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International Association of Universities
The International Association of Universities (IAU) is the UNESCO-based worldwide association of higher education institutions. It brings together institutions and organisations from some 150 countries for "reflection and action on common concerns and collaborates with various international, regional and national bodies active in higher education". Currently it has over 600 members.
IAU is based in Paris, France and located at the headquarters of UNESCO. However, it is an independent organization.
Its web site is at http://www.unesco.org/iau/
Members
Among its different services, IAU produces on an annual basis an International Handbook of Universities, and the World Higher Education Database which includes information of some 17,000 higher education institutions recognized by their respective national authorities in 183 countries.
However, IAU does not "recognize or accredit institutions of higher education." Rather "the IAU/UNESCO Information Center on Higher Education publishes official directories of recognized institutions worldwide, the lists of which have been provided by the competent higher education authorities in each country."
The presence of an institution in this list does not by itself mean that it is an accredited institution in any given jurisdiction. Information regarding accreditation in any particular jurisdiction should be obtained from the appropriate local authorities in the usual way. For instance, in the United States, jurisdiction is overseen by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. In other countries, similar entities tend to exist.
Currently there are 609 members - there is a list at http://www.unesco.org/iau/members_friends/index.html