Founding of the UIA

The Union Internationale des Architectes (International Union of Architects, UIA) was founded in Lausanne, Switzerland in 1948 in the aftermath of the Second World War to create a single worldwide federation of national architects' associations, at a moment when reconstruction had made international cooperation on architectural standards and practice newly urgent. The UIA holds a general assembly and a World Congress of Architects every three years, awards its own international prizes, and works with UNESCO on professional and educational standards for architects across its member countries. It remains the principal global professional body for architecture, distinct from national institutes such as the American Institute of Architects or the Royal Institute of British Architects.