Academic Council on the United Nations System
The Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS) is a professional association of scholars, practitioners, institutions, and individuals active in the work and study of the UN. ACUNS stimulates and supports dialogue and research about issues of global concern and international cooperation. Purpose. ACUNS unites people engaged in research, writing, teaching, and policy practice related to the United Nations system, in order to better understand and address the most pressing global issues of our time. The United Nations was founded in 1945 to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.” Today , in addition to war, climate change, pandemic disease, new weapons, displacement, inequality, bigotry and extremism that threaten global well-being. Because these challenges cross borders, no sovereign nation will succeed in countering them alone. Members of ACUNS contend that solutions to improve the human condition will be advanced through evidence-based analysis, international legal agreement, and multilateral action. As the only institution with worldwide membership, an effective United Nations is an existential imperative for the global good. ACUNS serves to foster well-studied action in the UN system. History. ACUNS was established in 1987 by a group of concerned scholars  at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, USA. Since that time, it has been hosted by Brown University, Yale University, Wilfrid Laurier University, and Coventry University. In 2020, ACUNS became an independent nonprofit organization registered in the State of New York. Actions. Through events, publications, and online networking opportunities, ACUNS fosters analysis and debate about major international challenges. ACUNS increases the accessibility of the UN system to scholars, and facilitates the development of new scholarship about the UN and international affairs. It recognizes exceptional scholarship on the UN system, while also striving to translate and disseminate academic knowledge into practical  recommendations for policy advisers and policymakers. Through its work, ACUNS seeks to nurture the growth of excellent scholarship, legal instruments, and informed policy solutions to global challenges. UN status. ACUNS holds General Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI), Associate Status with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and observer status to United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA). It is possible for council members to be registered to attend meetings organized by UN specialized agencies, the UN Secretariat, and other UN bodies. ACUNS currently has over  650 individual and 42 institutional members in 55 countries. Board of Directors. ACUNS is led by an international Board of Directors, Officers, and Staff. Board Members: Officers: Staff: Filip Savatic serves as Administrative Coordinator. Liaison offices. ACUNS has a liaison office in Tokyo, Japan.