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Year 10

Do all nations work with international organisations?

I can explain some international organisations and why some countries are not involved in them.

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Share activities with pupils
New
New
Year 10

Do all nations work with international organisations?

I can explain some international organisations and why some countries are not involved in them.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. International organisations each serve a different purpose such as promoting peace or supporting trade.
  2. Some of the major international organisations include the UN, WTO, NATO, EU and the Commonwealth.
  3. Not all countries are part of all international organisations; countries join based on values and needs.

Keywords

  • United Nations (UN) - an international organisation comprising of most countries in the world which aims to promote peace, security and international cooperation

  • World Trade Organization (WTO) - an international organisation which deals with global rules of trade between nations

  • European Union (EU) - an economic and political union between a number of European countries who work closely together

  • Commonwealth - an international association between the UK and the countries which were previously part of the British Empire

  • NATO - an international military defence organisation comprising of different countries who work together to try and settle disputes amongst nations

Common misconception

All countries are members of international organisations.

Countries have many reasons for not joining international organisations.


To help you plan your year 10 citizenship lesson on: Do all nations work with international organisations?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Pupils often confuse each international organisation. Use recent, real-life examples to show each one in action as this helps pupils connect each organisation to a clear purpose and remember how they differ more easily.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What are universal human rights?
rights that apply only to people in democratic countries
Correct answer: rights and freedoms that belong to everyone, everywhere
rights for those part of international organisations
rights earned through citizenship tests
Q2.
Which organisation created the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948?
European Union
NATO
Correct answer: United Nations
World Trade Organization
Q3.
The UDHR was drafted in 1948 by representatives from many different , making it a truly global agreement on human rights.
Correct Answer: countries, nations
Q4.
Which organisation helped turn human rights into law through the European Convention on Human Rights?
the Commonwealth
Correct answer: the Council of Europe
NATO
the United Nations
Q5.
Match each international organisation to the main way it supports human rights.
Correct Answer:Amnesty International,investigates and campaigns against abuses

investigates and campaigns against abuses

Correct Answer:Human Rights Watch,monitors rights globally and advises countries

monitors rights globally and advises countries

Correct Answer:UN Human Rights Council,researches and reports on violations worldwide

researches and reports on violations worldwide

Q6.
Amnesty International is a that investigates human rights abuses and campaigns to protect people's freedoms.
Correct Answer: non-governmental organisation, NGO, non governmental organisation

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which organisation aims to promote peace and international cooperation?
EU
NATO
Correct answer: UN
WTO
Q2.
Match each organisation to its main purpose.
Correct Answer:Commonwealth,shared history and development of countries

shared history and development of countries

Correct Answer:NATO,military defence and protection

military defence and protection

Correct Answer:WTO,trade rules and fair trade

trade rules and fair trade

Correct Answer:EU,economic and political union

economic and political union

Q3.
The Organization helps set global trade rules and solves disputes between countries.
Correct Answer: World Trade
Q4.
Put the following international organisations in order of size (by number of members in 2025), from largest to smallest.
1 - UN
2 - WTO
3 - Commonwealth
4 - NATO
5 - EU
Q5.
Are all countries part of all international organisations?
Yes – all countries are automatically members.
Correct answer: Sometimes – it depends on what the organisation requires.
No – countries are never allowed to join.
Q6.
Why might a country choose not to join an international organisation?
Correct answer: They disagree with the organisation’s values or rules.
They are too far away from the annual meeting place.
They prefer to remain independent in global decision-making.
Correct answer: They do not meet the requirements of the organisation.