The mission of the International Federation of Catholic Universities and its International Center for Research and Decision Support is to disseminate knowledge useful to international decision-makers by providing the expertise of their universities. As a result, various forms of involvement with international institutions are possible: attending working sessions and participating in the drafting of resolutions and recommendations, contributing to working groups by proposing themes for further study, or producing policy papers.

FIUC has consultative status with UNESCO in Paris, the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in New York, and participatory status with the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. The Federation is also a member of the OECD Higher Education Stakeholder Forum and the OSCE Network of Think Tanks and Academic Institutions.

In order to fulfill its mission with regard to the social responsibility of universities (RSU), the Federation needs to reflect on the human being and its place in contemporary society and the environment. Education, training and access to the job market are the main themes on which FIUC wishes to focus its expertise, in the current context of globalization. This leads the experts in its network to share their knowledge, notably on the digital transition, innovative ecosystems including the notion of "innovative pedagogies", and ethical and bioethical issues. This social responsibility is also illustrated by a reflection on access to higher education for people with disabilities, migrants and refugees.

Finally, the Federation is also involved in building Peace Studies networks, and would like to take part in discussions and work on populism, the fight against hate speech, the prevention of violent extremism, human rights education and intercultural and inter-religious dialogue.