Editing Universal Esperanto Association (section)

=== National organizations ===
The first national Esperanto organization was founded in 1898 in France, originally as a potential international association. In 1903 the second one followed, in Switzerland. Within a couple of years, many of the still existing national organizations came into existence. Since 1933-1934 they have sent representatives to the UEA ''Komitato'', making it a federation of national organizations. In Esperanto these were initially termed as ''Naciaj Societoj'' (national societies), but they have subsequently become known as ''Landaj Asocioj'' (country associations).

When UEA accepted national organizations in 1933-1934 for the first time, it required them to
* have at least 100 national members,
* be 'organized in an orderly manner',
* be neutral, meaning having no political or religious aims, and being open to all citizens of the country.<ref name="Sikosek126">Sikosek, Marcus: ''Die neutrale Sprache. Eine politische Geschichte des Esperanto-Weltbundes'' (“The neutral language. A political history of the World Esperanto Association.” Diss. Utrecht 2006. Skonpres, Bydgoszcz 2006, p. 126.</ref>

[[File:Centra Oficejo de UEA.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1|The Central Office of the UEA in Rotterdam]]

Especially the last prerequisite caused serious problems, e.g. to the German national association submitting to [[Nazi Party]] rule. Decades later, in 1959, the Cuban association was refused because its statutes respected the leading role of the [[Communist Party of Cuba]]. In 1980, the UEA statutes were altered to specify that while a national organization need not be neutral itself, it must respect the neutrality of UEA.