The UIA’s main activity is the documentation of the work of international associations, including International Nongovernmental Organizations (INGOs) and Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs) in order to record the nature and evolution of global civil society. Today, the Global Civil Society Database, created by the UIA in its more than 100 years of history, is the most comprehensive source of information on international associations, both active and historical, and it is being continuously expanded.

Major publications derived from this exhaustive database are the Yearbook of International Associations, an authoritative overview of international associations worldwide, the International Congress Calendar that informs on past, present and future association events, and the Encyclopaedia of World Problems and Human Potential, uniting the vast range of world problems, action strategies and human values in order to develop more sustained and holistic solutions.

In addition, the UIA promotes public awareness of the work of international associations, represents their collective views and fosters cooperation. The annual Associations Round Table, in particular, serves as a unique platform to learn from each other, share ideas and information and form tighter networks.

With these core activities, the UIA does not only offer invaluable services to international associations, but also to academics and researchers as well as the meetings industry. In its co-operation with universities and research institutes from around the world, for instance, the UIA provides customized data extractions for particular research projects, next to a number of free resources such as the Civil Society Glossary or the IGO Search, which allows you to search the websites of all intergovernmental organizations.

With regard to the meetings industry, the UIA’s services range from its Survey on Meeting Issues and the analytical International Meetings Statistics Report through to various active advertising and sponsorship opportunities.