Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office

The Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office (UU-UNO) is engaged in international advocacy work at the United Nations (UN) based on Unitarian Universalist values.

Get Involved

• Become an Envoy to your congregation
• Become a Youth Envoy
• Attend the Spring Seminar
• Other ways to Get Involved

Global Social Justice Work

• Every Child is Our Child focuses on children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS and works toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals of universal primary education, fighting HIV/AIDS, reducing hunger and poverty, and promoting gender equality.
   
• The Faith and Ethics Network for the International Criminal Court (FENICC) believes that the principals embodied in the International Criminal Court—justice and brotherhood—gives religious organizations a unique obligation to raise awareness at a grassroots level and shape this still young institution of international justice.
   
• A global initiative for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender/ sexual orientation and gender identity (LGBT/SOGI) Human Rights focuses on promoting UU values of equality for all people at the UN.
   
• Women: Security and Peacebuilding promotes awareness and action through education and advocacy in women's global security and their role in peacebuilding and peace-keeping efforts, and the ratification of Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) (U.S.) and international implementation.
   
• Climate Change Task Force provides up to date information about how to address climate change through blogs, media resources, action alerts, and more.

Building Awareness

• Intergenerational Spring Seminar occurs annually in April in New York City.  This multigenerational event draws people from across the U.S. and Canada (and beyond!) to tackle different international human rights issues.
   
• United Nations Sunday celebrates the work of the UN and the UU-UNO.  Each year we choose a Sunday close to UN Day (October 24th) and invite congregations to have a service and/or event that embraces a multigenerational, international theme to get the whole congregation involved in affirming the importance of human rights education and advocacy. We have resources available to assist with planning!
   
• Dana Greeley Sermon Award honors the first Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) President, Rev. Dana Greeley, who was an advocate for both the UN and the work of the UU-UNO. Submit your UN Sunday sermon or address for the chance to win. The winner receives an honorarium and has the opportunity to present their paper at UUA General Assembly (GA). Keep an eye out for the Dana Greely winner!
   

• The UN Me Religious Education Curriculum has five units, each with a different theme and objective. Students will have the opportunity to learn about global issues, peacebuilding, the function of various organizations of the United Nations, and more! There is also a document of activities for children and youth interested in further education and possible leadership opportunities, adapted from the Girl Scouts of America badge “Our Rights, Our Responsibilities” on the rights of the child.

UU-UNO Vision and Mission

Vision: A peaceful, just and sustainable world community as called for in the United Nations (UN) Charter.

Mission: The Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office (UU-UNO) has a two-fold mission: 

• We engage in the work of the UN to advance a peaceful, just, sustainable and pluralistic world community that promotes human rights. 
• We engage and inspire Unitarian Universalists and others to support and participate in this work.

Learn More

• UU-UNO Influence at the UN
• History of the UU-UNO
• 2013 Intergenerational Spring Seminar

Donate

• General Funding
• Every Child is Our Child Program
• LGBTQ Human Rights in Uganda