International networks

Situated midway between Europe and the Americas, Montréal has direct access to government and to multilateral institutions in Washington, New York, Paris, London, Geneva, and of course, Ottawa. 

Montréal’s links to the United Nations system are both deep and active, including four secretariats of UN-subsidiary organizations:

• The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
  
• The Secretariat of the Convention on Biodiversity
  
• The Multilateral Fund for the Montréal Protocol
  
• The UNESCO Institute of Statistics (UIS)
  

A large number of international non-governmental organizations NGOs in Montréal enjoy recognition by the UN system: 

Montréal is home to more than 60 NGOs active in international cooperation, their programs  extending to every corner of the globe. The sector's strong network organizes frequent meetings and conferences on international issues and encourages collaboration in the creation of a more just and equitable world .

The education sector in Montréal is characterized by a high degree of internationalism. Close to 28,000 international students attend Montréal universities, the largest such population in Canada.