About us

We want human rights to be respected all around the world.

The United Nations Association of Spain (ANUE / UNA-Spain) is a non-governmental organization founded in Barcelona on October 31st, 1962. UNA-Spain is a member of the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA), created the 1946 as a social and apolitical initiative with the main objective to defend and disseminate the principles of peace and human rights in the world and to achieve a peaceful coexistence among all the peoples of the world.

UNA-Spain has been recognized by the United Nations as the only main link between this Organization and the civil society in Spain. Besides, it acts as the focal point of the United Nations Regional Information Centre (UNRIC) in Brussels. It has a consultative status to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and it has been declared a public utility entity.

Our origins.

On October 31st, 1962, different personalities of the cultural life of Barcelona met at the clinic of the urologist Antoni Puigverd to create an “Association of Friends of the UN” in Spain. They were encouraged by the spirit of the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, hoping that the activities developed by the new entity would contribute to the restoration of democratic freedoms in the country.

The first steps of the United Nations Association of Spain (UNA-Spain) moved towards the recognition by the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) that came in September 1963.The presentation in Barcelona coincided with United Nations Day, on October 24th.

From that moment until the end of the dictatorship, “Friends of the UN” had to fight for the recovery of lost freedoms in Spain, in addition to its active participation in raising awareness of the problems of the world. Besides, it denounced constant human rights violations by the Franco regime at international forums.

Throughout that period, the Association did not stop under any circumstances, using all kinds of strategies and actions to reach the public. The newspaper libraries keep memories of many of these actions. Moreover, in the ANUE you can find a valuable archive of photos, newspapers and posters, in which there is clear evidence of the immense task undertaken by the Association for over 50 years.

The UNA-Spain main objectives are:

• To encourage civil society to get familiar with and support the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
• To proclaim, disseminate and defend human rights and fundamental freedoms of all persons, as well as to contribute to promoting the maintenance of international peace and security, development and environmental protection all over the world.
• To promote values such as tolerance, coexistence, understanding, solidarity and cooperation among all peoples and all the persons of the world, regardless of their race, sex, origin, nationality and religious or political orientation.
• To boost research, information and education on topics of international interest and on actions of the United Nations through its network of specialized agencies serving political, economic, social and cultural fields.
• To ensure the fulfillment of the commitments by Governments in the framework of the United Nations to achieve peace, justice and development in the world.

Main activities:

• We organize educational and awareness campaigns through seminars, forums, courses, conferences and publications on United Nations and human rights.
• We disseminate the Millennium Development Goals to be able to assume them as a society.
• We suggest discussions on the reform of the United Nations.
• We cooperate with peace education programs through sport in Africa.
• We promote social synergies through social responsibility policies.
• We publish books on international relations, conflicts, human rights, educational material for schools, magazines, yearbooks, among others; and we offer a computerized library and documentation service of topics on the United Nations and its specialized agencies.
• We give voice to young people. We organize training activities and devote special attention to subjects of international interest which involve young people from all over the world.

Recognitions (discover more)