U Thant was the third Secretary-General of the United Nations and served from 1961 to 1971.  He was chosen to head the world body following the death of the then Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold in an air crash in September 1961.  

U Thant was appointed Burma’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador in 1957.  As UN Ambassador, he was active in issues of decolonization and was the Chairman of the Afro-Asian Working Group on Algerian Independence.  In 1959, he served as one of the Vice-Presidents of the Assembly's fourteenth session.  In 1961, U Thant was Chairman of the United Nations Congo Conciliation Commission and Chairman of the Committee on a United Nations Capital Development Fund.

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“To Secretary-General U Thant - As others see us, clearly, one world." (Signed), Frank Borman, James A. Lovell, Jr. and William A. Anders, Astronauts, Apollo 8 Mission launched December 21, 1968

Inspired by U Thant’s vision of "One World", the Institute’s mission is to advance peace by supporting educational projects related to conflict prevention, poverty alleviation and public health.

In so doing, the U Thant Institute will use its unique position to form alliances with United Nations organs, non-governmental organizations, educational establishments, philanthropic institutions, scholars and individuals.

The Institute aims to achieve, in small and large steps, its goal of peace through education to enable comprehension of conflicts, discernment of causes, and healing of ills.

To this end, the U Thant Institute will work to reach a wide audience by bringing together people of differing cultures, faiths and religions in educational, civic and social forums that address the diversity, challenges and possibilities of our world.