The UIA is the world's oldest, largest and most comprehensive source of information on global civil society. To this day, it carries out the sophisticated and visionary concepts of its founders. In developing beyond its initial bibliographical and organizational focus, the UIA seeks ways to recognize, honour and represent the full spectrum of human initiatives and preoccupations.
The launch of the centenary took place on November 23rd 2007 in Brussels. A series of public events were planned during this three-year period, leading up to the final centenary celebration which took place 18 & 19 November 2010.
The World Forum of Transnational Associations was organized from 23 to 27 June in Brussels, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the UIA and the 150th anniversary of Belgium, under the patronage of His Majesty the King of the Belgians. It was attended by 154 representatives of international associations.
The UIA was granted consultative status with UNESCO, and later on, several contracts brought UNESCO's aid for bibliographical work and also for a study of NGOs.
Resolution 334 B (XI) of the UN Economic and Social Council was adopted which established cooperation between the United Nations and the UIA, and confirmed at ECOSOC's 16th Session. "The Committee unanimously expressed its appreciation of the value and usefulness of the Yearbook of International Organizations published by the Union of International Associations.
Following the war and the dispersion of its archives, the UIA resumed activity as an institute, separate from the Mundaneum.
In 1949, representatives of the UIA, the United Nations, and the Interim Committee of Non-Governmental Organizations met and decided not to attempt to rebuild the UIA as a federation of international associations, but to retain its title and its programme as a centre for documentation, study, service, and the promotion of closer relations between international associations.
The loss to Otlet was enormous, for even though in their later years they worked very little together, they kept constantly in touch, speaking for hours together on the telephone. A year later on 10 December 1944, Otlet died.
Henri La Fontaine died on 14 May 1943, leaving his fortune and his library in two equal shares to the UIA and the International Peace Bureau, thus giving an ultimate proof of his faith in the ideals for which he had striven throughout his entire life.
The work of the UIA was reduced to documentary activities and the publication of three issues of a Bulletin of International Associations.
The founders of the UIA suffered a series of disappointments and difficulties. After the State took back the Cinquantenaire Palaces, La Fontaine and Otlet were obliged to move with their collections and archives to other premises, and to continue their work in extremely uncomfortable conditions. The German occupation was to complete the disaster when the military government destroyed 63 tons of periodicals.
