Baroness Joyce Anelay
Chair of UNA-UK since June 2022. She has held numerous roles in Government, Parliament, civil society and education. Born in London, she began her career as a history teacher (1969-74), before joining the Citizens’ Advice Bureau (1976-2010). She was made Dame Commander (DBE) in 1995, before being made a Life Peer in 1996 — marking the start of a prolific parliamentary career, which has included stints on the Joint Committee on Security and Procedure and Privileges Committee, as well as serving as a Deputy Speaker (Lords).
Between 1997 and 2010 she held various Conservative front bench posts, including Shadow Minister for Culture, Sport and Media and Opposition Chief Whip. In May 2010 she was appointed Government Chief Whip before taking over as Minister of State in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in 2014 and attending Cabinet. She succeeded William Hague as the Prime Minister’s Special Representative for the Preventing Violence in Conflict Initiative. She also served as Minister of State for International Development. Her Ministerial portfolio included the UN and she worked closely with UNA-UK on key initiatives – such as the 1 for 7 Billion campaign, combating sexual violence in conflict, UK engagement in UN peacekeeping, and visits to the UK by Secretaries-General Ban Ki-moon and António Guterres.
She currently chairs the International Relations and Defence Committee. Her work has covered a number of UNA-UK priorities, including the 2021 Integrated Review, nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, COP26, human rights, and Afghanistan.
United Nations Association of the UK
Our Mission Making the case for an effective United Nations. We are the only charity in the UK devoted to building support for the UN amongst policymakers, opinion-formers and the public. Featured News UNA-UK to host COVID-19 event in wake of Omicron 1 December 2021
Founded in 1945, the United Nations Association – UK (UNA-UK) is the country’s foremost advocate for UK action at the UN; the UK’s leading source of analysis on the UN; and a vibrant grassroots movement of 20,000 people from all walks of life.
We are the only charity in the UK devoted to building support for the UN amongst policymakers, opinion-formers and the public. We believe that a strong, credible and effective UN is essential if we are to build a safer, fairer and more sustainable world. We advocate strong government support for the UN – political and financial – and seek to demonstrate why the UN matters to people everywhere.
We pursue this mission by:
- Explaining how the UN works and what it can realistically achieve
- Connecting people and organisations to the UN’s work and values
- Providing an interface between the UN and the UK
- Calling for active and progressive UK leadership at the UN
- Stimulating debate and action on how to make the UN more effective, transparent, inclusive and accountable
- Convening key players from all sectors, in the UK and internationally, to promote multilateral solutions to global problems
- Equipping our members and supporters to further all of these aims
UNA-UK derives great strength from its members and supporters, and UK-wide network of community and university branches. Together, they form a critical mass of support for the UN in the UK and beyond.
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