About UNA-USA: Helping the UN Help the World

A membership program of the UN Foundation, the United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA) is dedicated to building understanding of and support for the ideals and work of the UN among the American people. Its education, membership and advocacy programs emphasize the importance of cooperation among nations and the need for American leadership at the UN. UNA-USA is affiliated with the World Federation of United Nations Associations, which began in 1946 as a public movement for the UN.

UN Foundation/UNA-USA Strategic Alliance

The UN Foundation / United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA) Strategic Alliance works to build a broad base of citizen support for American multilateral engagement through UNA-USA's 125 chapters and divisions across the U.S. For six decades, the mission of the UNA-USA and its chapters have been rooted in the founding principles of the United Nations: to inform, inspire and mobilize Americans to support the principles and vital work of the United Nations and to strengthen the United Nations system. UNA-USA’s education and Model UN programs help connect young people to the UN, while the Council of Organizations brings NGOs together, connecting them to the UN. The alliance announcement was made at the Global Leadership Dinner on November 18, 2010 in New York City.

Learn more about the UN Foundation/UNA-USA strategic alliance.

UNA-USA's Mission

We are dedicated to educating, inspiring and mobilizing Americans to support the principles and vital work of the United Nations, strengthening the United Nations system, promoting constructive United States leadership in that system and achieving the goals of the United Nations Charter.

UNA-USA's History

The American Association for the United Nations, UNA-USA's predecessor organization, grew from the League of Nations Association in 1943. A group of prominent citizens, including the first executive director, Clark M. Eichelberger, activated the association to promote acceptance of the Dumbarton Oaks proposals in the late years of World War II,. Among the association's early actions was a national tour by a number of US representatives to spread the word and gain support for American adherence to the Dumbarton proposals, which led to the creation of the UN.

When First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, a member of the association’s board of directors, completed her term as a US representative to the UN General Assembly in late 1951, she walked into the association’s offices and asked for something to do. Her offer was gratefully accepted, and in early 1953, she established an office at the association’s headquarters.

This was the quiet beginning of a major campaign in which Mrs. Roosevelt carried the message of the American Association for the United Nations across the country through personal appearances, recruitment speeches and fund-raising efforts that continued until her death in November 1962. She was elected chairwoman of the board in 1961.

In 1964, the association merged with the US Committee for the United Nations, a group of 138 national organizations supporting the work of the UN, thereby creating the United Nations Association of the United States of America. Since then, several distinguished Americans have served in positions of leadership at UNA-USA. These include Arthur J. Goldberg, former Justice of the US Supreme Court and US permanent representative to the United Nations; James S. McDonnell, former chairman of the McDonnell-Douglas Corporation; Elliot L. Richardson, former US attorney general and US representative to the Law of the Sea Conference; William Scranton, former governor of Pennsylvania and US permanent representative to the United Nations; Cyrus Vance, former secretary of state; and John C. Whitehead, former deputy secretary of state.

In 1999, the Business Council for the United Nations joined UNA-USA as a division. Founded in 1958 with the blessing of Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld, BCUN worked to build support for the UN among business leaders and employers of major US corporations, enjoying the early support of such leaders as former Secretary-General U Thant and US Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and Harry S. Truman.

In 2010, UNA-USA formed a strategic alliance with the UN Foundation. Under the new alliance UNA-USA continued as a robust membership program of the UN Foundation. Together, UNA-USA and the UN Foundation are pooling their talents to increase public education and advocacy on the work of the UN. UNA- USA works closely with the UN Foundation's sister organization, the Better World Campaign, whose mission is also to strengthen the U.S.-UN relationship.