Servas at the United Nations

Servas International's collaboration with the UN

Since 1973, Servas International (SI) has had consultative status as a non-governmental organisation (NGO) with the United Nations’ Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), one of the six main bodies of the UN. This involvement empowers us to make a real difference in promoting global peace.

We are part of a movement that contributes to vital UN activities. As Servas International, we attend flagship events like the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) meetings, where we actively engage, prepare statements, and participate in shaping the discourse for a better world.

The Servas Legacy

From the beginning, Servas has been committed to peacebuilding. The Servas founders selected the name “Peacebuilders” for themselves in the late 1940s.

The key elements of peacebuilding are multilateral initiatives, inclusion of women, empowerment of disadvantaged groups, concrete commitments including funding, and long-term solutions. Servas and other non-government organisations can and must play a vital role in these peacebuilding endeavours.

Our UN Representatives

The Servas International UN Team (SI UNT) includes 15 members who represent Servas at ECOSOC at the UN’s headquarters in New York and at subsidiary headquarters in Geneva and Vienna. The statements of some of them are included here:

Servas representatives at the UN

How Servas International participates in the United Nations

In May 2023, Servas Canada hosted a teleconference event to explain how Servas International is connected to and participates in the United Nations. The event looked at SI's involvement in the UN's Commission on the Status of Women conference (CSW67) held in March 2023, and included reflections by Servas Canada members Julie Cormack and Kent Macaulay and Servas US members Rachel-Elion Baird and Natalie Petersen. Servas attendees from 14 countries discussed and offered suggestions for expanding Servas’ participation in future UN conferences and programs.

More information

The following Guide for Servas International Representatives to the UN provides a lot more information about the United Nations and an application form for Servas members who are interested in becoming a representative. Join us in the pursuit of a more harmonious world!

Contact: representativestoun@servas.org