Uniteds Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA): Within the United Nations Secretariat, the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) promotes international cooperation for development to improve the lives of people everywhere, by pursuing the key objectives of poverty eradication, sustained economic growth and sustainable development. The following divisions of DESA provide rich and useful online information on Africa:

Statistics Division
The Statistics Division provides unrestricted free data access on the Millennium Indicators that include the classification on Northern Africa and sub-Saharan Africa for the years around 1990 and 2000.

Population Division
The Population Division is responsible for monitoring and evaluating the broad range of areas in the field of  population. Under the auspices of the division, the Population Information Network, POPIN, serves as a useful guide to access population information, including those on the African continent, from UN system web sites. The Division organized a workshop on HIV/AIDS and Adult Mortality in Developing Countries on 8-13 September 2003.

Division for Public Administration and Development Management (DP
DPADM executes and manages the United Nations Online Network in Public Administration and Finance, or UNPAN in close partnership with a group of international, regional and sub-regional institutions devoted to public administration and finance, including those in Africa. UNPAN promotes the sharing of knowledge, experiences and best practices throughout the world in sound public policies, effective public administration and efficient civil services, through capacity-building and cooperation among the United Nations Member States, with emphasis on south-south cooperation and UNPAN's commitment to integrity and excellence.

Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW)
DAW promotes women as equal participants and beneficiaries of sustainable development, peace and security, governance and human rights. As part of its mandate, it strives to stimulate the mainstreaming of gender perspectives both within and outside the United Nations system.  Among its many other publications, one study of great relevance to the conflict situations in Africa is Women, Peace and Security.

Division for ECOSOC Support and Coordination (DESC)
DESC, through its ECOSOC and Interorganizational Cooperation Branch, coordinates the substantive servicing of the recently established Ad Hoc Advisory Group(s) on African countries emerging from conflict.

Division for Sustainable Development (DSD)
The Division for Sustainable Development serves as the substantive secretariat responsible for servicing the Commission on Sustainable Development; for follow-up of the implementation of Agenda 21 as well as the Plan of Implementation (POI) of the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

Development Policy and Planning Office (DPPO)
DPPO has the three core functions of (i) formulation of advice for development policy (including serving as substantive secretariat for the Committee on Development Planning) and preparation of major cross-sectoral departmental reports; (ii) intra-Department policy coordination and interface; and (iii) external policy interface.

Financing for Development Office (FfD)
The objective of the Financing for Development Office is to provide effective secretariat support for sustained follow-up within the United Nations system to the agreements and commitments reached at the International Conference on Financing for Development, as contained in the Monterrey Consensus, as well as financing for development-related aspects of the outcomes of major United Nations conferences and summits in the economic and social fields, including the development goals set out in the United Nations Millennium Declaration. 

United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO): DPKO's mission is to plan, prepare, manage and direct UN peacekeeping operations, so that they can effectively fulfil their mandates under the overall authority of the Security Council and General Assembly, and under the command vested in the Secretary-General.DPKO provides political and executive direction to UN peacekeeping operations, and maintains contact with the Security Council, troop and financial contributors, and parties to the conflict in the implementation of Security Council mandates. The current peacekeeping operations are as follows:

• United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL)
• United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC)
• United Nations Mission in Cote d'Ivoire (MINUCI) 
• United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE)
• United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL)
• United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO)
• United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS)
• United Nations Operation in Burundi (ONUB)

United Nations Department of Political Affairs (DPA): The primary responsibility within the UN for conflict prevention, peace-building and peacemaking rests with DPA. It provides advice and support on all political matters to the

Secretary-General in the exercise of his global responsibilities under the UN Charter relating to the maintenance of peace and security. The Secretary-General, through his special representatives and special envoys is actively engaged in implementing political mandates in a number of countries. 

Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict: Since the World Summit for Children in 1990, the United Nations has increasingly sought to draw international attention to the horrendous plight of children affected by armed conflict, prompting its release of the report "Impact of armed conflict on children"  (A/51/306 and Add.1) during the fifty-first session of the General Assembly in 1996. The visits by the Special Representative to countries such as Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Liberia, Mozambique, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Sudan have served as an effective advocacy tool, helping to draw significant attention to the situation of children affected by armed conflicts (CAAC). 

Office of the High Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Countries and Small Island Developing States (OHRLLS): OHRLLS was established on the recommendation of the Secretary-General of the United Nations by the General Assembly in its resolution 56/227 of 24 December 2001. OHRLLS aims at enhancing the mobilization and galvanization of international support for - and ensuring the effective coordination, monitoring and review of - the implementation of the Brussels Declaration and Programme of Action (POA). As of October 2003, there are 49 LDCs of which the majority are African countries.