Promoting UU Values at the United Nations
UUSC is carrying forward the proud legacy of Unitarian Universalist engagement with the UN.
Read the full press statement on the UU@UN partnership here.
Image: Pacific Islands students fighting climate change
Our legacy and future at the UN
The United Nations is a vital instrument for advancing human rights and global justice. Nearly 80 years after its founding, the UN remains the only international body that brings together heads of state from around the globe on a principle of equal representation. At a time of global challenges that require collective action on a large scale, the UN is indispensable.
From its inception, Unitarian Universalists have been actively promoting the values of human rights and global justice at the UN. The denomination appointed its first official delegate to the UN in 1946, and in April 1962, the UU@UN office was founded and tasked with “making the world more and more into a community.”
To carry this work forward, in 2023, UUSC inherited the mantle of the historic Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Office at the United Nations. This transition to UUSC serves UU values and our grassroots partners alike. The international scope of UUSC’s work and the collective action we foster across borders makes us a natural home for UN engagement.
Our Impact at the UN
UUSC’s advocacy at the UN centers directly impacted communities, building progressive faith power within civil society coalitions. We are creating space for our grassroots partners to speak truth to power in international forums, advancing human rights through collective action.
Climate Justice
UUSC is advocating for the UN’s International Court of Justice to issue a “strong and progressive” Advisory Opinion on climate change. In December 2024, the ICJ held historic public hearings, the biggest case in the Court’s history, with 98 states participating. This groundbreaking process began when our partner, Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change, successfully campaigned with Vanuatu to bring a resolution to the UN General Assembly in March 2023.
While the Advisory Opinion (expected in 2025) is nonbinding, it serves as a powerful tool for demanding full accountability from major carbon polluters. We are committed to centering equity and reparations, marking the first time the world’s highest court has addressed climate change as a legal issue.
Indigenous Rights
In 2024, UUSC supported the Banaban Human Rights Defenders Network in bringing international attention to systemic discrimination faced by the Banaban people. Banaban leaders highlighted their decades-long struggle for equity and recognition of harm caused by forced displacement and environmental devastation of their ancestral homeland.
This historic milestone marks the first time the story of the Banaban people was heard at the UN, underscoring the power of grassroots movements to garner global momentum for justice.
Gender Justice
UUSC actively participates in the yearly UN Commission on the Status of Women, bringing forward the voices of frontline activists fighting for gender justice. In 2025, CSW69 marked 30 years since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a landmark framework for advancing women’s rights worldwide.
Our engagement with partners includes participating in rallies and hosting panel discussions that connect feminist advocates together, demonstrating the power of collective solidarity across movements.
Current Initiatives
Our ongoing work at the UN includes participating in Climate Week to promote our partners’ urgent calls to address climate displacement, preparing for COP30 in Brazil to secure equitable commitments for loss and damage compensation, and continuing our yearly Intergenerational Global Solidarity Seminar.
If you have any questions or would like to become more involved with the UU@UN work, please email uu@uusc.org.
