UNA-SPAIN, ORIGIN AND GOALS

The United Nations Association of Spain (UNA Spain), founded in 1962 with its headquarters in Barcelona, is an NGO in consultative status to the UN ECOSOC and has been declared organisation of public use. We are recognized by the United Nations as its main connection to civil society. As such, we act as a focal point of the regional Center of Information of the United Nations in Brussels (UNRIC).

Our fundamental aims are:

• To spread the principles and goals of the United Nations and their specialized agencies.
• To proclaim, to promote and to defend human rights and the fundamental freedoms.
• To guard over the fulfillment of the commitments governments made in the framework of the United Nations towards the achievement of peace, justice and development.

ACTIVITIES

• To organize educational and sensibility campaigns about humans rights as well as trainings, seminars, conferences, etc.
• To publish books about international relations, conflicts, human rights as well as didactic material for schools, magazines, yearbooks, etc.
• To give the voice to the young people through the Catalonia Model United Nations (C’MUN); a simulation of the General Assembly and the main bodies of the United Nations where they can practice the skills of dialog and mediation among young people from all around the world.
• To promote social responsibility; both of the private sector towards society and of the public sector and the NGO’s.

PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL, SPANISH AND CATALAN ORGANIZATIONS

UNA Spain was admitted to the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) in 1963 and is currently a member of its Executive Committee. The WFUNA is the only international NGO committed to support the principles and goals of the United Nations Charter, as well as to promote the activities of the organization and its specialized agencies.

• UNA Spain is a member of the Federation of Associations for the Defence and the Promotion of Human Rights on a national level.
• UNA Spain is part of three Federations in Catalonia: the Catalan Federation of NGO’s for Human Rights, the Catalan Federation of NGO’s for Development and the Catalan Federation of NGO’s for Peace.
•  UNA Spain is part of the Council of Social Welfare of the Barcelona City Council.