Hello, I'm Mrs. Barry, and I'm going to be your Citizenship teacher today.

We've got a really interesting lesson where we're going to practise some learning we've already done.

If any of this is new to you though, that's okay because I'm here to help and we'll go through it all, and by the end, we'll achieve our outcome.

So when you're ready, we can get practising.

Today's lesson comes from the unit, Practising what we've learnt.

Today's lesson is called, What is the UK's relationship with international organisations? Our outcome for today is to explain what the main functions, benefits, and obligations are of international organisations and their relationship to the UK.

During today's lesson, we'll be using some keywords.

Firstly, international organisation, which is a group of countries that agree to work together on shared goals, such as peace, trade, defence, or development.

We'll also be using benefit, a positive result or advantage the UK gains from being a member of something.

And obligation, which is a duty or responsibility.

There are three parts to our lesson.

Firstly, what are international organisations? Secondly, what are the benefits of being members? And then lastly, what are the obligations of membership? So let's make a start with what are international organisations? This lesson will help you revise key concepts for GCSE Citizenship Studies.

The UK's relationship with international organisations is important in maintaining world peace, trade, defence, and development.

Countries join international organisations to help deal with global challenges together.

The UK is a member of a number of international organisations.

The United Nations is an international organisation with 193 member states, including the UK.

The UN aims to maintain international peace and security, promote human rights, and deliver humanitarian aid.

The UK participates in peacekeeping missions with the UN.

For example, since 2019, this has included sending personnel to countries such as Cyprus, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Somalia, and South Sudan.

This included 1,211 personnel in 2023.

The deployment was part of a broader effort by the UK to contribute to UN peacekeeping operations and address the instability of the countries.

So what is not an aim of the United Nations? Is it A, maintain international peace, B, make national laws, C, deliver humanitarian aid, or D, promote human rights? So making national laws is not an aim of the United Nations.

Well done, if you got that right.

Another organisation the UK is part of is the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, a military alliance of 32 countries.

NATO's main function is collective defence.

If one member is attacked, the others help defend it.

For example, in 2024 and in 2025, the UK sent troops to Estonia as part of NATO's Enhanced Forward Presence.

This was to take part in a major international exercise.

This demonstrates the UK's commitment to international defence obligations.

Membership also gives the UK security support in return.

Another international organisation the UK is a member of is the World Trade Organisation.

The World Trade Organisation helps countries agree on fair trade rules and settle disputes.

For example, the UK works with the World Trade Organisation to resolve trade barriers post-Brexit.

The Commonwealth is an international organisation that is a voluntary association.

It consists of 56 member states, mostly former British colonies.

Although the last four countries to join, Mozambique, Rwanda, Gabon, and Togo, have no historical ties to the British Empire.

The Commonwealth supports democracy and development.

For example, the UK sent observers to monitor elections in Sierra Leone in 2023 through the Commonwealth.

Although not an organisation, the UK also follows international law, such as the Geneva Conventions, and recognises bodies like the International Criminal Court.

International law sets out rules all countries agree to follow, such as how to treat civilians during conflict.

For example, the UK follows the Geneva Conventions, which limit weapons and protect prisoners of war.

The UK is also legally obliged to cooperate with investigations by the International Criminal Court when war crimes are involved.

So what I'd like you to do is to fill in these missing words.

One, NATO focuses on what defence? Two, the World Trade Organisation helps settle what between countries? Three, the UK is a member of the what, which includes many former colonies? And four, what law includes those set out in the Geneva Conventions? So let's have a look.

Firstly, NATO focuses on collective defence.

Number two here says, the World Trade Organisation helps settle disputes between countries.

Number three, the UK is a member of the Commonwealth, which includes many former colonies.

And lastly here, international law includes those set out in the Geneva Conventions.

Well done, if you got those right.

So let's practise this.

What I'd like you to do is to describe what international organisations the UK is a member of, and explain their main function.

So Jacob here gives us this, and he says, "Include the main function of the UN, the World Trade Organisation, NATO, the Commonwealth, and international law." Once you've given that a go, come back, and we can see what you might have put.

So your answer might have included, the UK is a member of several international organisations.

The United Nations works to keep peace, protect human rights, and provide humanitarian aid.

The UK supports UN peacekeeping, and has a vote on global issues.

The World Trade Organisation helps countries agree on fair trade rules and solve trade disputes.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is a defence alliance, and its main function is collective defence; all members protect each other if one is attacked.

You also might have included, the Commonwealth supports democracy, development, and education among its 56 member states.

Finally, although not a formal organisation, international law includes agreements, like the Geneva Conventions that the UK follows, including rules on how to treat civilians during war.

So well done, if you remembered all of those different international organisations, and were able to explain what they do.

We're onto the second part of our lesson now.

So let's have a look at what are the benefits of being members.

Membership of international organisations gives the UK many benefits, opportunities, and advantages.

Membership gives the UK support, security, and influence in global decisions.

For example, being in the UN means the UK vote on major international issues, and it has a permanent on the Security Council, giving it global influence.

This means the UK are able to have a say in major policy decisions, such as peacekeeping missions and sanctions.

Membership of the UN benefits includes access to global resources and emergency aid when needed.

Another benefit is defence cooperation.

For example, NATO protects its members through collective defence.

This means that the UK is protected by a shared agreement that if one member is attacked, the others will help defend it.

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, NATO strengthened the defence of its Eastern European members by deploying additional troops and military equipment.

The UK benefited by sending military forces and weapons, and receiving support in return.

This helped deter threats near NATO borders and showed international unity.

It also meant UK forces gained valuable training and experience through cooperation with allies.

This kind of mutual support makes the UK and its borders safer and more secure.

What I'd like you to do here is to look at these statements.

Two of the statements are incorrect.

Identify the one mistake in two statements and correct it.

So the first statement here says, the UK has a permanent seat on the World Trade Organisation Security Council.

The second statement says, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation helps countries during trade talks.

And the last statement here says, the UK gets support from the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation if it is attacked.

So I asked you to identify the one mistake in two of the statements and correct it, and leave the correct statement unchanged.

So the correct statement should look like this.

The UK has a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

And the World Trade Organisation helps countries during trade talks.

The last statement remains unchanged.

The UK gets support from the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation if it is attacked.

Well done, if you spotted those mistakes and managed to correct them.

Trade is another area where membership of international organisations is beneficial.

For example, by working with the World Trade Organisation, the UK can reduce tariffs and trade barriers.

This helps businesses and the economy.

Membership of the Commonwealth also builds strong ties.

For example, in 2024, UK universities partnered with Commonwealth countries to fund scholarships and student exchange.

These partnerships encourage shared knowledge and development.

A further benefit comes from following international law.

For example, by committing to international law, such as Geneva Conventions, the UK strengthens its global reputation as a country that respects human rights and fair treatment.

This also means the UK can hold other countries accountable if they commit serious crimes, and it plays a role in shaping global legal standards.

Following international law builds trust and cooperation with other nations.

So let's have a look at this.

Which is not a benefit of being part of international organisations? Is it A, influence through a UN Security Council seat, B, defence support through NATO, C, strong partnerships via the Commonwealth, or D, avoiding following all international laws? So well done, if you spotted that it was D, avoiding following all international laws.

Let's bring that together now.

So what I'd like you to do is to describe two benefits of the UK being part of international organisations.

And Izzy tells us here to make sure you use examples and name two international organisations.

So pause the video, give it a go, and when you've completed it, come back, and we can see what you might have put.

So let's look what your answer might have included.

And your answer might look something like this.

One benefit is global influence.

For example, the UK has a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, which lets it shape global policy decisions, such as peacekeeping missions.

Another benefit of NATO membership is national defence.

As a member of NATO, the UK is protected by a shared agreement that if one member is attacked, the others will help defend it.

In 2024, UK troops were sent to Estonia as part of a joint NATO mission, showing how countries work together to protect each other.

This helps keep the UK safer and strengthens its military partnerships.

This shows how membership increases security and influence.

Alternatively, your answer might have looked something like this.

One benefit is access to global trade systems. For example, the World Trade Organisation helps the UK reduce tariffs and settle trade disputes fairly.

This supports UK businesses, and helps maintain good trade relationships worldwide.

Another benefit comes from the Commonwealth.

For example, in 2024, UK universities worked with Commonwealth countries on scholarships and student exchanges, which helped share knowledge and build international friendships.

These benefits show how the UK gains economically and socially from being a member.

This demonstrates how membership increases security and influence.

Well done, if you had answers that sounded similar to that, and importantly, that you'd included two of the different international organisations.

We're onto the last part of our lesson now.

So we're going to look at what are the obligations of membership? Being a member of international organisations comes with responsibilities and obligations.

For example, the UK has agreed to pay membership fees to all the organisations it joins.

In 2025, the UK's contribution was $136.

8 million, which it has paid in full.

This contribution funds peacekeeping, humanitarian aid, and staff.

Without contributions from members, the organisations could not operate, and these costs are an obligation of membership.

The UK is also required to follow the rules of the organisations it joins.

For example, World Trade Organisation members must follow trade rules, even if they do not always agree with them.

If the UK lost a trade dispute, the World Trade Organisation could remove certain tariffs and benefits.

This shows that being a member means accepting international decisions, even when it is inconvenient.

So is this true or false? The United Nations offers free membership.

So that one's false.

The United Nations charge a membership fee for peacekeeping, humanitarian aid, and staff.

Without contributions, most international organisations would not be able to operate.

Another obligation is sending support or personnel when needed.

For example, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation requires members to contribute military forces or equipment to joint missions.

In 2025, the UK sent Royal Air Force planes to support NATO air policing in Eastern Europe.

These commitments are part of showing solidarity and shared responsibility.

Similarly, in the UN, the UK is expected to support peacekeeping and vote responsibly on resolutions.

So is this true or false? The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is an international organisation that provides military support to its member countries in case of an armed attack.

So that statement's true.

Well done, if you knew that.

Let's bring all of this learning together.

And what I'd like you to do is to complete the table below with information about the UK's relationship with international organisations.

We've talked about four international organisations and on top of that international law.

So you need to cover each of these, the UN, NATO, the WTO, Commonwealth, and international law, explaining their meaning, their function, what benefits there are of being involved with them, and the obligations that we have to them.

So once you've given that a go, and you've explained all of those different elements, come back, and we can have a look at what you should have put in each box.

Okay, well done for giving that a go.

Your table should have looked something like this.

So we'll go through it row by row.

So firstly, the UN stands for the United Nations, and the function of that is to maintain peace, promote rights, and provide aid.

And the benefit of being a member is global influence and peacekeeping.

The obligation we have is to pay fees and send personnel to missions.

NATO is the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, and the function of that is to provide collective defence among members.

The benefit of being involved is defence support and military training.

And the obligation we have is to contribute military forces and resources.

The WTO is the World Trade Organisation, and the function that has is to promote fair trade and resolve disputes.

The benefit of being involved is trade access and reduced barriers.

And the obligation we have is to follow international trade rules.

The Commonwealth is a voluntary group of 56 member states.

It supports democracy, development, and corporation.

And the benefit of being involved is educational partnerships and cultural links.

And the obligation we have is to support development and uphold shared values.

And lastly, international law, which are agreed shared rules between countries.

The function of this is set rules on conflict, human rights, and war crimes.

And the benefit of being part of that is global trust and ability to hold others accountable.

And the obligation we have is to follow legal standards and cooperate with the International Criminal Court.

Well done, if you managed to fill in every one of those boxes.

So in this lesson we've considered what is the UK's relationship with international organisations? The UK is a member of international organisations like the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, the World Trade Organisation, and the Commonwealth, as well as a signatory to international law.

These organisations help countries work together on goals such as peacekeeping, defence, fair trade, and development.

Membership brings benefits like global influence, defence support and security, economic partnerships, and a stronger international reputation.

However, the UK also has obligations such as paying membership fees, following shared rules, and contributing troops or support when needed.

Understanding these roles helps explain how the UK operates on the global stage and why international cooperation matters.

Well done for working your way through today's lesson.

I've really enjoyed doing that with you, and look forward to you joining me for another citizenship lesson soon.