Rotary and the United Nations

Posted by Arnica Rowan

Rotary International's relationship with the United Nations dates back to 1945, when 49 Rotarians were members of the 29 delegations to the UN Charter Conference in San Francisco, Calif., USA.

During the UN's first decade, Rotary actively participated in UN sessions by sending observers to major meetings and promoting the United Nations in Rotary publications.

Rotary has maintained relations with the UN's Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the UN's Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) since their beginnings in 1945 and 1946, respectively. More recently, these relations have expanded through Rotary's Representative Network.

Rotary International holds the highest nongovernmental organization (NGO) consultative status with the United Nation's Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), which oversees many specialized UN agencies. Rotary International also participates in leadership positions of CONGO, the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Status to the United Nations.