International Organisations — English Bac SMB

Dans le programme du Bac SMB

English carries a coefficient of 2 in the Bac Sciences Maths B (SMB) stream, level with Philosophy. Mathematics dominates the stream (coefficient 9), followed by Physics-Chemistry and Engineering Sciences (coefficient 7 each), so English can look marginal — but it and Philosophy form the narrow margin where rankings and honours are actually decided. Reading, language and guided writing are all assessed.

À l'épreuve

Three parts: Reading Comprehension, Language, and Writing (a guided text of about 180 words). SMB candidates, trained to be rigorous and systematic, do well on the Language section if they treat each grammar point as a rule with a fixed structure; the risk is a dry essay that ignores vocabulary range and register, which the Writing section also scores.

Objectifs d'apprentissage

Reuse this vocabulary field in the Bac SMB Reading answers and in the argumentative essay (coefficient 2)
Name the main international organisations and their fields: UN (peace), UNESCO (education, culture), WHO (health), UNICEF (children)
Distinguish governmental organisations (IGOs) from non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
Use the vocabulary of international action: aid, relief, cooperation, sanctions, peacekeeping, humanitarian
Summarise the mission of an organisation in one sentence in a reading answer

Notions clés

The main international organisations

the UN (United Nations — peace and security), UNESCO (education, science and culture), the WHO (World Health Organization — global health), UNICEF (children's rights and welfare). Each has a defined mission and member states.

Governmental vs non-governmental

an IGO (intergovernmental organisation) is made up of member states (the UN, the WHO); an NGO (non-governmental organisation) is independent of governments and often funded by donations (the Red Cross, Amnesty International, Doctors Without Borders).

The vocabulary of international action

humanitarian aid, disaster relief, international cooperation, economic sanctions, a peacekeeping mission, a refugee, human rights. E.g. “The UN sent a peacekeeping force to the region.”

Erreurs fréquentes

Confusing an IGO (states as members) with an NGO (independent of governments): the WHO is an IGO, the Red Cross is an NGO.

Using aid as a countable noun: say humanitarian aid (uncountable), not “an aid” or “aids”.

Mixing up the missions: UNESCO deals with education and culture, the WHO with health — a reading answer must name the right one.

Exemple corrigé

Énoncé

In one sentence, state which organisation would coordinate the health response to an epidemic, and why.

Correction

Match the field to the organisation. An epidemic is a health issue, so the World Health Organization (WHO) is the relevant body.

State the reason. Its mission is to direct and coordinate international health work.

Result. “The World Health Organization would coordinate the response, because its mission is to direct and coordinate global health action, including during epidemics.”

Le cours, puis l'entraînement.

Orka génère des exercices illimités et des examens blancs corrigés sur tout le programme de Anglais du Bac SMB, avec un suivi de ta progression chapitre par chapitre.

Continue gratuitement sur Orka

3 exercices pour t'entraîner

Exercice 1

Easy

Which organisation deals with education, science and culture? (WHO / UNESCO / UNICEF)

Voir la correction

UNESCO — the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Exercice 2

Medium

Is Doctors Without Borders an IGO or an NGO? Justify in a few words.

Voir la correction

An NGO — it is independent of governments and funded mainly by private donations, unlike an intergovernmental organisation made up of member states.

Exercice 3

Hard

Explain in one sentence why both an IGO and an NGO might be involved after the same earthquake, with different roles.

Voir la correction

An IGO such as the UN can coordinate the overall international response and mobilise member-state resources, while an NGO such as the Red Cross provides direct, on-the-ground relief to victims — the two roles are complementary rather than overlapping.

Va plus loin sur ce chapitre

50+ exercices interactifs sur ce chapitre

Générés et corrigés étape par étape par l’IA, à ton niveau.

Connexion requise

Quiz IA adaptatif

Questions qui s’ajustent automatiquement à tes réussites et erreurs.

Connexion requise

Corrigés d’annales sur ce chapitre

Sujets d’examens nationaux et régionaux déjà tombés.

Connexion requise

Plan de révision personnalisé

Priorise ce chapitre selon ta progression réelle sur toute la filière.

Premium

Flashcards du chapitre

Formules et définitions clés en mode révision rapide.

Premium

Tuteur IA en Darija

Pose tes questions sur ce chapitre et obtiens une explication immédiate.

Premium

Questions fréquentes

Do I need to memorise every UN agency for the Bac?

No — four or five (UN, UNESCO, WHO, UNICEF, and the idea of an NGO like the Red Cross) cover almost every reading text and essay on the theme.

What is the difference between aid and relief?

Aid is the broad term for help given (money, food, expertise); relief usually refers to emergency help right after a disaster (disaster relief, relief workers).

How is this theme tested?

Mostly in reading comprehension (a text about an organisation's mission or a humanitarian crisis) and sometimes in an essay about international cooperation or the limits of international action.

A maths-stream student often dislikes English — how do they raise the mark?

Treat it as structure. Every writing task = introduction + argument + counter-argument + conclusion; every grammar point = one rule + one correct example + one typical mistake. Memorise that framework, apply it to the 31 chapters with two example sentences each, and 12/20 is reachable without eating into the heavy maths programme.

How do I use this theme in the Bac SMB essay without sounding generic?

Anchor each key term in one concrete, personal example — a place, a person, a situation you know. A specific illustration in accurate English scores better than a long list of terms with no support, on any of the society prompts in the programme.