The International Union of Architects (Union internationale des Architectes, or UIA) is an international non-governmental organization that represents over a million architects in 92 countries. It is recognized by most United Nations agencies as the only association in its field, including UNESCO, UNCHS, ESOSOC, UNIDO, and the World Health Organization, as well as the WTO.
The UIA was founded in Lausanne, France, in 1948. Its General Secretariat is located in Paris. The current president is Jaime Lerner, former mayor of Curitiba and governor of Paraná, Brazil.
The UIA awards four prizes annually:
Auguste Perret Prize, for technology applied to architecture
Sir Patrick Abercrombie Prize, for town-planning or territorial development
Jean Tschumi Prize, for architectural criticism or architectural education
Sir Robert Matthew Prize, for improvement in the quality of human settlements.
The organization also manages international competitions for some of the most important spaces of our age, as well as attempts to improve human habitats through architecture and technology. The UIA managed international competitions resulting in the construction of:
Georges Pompidou Centre, Paris, France
Indira Gandhi Centre, New Delhi, India
Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris, France
National Museum of Seoul, South Korea
Prado National Museum, Madrid, Spain (rehabilitation and extension)
Opera House, Sydney, Australia