In 1947 the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of
the United States and Canada was accredited to the United Nations as a national
non-governmental organization qualified to be represented at United Nations
Conferences through a designated observer. One year later the eight existing
National Spiritual Assemblies were recognized collectively as an international
non-governmental organization under the title "The Bahá'í International
Community." Each National Spiritual Assembly designated the National
Spiritual Assembly of the United States as its representative at the United
Nations. Mrs. Mildred Mottahedeh, who also served as a member of the
International Bahá'í Council from 1961 to 1963, was the observer for the Bahá'í
International Community for nearly twenty years. The Bahá'í International
Community, which now includes at least five million believers, 165 National
Spiritual Assemblies, and approximately twenty thousand Local Spiritual
Assemblies, maintains offices in New York and Geneva as well as regional
offices in Addis Ababa, Brussels, and Jakarta.
The Baha’i International Community registered with the UN as
an NGO in 1948 and currently has consultative status with the United Nations
Economic and Social council (ECOSOC) and the United Nations Children's Fund
(UNICEF), as well as accreditation with the United Nations Environmental
Program (UNEP) and the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI).
The Baha’i International Community collaborates with the UN and its specialized
agencies, as well as member states, inter- and non-governmental organizations,
academia, and practitioners.
(Adapted from the explanatory footnotes in ‘Messages
from the Universal House of Justice 1963-1986’, and website of Baha’i International
Community)
