UNA-Germany (Deutsche Gesellschaft für die Vereinten Nationen – DGVN) was founded in 1952 as a non-governmental organization. UNA-Germany is a non-partisan and independent organization and does not represent the specific interests of any single group in society. It works as a non-profit organization and its Board of Directors is elected every two years.

According to its charter, UNA-Germany strives to inform the German public in an impartial and critical manner about the objectives, institutions and activities of the United Nations. It intends to increase interest in and raise awareness for current events in foreign and development policy, cultural and world economic policy as well as international relations and developments in general. UNA-Germany wants to encourage debates on these topics while simultaneously engaging in critical discussion of German UN policy.

UNA-Germany hosts a number of events which include study trips, conferences, seminars and symposia, panel discussions, talks on topical issues, and press conferences with participants from the field of politics, academia and civil society.

UNA-Germany became a full member of the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) in 1966. It is member of other networks and federations like Forum Menschenrechte.