THE UNION OF NGOs OF THE ISLAMIC WORLD
İDSB / UNIW

6 Continents, 66 Countries, One Ummah

Foundation

Corporate Memory

Our History

The institutional development process and key milestones of UNI from its establishment to the present day.

On May 1, 2005, a conference titled "Searching for a New Vision in a Changing World" was held in Istanbul under the leadership of the Voluntary Organizations Foundation of Turkey (TGTV), with the participation of over three hundred non-governmental organizations from 40 countries.

On the first day of the conference, Mr. Bülent Arınç, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, and on the second day, Mr. Abdullah Gül, Minister of Foreign Affairs, delivered speeches. In the final session of the conference, the draft statute of the planned Union was opened for discussion, and by the vote of the attending representatives, it was decided to establish the Union of NGOs of the Islamic World (UNI).

Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey, shared the good news of the newly established Union with the public at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.

Aimed at establishing sustainable cooperation among non-governmental organizations operating in different regions of the Islamic world around shared values, Necmi Sadıkoğlu was elected as the Secretary General for the first term of UNI, and Atty. Ali Kurt was elected as the representative for Turkey. Istanbul was adopted as the headquarters of the Union.

The establishment of UNI gained official status as an international organization under Law No. 3335 on the Establishment of Organizations with International Character by the decision of the Council of Ministers dated December 31, 2005.

Eyüp Akbal has been serving as the Secretary General of UNI since 2022. Continuing its activities with the principle of "6 Continents, 66 Countries, One Nation," UNI currently has 401 members.

2005 - 2010: Establishment and Laying Institutional Foundations

May 01, 2005
Founding Conference

The conference titled "Searching for a New Vision in a Changing World" was held in Istanbul with over 300 non-governmental organizations from 40 countries, leading to the decision to establish UNI.

December 31, 2005
Official Status and Council of Ministers Decision

UNI was officially established as an international umbrella organization by the Council of Ministers Decision No. 3335 of the Republic of Turkey, with 152 founding members registered.

March 2006
1st General Assembly and Council

The first General Assembly and Council meetings were held in Istanbul to shape the administrative structure of the Union.

July 2006
Hosting International Union of Muslim Scholars & Humanitarian Aid

UNI hosted the General Assembly of the International Union of Muslim Scholars in Istanbul. In the same period, one of its initial aid campaigns, the Pakistan-Kashmir Earthquake Campaign, was launched.

December 2007
Islamophobia Conference

The "International Conference on Islamophobia" was organized in Istanbul to counter rising global prejudices.

August 2008
Birth of Youth Vision (1st IYG)

The 1st International Youth Gathering (IYG), aiming to raise future civil society leaders, was held in Istanbul.

August 2009
Palestine Solidarity

The "International Palestine Civil Solidarity Conference" was conducted to reinforce civil diplomacy efforts regarding Gaza and Jerusalem.

January 2010
First Cross-Border Youth Camp (3rd IYG)

The global network was expanded as the 3rd major gathering of Youth UNI took place in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia.

April 2010
Governance Congress

The "Good Governance in the Islamic World" conference was held as part of the council meeting in Malaysia.

2011 - 2015: Global Crisis Mobilizations and Establishment of the Family Institute

May 2011
1st International Family Conference

The 1st International Family Conference was organized in Bandung, Indonesia, taking the first major values-based step toward protecting the family structure.

October 2012
Arakan and Burma Crisis Mobilization

The "International Conference to Support the Oppressed People of Burma" was held in Istanbul to draw attention to the persecution of Rohingya Muslims.

December 2012
Cyprus Initiatives

The "Cyprus and Youth" conference was organized in Istanbul with the participation of youth NGOs from the TRNC and Turkey.

January 2013
"One Bread, One Blanket" Syria Campaign

A massive relief mobilization was launched in response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria, bringing together hundreds of NGOs from Turkey and around the world, alongside an urgent Syria Conference.

June 2014
Africa Development and Aid Mobilization

Following the Council Meeting in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, emergency humanitarian relief was delivered via cargo aircraft directly to civilian refugee camps in Chad and Cameroon following the crisis in the Central African Republic.

January 2015
2nd International Family Conference & Establishment of IFI

A major conference featuring 500 delegates from 30 countries was held in Istanbul in partnership with the Ministry of Family and Social Policies of the Republic of Turkey. As the primary concrete outcome, the International Family Institute (IFI) was officially established.

August 2015
Yemen Humanitarian Aid Conference

At the conference organized in partnership with OIC and WAMY for war-torn Yemen, a $477 million project target was declared for crisis rehabilitation.

October 2015
IFI 1st High Advisory Board (HAB)

The first institutional roadmap meeting was held with the participation of experts from over 20 countries to determine the long-term vision of the institute.

2016 - 2021: Civil Diplomacy Breakthrough and Pandemic Period Digitalization

April 2016
World Family Charter Initiative

The "International Family Convention Conference" was conducted in cooperation with the International Union of Muslim Scholars, establishing the framework to be presented to the UN and OIC.

May 2016
Participation in UN Humanitarian Summit

Active participation was provided at the UN World Humanitarian Summit held for the first time in history in Istanbul, offering a civil society critique of global system shortcomings.

August 2016
Civil Support Following July 15

Immediately after the coup attempt, NGO leaders from 40 countries visited the Presidential Complex, TGNA, and Prime Ministry in Ankara, declaring global civil support for legitimate democratic will.

December 2016
Lebanon Refugee Mission

An official delegation visit was conducted in Lebanon to observe the conditions of Syrian refugees on-site.

September 2018
Pakistan Mission (14th IYG)

The "Lahore Declaration" was adopted at the youth gathering in Lahore organized in partnership with Al-Khidmat Foundation; consecutive NGO meetings were held in strategic regions like Somalia, Sudan, and Morocco.

November 2018
3rd International NGO Fair

Held in Istanbul with the participation of hundreds of member organizations.

January 2020
IFI 3rd High Advisory Board

Bringing together representatives from over 80 institutions across more than 40 countries, dedicated "Working Desks" such as Family Jurisprudence, Law, and International Agreements were established.

May 2020
Online Council During Pandemic Conditions

Under Covid-19 restrictions, the 28th Council Meeting was conducted online, ensuring uninterrupted continuity of operations.

August 2021
Youth UNI 4th Ordinary General Assembly

The congress marking the handover of executive leadership was held at the SETA Headquarters.

2022 - 2025: Post-Pandemic Era and Gaza Mobilization

June 25, 2022
9th Elective Ordinary General Assembly

UNI initiated its new vision era through the elective general assembly held at MÜSİAD Headquarters in Istanbul.

November 2024
4th International NGO Fair and Gaza Declaration

A massive fair was organized at Istanbul Atatürk Airport Terminal C with NGOs participating from 67 countries. At the closing, the historic "Gaza Istanbul Declaration" was signed, reflecting the joint will of all civil initiatives.

May 2025
2nd Istanbul World Islamic Economy Summit

On May 30 - June 1, 2025, critical panel discussions were organized focusing on the integration of civil society and Islamic finance models.

July 2025
Dhaka Engagements (UNI 2025)

In Bangladesh's capital, participation was provided to the civil society summit under the "Three Zeros" vision, and the delegation paid an official visit to Prof. Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of Bangladesh.

2026: New Era Vision, Fieldwork, Infrastructure, and Digital Transformation Drive

February - March 2026
Sudan Humanitarian Mission

A field visit to Sudan was conducted to inspect the devastation of the civil war, resulting in a comprehensive "Needs and Priorities Report" that was published for the international community.

April 2026
Syria Field Visit

A joint UNI-TGTV delegation analyzed opportunities for early recovery, human development, and civil cooperation on-site in Aleppo and Damascus.

2026
Infrastructure and Digital Transformation Drive

To strengthen institutional memory sustainability and data security, cloud infrastructure was adopted; the "UNI CRM" software was developed to make member and financial management processes more efficient, secure, and mobile-friendly; and the corporate website was renewed.

Today
Current
6 Continents, 66 Countries, One Nation

UNI continues its international cooperation and solidarity endeavors with its 401 member organizations.

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