IMU is an international non-governmental and non-profit scientific organization, with the purpose of promoting international cooperation in mathematics. It is a member of the International Council for Science (ICSU) and has endorsed repeatedly ICSU's Principle of Freedom, Responsibility & Universality of Science.

The objectives of the International Mathematical Union (IMU) are:

1. To promote international cooperation in mathematics
2. To support and assist the International Congress of Mathematicians and other international scientific meetings or conferences
3. To encourage and support other international mathematical activities considered likely to contribute to the development of mathematical science in any of its aspects, pure, applied, or educational