About the SoCal Division of the United Nations Assoc.

Statement of Purpose

The United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan national organization dedicated to enhancing U.S. participation in the United Nations system and to strengthening that system as it seeks to define and carry out its mission. UNA-USA's action agenda uniquely combines education and public research, substantive policy analysis, and ongoing U.S.-U.N. dialogue.

Origin

The Association traces its founding to 1943 and the birth of the American Association for the United Nations (AAUN), a citizen-based organization led by Eleanor Roosevelt and dedicated to educating American about the U.N. and global issues. In 1964, the AAUN merged with the U.S. Committee for the United Nations, composed of 138 national organizations supporting the work of the world body, thereby creating the United Nations Association of today.

UNA-USA Today

UNA-USA is a leading center of policy research on the United Nations and global issues such as environment, security, narcotics, development, and human rights. With 23,000 members nationwide, UNA combines broad grassroots outreach with high-level policy studies involving scholars and government officials from many parts of the world in order to identify fresh ideas and areas of potential cooperation. Through a series of programs, UNA-USA brings together leaders of business, Congress, academia, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the U.N. community for discussions of pressing problems on the international agenda.

UNA-USA continues to pioneer efforts to involve the American public in the discussion of foreign policy priorities as well as to provide information and educational materials for Congress, the Executive Branch, the corporate community, NGOs, the media, and the public at large. Through its national network of over 170 community-based Chapters and Divisions, and through its 145-member Council of Organizations, UNA-USA reaches out to millions of concerned citizens who want their voices heard in Washington and at the United Nations.

UNA-USA is also a part of a larger network of United Nations Associations around the world. As a member of the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA).

Headquartered in New York City just a few blocks from United Nations headquarters, the Association operates with a staff of over 30 full-time employees and an annual budget of approximately $4.3 million. Funding is provided by private foundations, corporations, individuals, and membership dues rather than by the U.S. Government or the United Nations.