Majorities of Adults in Five Largest European Countries and the U.S. Believe United Nations Does More Good Than Harm

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – December 17, 2008 – While the United Nations may be over 60 years old, not everyone is familiar with it and the work that it does. In fact, just one-quarter of Germans (25%) and French adults (28%) say they are familiar compared to a plurality of British adults (40%), half of Spaniards (48%), a majority of Italians (55%) and almost two-thirds of Americans (64%). While they may not all be familiar with what it does, people in these six countries all believe that the UN does good work. Three–quarters of French adults (75%), two-thirds of Italians (69%), Germans (67%) and Britons (65%) and at least three in five Spaniards (63%) and Americans (60%) all say the UN does more good than harm.

These are some of the results of The Harris Poll^®, a new nationwide survey of 2,126 U.S. adults surveyed online between November 10 and 17, 2008 and among a total of 5,225 adults (aged 16-64) in France, Germany, Great Britain, and Spain and adults (aged 18-64) in Italy between October 29 and November 6, 2008 by Harris Interactive^®.

Other findings regarding attitudes on the United Nations include:

• Among Americans, when they think of the United Nations, and the work it does, being peace keepers is the first thing that comes to mind for 30% of them, followed by being a mediator (8%), countries banding together (8%) and ineffectual (7%);
• While some may have called over time for the United States to not be such a major player in the UN, this is not an opinion shared by most. At least two thirds of Germans (68%), Britons (73%), Spaniards (75%), French adults (76%), Americans (77%) and Italians (79%) all believe it is important for the US to be an active member of the United Nations;
• When it comes to raising the standards of living around the world, majorities of adults in France (53%), Italy (63%), Great Britain (63%), the U.S. (64%),and Spain (64%) and just under half of Germans (47%) believe the UN does contribute to raising these standards of living;
• At least two-thirds of French adults (73%), Germans (72%) Spaniards (71%), Italians (68%) and Britons (66%) and 61% of Americans believe that the United Nations is central to solving conflicts in the world.
• One place where Americans and Europeans differ is on the location of the UN headquarters. While three in five Americans (61%) believe it should remain in the United States, almost half of Spaniards (49%) and pluralities in Germans (44%), Great Britain (42%), France (42%), and Italy (42%) all believe it should not remain headquartered in the U.S.

Americans believe there are certain roles the United Nations should play:

• When asked how important it is that the UN plays a role in seven different areas, not surprisingly, strong majorities of Americans say it is important for them to play all these roles. At least eight in ten say it is important for the UN to provide humanitarian aid in the times of crisis (85%), advocate for and protect human rights (84%), peacekeeping (83%), preventing conflicts (80%) and resolving conflicts (80%). Three-quarters of Americans (77%) think it’s important for the UN to reduce poverty while 64% say it is important for the UN to confront climate change; and,
• When it comes to which is the one area where the United Nations can make the most difference, 19% of Americans believe it is providing humanitarian aid in times of crisis,18% say it is peacekeeping, 13% believe it is advocating for and protecting human rights while12% say it is resolving conflicts.

The United Nations has been a symbol of cooperation for over sixty years and is known for at least attempting to bring peace to nations around the globe. Over 190 countries are members and, among the six countries discussed here, there is a general sense that the United Nations does do good work. Or, at least does more good than they do harm. What is somewhat surprising is that, considering some of the harsher rhetoric towards the United Nations sometimes heard in the United States, that attitudes among these six countries are as similar as they are. With one exception, where the UN should be headquartered, adults in the five largest European countries and the United States share a sense of comfort almost, towards the UN.

"How familiar are you with the United Nations and the work that it does?"

Base: All EU adults in five countries and U.S. adults

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

"Which statement is closer to your own opinion?"

Base: All EU adults in five countries and U.S. adults

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

"When you think of the United Nations and the work that it does, what are the top one or two things that come to mind?"

Base: All U.S. adults

Note: Only responses given by at least 3% shown

"Please indicate if you agree or disagree with the following statement – It is important for the United States to be an active member of the United Nations."

Base: All EU adults in five countries and U.S. adults

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

"Please indicate if you agree or disagree with the following statement – The United Nations contributes to raising the standards of living around the world."

Base: All EU adults in five countries and U.S. adults

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

"Please indicate if you agree or disagree with the following statement – The United Nations is central to solving conflicts in the world."

Base: All EU adults in five countries and U.S. adults

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

"Please indicate if you agree or disagree with the following statement – The United Nations should remain headquartered in the United States."

Base: All EU adults in five countries and U.S. adults

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

"How important is it that the United Nations play a role in the following areas?"

Base: All U.S. adults

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

"Thinking of the same list of areas, which is the one area where the United Nations can make the most difference?"

Base: All U.S. adults

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

This Harris Poll^® was conducted online within the United States between November 10 and 17, 2008 among 2,126 adults (aged 18 and over) and among adults (aged 16-64) within France (1,045), Germany (1,034), Great Britain (1,087), and Spain (1,007) and adults (aged 18-64) in Italy (1,052) between 29 October and 6 November 2008. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words "margin of error" as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult population. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the Harris Interactive panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

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