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 (http://www.uia.org)) 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.