The Values Caucus at The United Nations

An Evolving Mission Statement

The Values Caucus is a forum based on a commitment to values shared by all of humankind. The Values Caucus affirms that such values exist, and we believe that choosing to live by these values will lead to a global future of peaceful cooperation in an interdependent and culturally diverse world. We believe that without this commitment to shared values, humanity will continue to live under the threat of war, subsistent standards of living, and depletion of the natural resources of our endangered planet.

The Values Caucus was founded in August 1994 among the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) at the United Nations for the following purposes:

• To raise awareness of the need to examine the values guiding human behavior at all levels: individual, family, professional, organizational, national, international and spiritual.
• To develop in-depth participatory, multidisciplinary and cross-cultural dialogues to promote the positive values that transcend our differences.
• To take an action-oriented approach to fostering such values.
• To participate in the work of the United Nations and global conferences by:
  • formulating values-related concepts and language for the documents and lobbying for their inclusion;
  • developing and implementing values-related programs and workshops;
  • cultivating a global network of participants.