The institute hosts the New York Liaison Office of The Academic Council on the United Nations (ACUNS), a worldwide network of scholars and practitioners who are interested in improved research and teaching about multilateralism. It is headquartered at Wilfred Laurier University under its executive director, Prof. Alistair Edgar. Bunche Institute Associate Director, Prof. Maivân Clech Lâm, heads the New York office. Prof. Michael Doyle (Columbia University) is past chair, and Thomas G. Weiss is the current chair of the Board of Directors. From 2000 to 2005, the institute housed the editorial office of Global Governance – A Review of Multilateralism and International Organization, the association's refereed academic journal that is published quarterly. Founded in 1987, ACUNS was the first professional academic association created specifically to study the workings and implications of the United Nations.

Other liason offices are: Subhash Birla (Delhi), Keith Krause (Geneva), and Ibrahim Saleh (Cairo). The formation of the European Branch of the Academic Council on the United Nations System was inaugurated with its first session on 14 March 2007.

The 20th Anniversary meeting, "The Study of International Organizations: Past, Present, Future?" was held June 6-8, 2007 at the CUNY Graduate Center. Please click here to see the program.

Thomas G. Weiss, Chair of ACUNS, and UN Deputy Secretary-General Dr. Asha-Rose Migiro addressing the 20th Anniversary Meeting.

Contact information:

Alistair Edgar, Executive Director, ACUNS (aedgar@wlu.ca)
Sarah Hucsko, Education and Program Development, ACUNS (shucsko@wlu.ca)
Maivân Clech Lâm, Director, New York Liaison Office (mlam@gc.cuny.edu)