On the basis of earlier joint projects, such as the International Institute of Bibliography, Henry La Fontaine and Paul Otlet developed the idea of documentating the efforts of all international associations to the benefit of the burgeoning internationalist movement. Against this backdrop, the UIA was to provide services, including management of relations between international associations, study of questions of common interest, creation of new organizations, international instruction, management of publications and documentation, among others.

During the interwar period, the UIA and their founding fathers were very successful in promoting and establishing major pillars for a functioning civil society, both at home and abroad. Their lobbying successes include: the 1919 Belgian law providing special legal facilities for international associations, contributing to the establishment of the League of Nations, and to the founding of the International University.

Following World War II, the UIA resumed its activities in 1948, no longer as a federation of international associations, but as a research centre for documentation, study, service, and the promotion of closer relations between international associations.

To this day, the UIA carries out the sophisticated and visionary concepts of its founders, with a focus on being a sounding board for the collective views of international bodies, strengthening ties and internationality of these organizations, and promoting their visibility on a global stage.