technologies.  It also seeks to increase women's participation in decision making processes that shape their lives and promotes women's human rights in order to eliminate all forms of violence against women.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Through its resident coordinator system, the UNDP is actively involved at the field level in assisting African countries in implementing their national development strategies, focussing in particular on Democratic Governance, Pro-Poor Policies, Crisis Prevention and Recovery, Energy and Environment, Information and Communications, Technology, HIV/AIDS.  Along with the Economic Commission for Africa, the UNDP shares the Secretariat and coordinating functions of the United Nations System-wide Special Initiative for Africa (). UNDP's regional bureau for Africa located at Headquarters in New York, assists in this task.

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Through its regional office in Nairobi, UNEP coordinates advisory services on environmental machinery and technical requirements, reviews project proposals, and recommends action by governments and other organizations to deal with the serious environmental problems facing Africa. The regional office also assists in implementing the decisions of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (ACMEN).

United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR)
UNHCR leads and coordinates international action for the world-wide protection of refugees and the resolution of refugee problems.  UNHCR's primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees.  UNHCR strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another state, and to return home voluntarily.  As Africa has the most refugees of any region, the UNHCR is very active on the continent.

United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNOHCHR)
UNOHCHR is assisting African countries in strengthening their capacities for the promotion and protection of human rights by organizing human rights training for the police and the military, supporting the introduction of human rights curricula in primary and secondary schools, and providing assistance in revising penal codes.

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
UNFPA devotes much of its resources in Africa towards reducing high levels of maternal and infant mortality and low use of modern contraceptives. It does so by providing assistance for reproductive health care services, procurement and distribution of contraceptives, training of health-care providers, and information to the public on ways that they can achieve desired family size and protect the health of mothers and babies. UNFPA is also an active participant in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

United Nations Programme on Human Immune Deficiency Syndrome  (UNAIDS)
UNAIDS is a joint secretariat of the WHO, World Bank, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNDCP, and UNESCO, which seeks to mobilize resources for the fight against HIV/AIDS.  It supports the International Partnership Against AIDS in Africa, which is a coalition working under the leadership of African countries to save and improve the lives of those living with HIV/AIDS. It is made up of African governments, the United Nations, donors, and the private and community sectors.

United Nations University (UNU)
UNU is undertaking research work on a number of policy issues of importance to Africa, including peace and governance, development, environment, and science and technology with a view to advancing human security in and development of the region.

World Food Programme (WFP)
WFP's country programmes in Africa are devoted to providing food for victims of man-made and natural disasters.  It also provides food in exchange for work to help build assets and promote the self-reliance of poor people and communities, particularly through labour-intensive works programmes.