In 1994 the United Nations granted the Sovereign Order of Malta Observer Status (UN General Assembly – Resolution 48/265, August 24, 1994). Since then, the Order has maintained Permanent Missions to the United Nations in New York, Geneva, Rome and Vienna. In Paris it is accredited to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

The Permanent Observer Mission exists, like all the diplomatic initiatives of the Order of Malta, to support and extend the humanitarian goals of the Order of Malta and its members. The neutral, impartial, and non-political nature of the Order permits for humanitarian intervention in a timely and valuable nature as well as for a welcoming presence amongst fellow members of the United Nations. Diplomats assist in ensuring the cooperation of particular countries or multilateral agencies in the Order of Malta’s effective delivery of aid and personnel into what are often the least inviting of circumstances.

In Rome, the Sovereign Order of Malta’s Permanent Observer Mission is accredited to and participates in the work of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), to that of the World Food Programme (WFP), and to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) are key players in the fight against hunger, poverty, and climate change. Their complementary mandates foster comprehensive collaboration.

The Order of Malta actively work and partner with UN agencies and bodies, including FAO and WFP and IFAD, as well as with other international relief agencies and civil society organizations.