Union of International Associations

The Union of International Associations is a nonprofit organization which gives out information on international organizations. Headquarters are in Brussels. Founded in 1907 by Henri La Fontaine (Nobel Peace Prize 1913) and Paul Otlet.

Its stated goals (taken from its website) are:

• Facilitate the evolution of the activities of the world-wide network of nonprofit organizations, especially nongovernmental or voluntary associations;
• Promote understanding of how international bodies represent valid interests in every field of human activity or belief, whether scientific, religious, artistic, educational, trade or labour;
• Enable these initiatives to develop and counterbalance each other creatively, in response to world problems, by collecting information on these bodies and their interrelationships;
• Make such information available to them, and to others who may benefit from this network;
• Experiment with more meaningful and action-oriented ways of presenting such information as a catalyst for the emergence of more appropriate organizations;
• Promote research on the legal, administrative and other problems common to these international associations, especially in their contacts with governmental bodies.